Jake Stephens had a good reason to raise a smile at Caulfield on Saturday after Gris Caro won the Naturalism; he is now fully qualified to run in the Caulfield Cup and did not receive a penalty.

Weights for the Cup will be raised 2 ks, which would ensure the Japanese visitor, Admire Ratki, will carry the number one saddle cloth.

Stephens is no stranger to the Caulfield Cup; he almost had his hands on the trophy two years ago with Acopop, until Dunaden came along and spoilt the party.

Gris Caro�s pedigree is of interest, he is a six year old grey entire foaled in Great Britain, his sire, With Approval, is Canadian bred, his dam, Aviane, came out of Germany, and his grand dam was Irish bred.

Gris Caro winning the Naturalism Stakes

 There was another point of interest, of the 11 runners in the race there were only two Australian bred horses in the field.

Gris Caro is trained at Victor Harbour in South Australia; he is a lightly raced horse having just 16 starts for six wins and six placings.

The favourite, Spillway, was caught up in a traffic jam for much of the race, when he ultimately got clear he never offered much.

He may go to Sydney for the Metropolitan Handicap, a win would ensure him a start in the Caulfield Cup. 

Jake Stephens with Caulfield Cup hope Gris Caro

Foreteller, who has been absent from the winner�s circle for 13 months since winning the Memsie Stakes, returned to his best when he won the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

Maybe he has an affinity with �The Heath�, it could be a case of horses for courses, that is not uncommon.

The imported gelding, in his present form, is entitled to have another crack at the Cox Plate, he ran unplaced last year.

Happy Trails was the big improver; he was running solidly, he will possibly follow the same path as last year, the Turnbull Stakes and then straight into the Cox Plate.

Foreteller in the center winning the Underwood Stakes

He was only beaten a whisker in the race last year by Shamus Award; the Turnbull may be the best guide again with Happy Trails.

The imported grey, Crackerjack King, continues to improve, he hung on remarkably well, Michael Walker had him in the lead for much of the race, galloping six wide down the railway side of the course.

The favourite, Silent Achiever, was a bit disappointing, she didn�t go on as expected; she is worth another chance to redeem herself.

Star Witness did little, he was running mid field most of the way, weakening in the straight and only beat two horses home.

The Offer is not a weight for age horse, we will have to wait and see what he does in a handicap, but he is no Fiorente.

Foreteller returning to scale

Recipe For Naming Horses

Don�t use a name that has been used previously, particularly if it was a well performed animal, lightning seldom strikes twice in the same place.

The rules of racing are such that a name can be repeated again, after a span of 20 years, at the discretion of the registrar.

Melbourne Cup winners are usually protected, however, there was a time when one slipped through to the keeper, it was Patron, winner of the Cup in 1894, trained by Richard Bradfield.

Simmering, who raced at Mornington yesterday, now has five duck eggs alongside his name, a poor reflection on the original Simmering, she was a high class filly, the best of her age, by Hellespont in the stable of Lou Robertson, she had to be destroyed after breaking a leg in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.

Staviva Promising

Staviva, out of the Matt Laurie yard, looks a promising type after winner at Moe; he proved that was no fluke when he scored again at Mornington yesterday.

Laurie is on the fringe of a good season, he has a young team of horses with potential, among them Staviva, who could easily make it three in a row when next he appears.

He was not an expensive horse; $70,000 for a Encosta de Lago is not considered out of the way, his dam, Vivacious Spirit, when trained by Mick Price won to Group 3 level.

Staviva is a full brother to Costa Viva, she won the Group 1 New Zealand Guineas over 1600 metres, her brother should be capable of winning at the same distance.

An Era Closes

The curtain was drawn for the last time on the Nathan Tinkler racing and breeding enterprise, with the win of Hooked in the Cameron Handicap at Newcastle yesterday.

Ironically it all finished where it began, on that very same racetrack, one had to feel for trainer John Thompson, it has been a rough tough roller coaster ride, his only comment, �that�s it, we�re done now.�

Did it really have to happen that way for Tinkler, his advises milked him, he was taken to the cleaners and was too gullible.

Ken Keys had some reservations with Rich Enuff going into the Danehill Stakes that his colt might get lost in the field taking on the more experienced three year olds.

He might have been the rookie in the race; however that tag was soon erased with an impressive win, and the promise of more to come.

Ken has battled through with quite a few slow ones, as most trainers have had; Rich Enuff is the light at the end of the tunnel that trainers dream about.

He was the stand out in the post parade, a magnificent colt with a heap of talent, as was seen at Moonee Valley, and repeated again at Flemington.

Rich Enuff wins at Flemington

His next assignment will be the Caulfield Guineas Prelude over 1400 metres, that will be a pretty fair indication whether he will press on to the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, on the opening day of the Melbourne Racing Club�s Spring Carnival.

Keys, who trains at Devon Meadows, believes his colt will get the 1600 metres, but only time will tell.

His rider on Saturday, Michael Rodd, said,� I think that 1400 metres could be a question mark. �

�He was a little aggressive early but still impressive, and he is still learning to settle down,� he added.

It will be interesting to see who rides the colt in the Guineas, Dwayne Dunn won on him at Moonee Valley and Michael Rodd at Flemington.

Ken and Kasey Keys with the winning trophy

Dissident is the weight for age find of the season having won the Makybe Diva Stakes, via Memsie Stakes, two weeks ago at Caulfield.

However, that hasn�t convinced the knockers, coming in force, claiming that he won�t get further than 1600 metres.

Being by a sprinting sire in Sebring, and a Golden Slipper success, may not install a lot of confidence, but at least Dissident did win the Group1 Randwick Guineas over 1600 metres in the Autumn.

He did a good job on Saturday sitting on the pace set by Messene, when that horse gave in quickly Dissident was left in front much sooner than was possibly intended.

The picture maybe clearer when the Turnbull Stakes is decided over 2000 metres at Flemington in two weeks.

Fawkner has come to hand quickly; he is shaping up with his mission firmly implanted on the Caulfield Cup, the race he won last year.

He will derive great improvement from Saturday�s run, as it was his first appearance since March in the William Reid Stakes, at a distance that would never have suited him.

It�s a bit premature to sack Puissance De Lune, his two runs this time in have been solid it may be taking a little longer for him to come to hand after a long break, he will be a much fitter horse when he faces up in the Turnbull Stakes.

Dissident defeating Fawkner in the Makybe Diva Stakes