Group 1 Memsie Stakes Preview Caulfield

Hi World wasn’t the most reliable beginner early in his career but he has jumped away cleanly at his last three starts and his trials leading into this have been good. Expect he’ll lob in behind the leaders from the inside alley before peeling off Entirely Platinum’s back in the straight. This is his biggest test to date but all of his first-up runs have been sound and his last performance over this distance was terrific. Looking at his sectionals he’s a horse that can really accelerate quickly from the 400m-200m and he has showed that he’s not one to shy away from a scrap over the concluding stages. Jockey Kerrin McEvoy is three-from-three on the Moody-trained galloper.

Stratum Star is another who maps well after gaining a run at the expense of Fawkner. He drew horribly in the Regal Roller Stakes on resumption but attacked the line with vigour after getting balanced at the 200m. He stepped up to this distance second-up last campaign and finished on the heels of smart gallopers Wandjina and Disposition at Group Three level. He never runs a bad race and won his only start over this route. Melham has started the season in great touch.

Wish he’d drawn a bit closer in but Volkstok’n’barrell might still be able to slot in for cover in the first half of the field without burning too much pressure. He is a seriously talented galloper as his record of six wins from just 10 starts indicates. He is two-from-two over 1400m (in NZ) and is yet to miss a place in six runs on dry tracks. He has no real quirks and has so far shown himself to be a very adaptable type.

He looks a bit short at $4.80 but Boban certainly has the runs on the board when it comes to weight-for-age racing. The Waller-trained veteran is a genuine middle-distance gun who has recaptured form after a really disappointing summer/autumn campaign in Sydney. He has trialed well leading into this (he generally does) and his last first-up performance was a stylish victory in the Group One Doomben 10,000 (1350m) back in May.