WA duo chase big bucks
WA Sires' Produce Stakes winner Prentice and stablemate Big Caroline will use races at Belmont Park on Saturday as springboards for Melbourne riches later this year.
Prentice is nominated for the $1 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in October and Big Caroline is a $500,000 Melbourne Racing Club Thousand Guineas (1600m) entrant.
They are also entered against top three-year-olds in the $750,000 Caulfield Classic (2000m).
Managing-owner Dan Love said Prentice and Big Caroline would tackle Westspeed 3YO Handicaps, over 1400m and 1200m respectively, on Saturday.
Love confirmed the duo's Bunbury trainer Simon Foster would prepare them in Victoria.
"Simon's recently been to Melbourne and organised stabling," Love said. "Arrangements have been made for the horses to be flown from Perth."
Blackfriars gelding Prentice finished powerfully for Glenn Smith to win the Sires' at Ascot in April. He received the 59kg topweight on Saturday and drew barrier three.
Big Caroline, also by Blackfriars, followed a February win with her close second in the Supremacy Stakes. She finished fifth after having difficulty getting clear in the Karrakatta Plate.
Big Caroline has 58kg and gate six on Saturday.
"Lead-up races to the big events will be selected after checking their progress in Melbourne," Love said.
Love also has high hopes for promising three-year-old I'm A Love Man, who is due to make his race debut at Belmont next month.
The Foster-trained colt is a three-quarter brother to Playing God and God Has Spoken.
·The Naturalism Stakes looms as a test to decide dual Oaks runner-up Zanbagh's Caulfield Cup capabilities.
Zanbagh was placed in both the VRC Oaks and ATC Australian Oaks last season while trained by the late Guy Walter, whose sudden death prompted her owners to send the mare to Patrick Payne's Rockbank property.
Zanbagh's condition amazed Payne, while the mare's temperament also made an impression on the former champion jockey.
"Zanbagh is totally undamaged, she's sound, happy and Guy's looked after her well," Payne said. "She's an absolute sweetheart to do anything with."
Payne's primary task is to secure a maiden Group 1 win with Zanbagh after she claimed the Group 3 Keith Nolan Classic (1600m) in the autumn.
"We think she's an ideal Caulfield Cup horse," Payne said.
"With the way she's rated at the moment and the way the weight scale is, it should suit her."
Payne will wait until the third run of Zanbagh's spring campaign to reintroduce her to Group racing - the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes, which offers a Caulfield Cup ballot exemption to the winner. The mare's campaign starts over 1500m at Moonee Valley on Saturday week.
·There'snonesosassy ($6.50) claimed yesterday's $25,000 Mungrup Stud Classic (1300m) at Broome.
"Lead-up races to the big events will be selected after checking their progress in Melbourne.""Managing-owner *Dan Love *on Prentice and Big Caroline
with Australian Associated Press
