Caulfield Race 6 – 3:10pm Group 3 Sportsbet How Now Stakes (1200m)

MORE TERRITORIES has taken on the likes of Group 1 winners Manaal, Autumn Glow and Lady Shenandoah throughout her career and has rarely been beaten too far in the majority of her 14 outings. This consistent member of the John O’Shea & Tom Charlton stable ventures to Melbourne for this black-type assignment and is to be ridden by Melbourne Cup winning jockey Jamie Melham. While barrier 3 is not necessarily a good draw for a mare that usually gets back and runs on, More Territories doesn’t look out of place in this open Set Weights plus Penalties event for mares 4YO and older and should be capable of figuring in the finish.

Caulfield Race 7 – 3:45pm Group 2 Sportsbet Sandown Guineas (1600m)

BURMA STAR was entered for two different mile events for 3-year-olds this weekend, this Group 2 feature and the Spring Stakes at Newcastle in which the Godolphin colt drew 12 and was virtually scratched in an instant. A very good winner during the VRC Melbourne Cup Carnival, the progressive son of Exceed Ad Excel steps up to 1600m for the first time, but is a maternal grandson of an outstanding European Miler in the form of Dawn Approach (Ire) and hails from a family of talented Kiwi 1600m performers. Burma Star is shaping as a prominent member of the current 3-year-old crop and is undoubtedly one of the main contenders in a traditionally strong event.

Newcastle Race 7 – 4:05pm NZB 3YO Spring Stakes (1600m)

The Spring Stakes is a shadow of its former self, the result of being shuffled around the racing calendar.  However, there is always interest with these three-year-old’s trying to establish themselves behind the leading echelon of their Classic year. GREEN SPACES from the Bjorn Baker stables for Godolphin is coming off a win at Wyong over 1625m on October 30th. The Street Boss (USA) colt has a great pedigree, not only from his sire, but also his dam, Outdoor, being out of the dual VRC/AJC Oaks winner Serenade Rose (Redoute’s Choice).  Nothing like a successful family to bring out the best in one.

Newcastle Race 8 – 4:45pm The Newcastle Herald Hunter (1300m)

Joe Pride’s team is looking to make The Hunter their own, just a question of the order of events on the day. Siding with ACCREDITED  after his narrow second to stablemate Estadio Mestalla (IRE) in the Choisir Benchmark 100 Handicap over 1100m at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day, November 4th, last week. Well-weighted here at 54.4kg with barrier 3 for Andrew Adkins and this All Too Hard six-year-old is ready for another win over this winter and spring campaign.

Caulfield Race 10 – 5:40pm R.M.Williams Handicap (1400m)

SPIONE has been well regarded by Team Hawkes since before he had his first race start which came after no fewer than five barrier trials and two jump-outs and lead to a debut victory at Moonee Valley. A 5-year-old set to have only his seventh career outing on Saturday, the son of Showtime ran a promising third first-up from a spell and now steps up to 1400m — a distance over which he saluted at Randwick in May. A good barrier, the booking of Craig Williams and an inform stable all indicate that Spione can run a big race for his supporters in the ‘get out stakes’ at Caulfield.