Championship on the Line in NZB Caulfield Stakes

The A$400,000 Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield Stakes (2000m) is the last leg of NZB's Weight-for-Age Championship and looks an intriguing contest with three horses in contention for the Championship title.

The inaugural New Zealand Bloodstock Weight-for-Age Championship has seen some brilliant performances over the last three legs which will culminate in Saturday's fourth and final race. Top gallopers Lion Tamer, Lights of Heaven and Playing God are in highest contention for the Championship honours after securing points earlier in the Series.

The first leg saw Whobegotyou (Street Cry) take the early Series lead in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes in early August. He was quickly joined in the lead by the kiwi gallopers King's Rose (Redoute's Choice), who made it back-to-back wins for New Zealand bred horses in the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes, and Lion Tamer who made it two consecutive Group 1 Underwood Stakes victories for the kiwis in the penultimate leg.

Saturday's Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield Stakes, formally known as the Yalumba Stakes, was first run in 1886 and, like the Memsie and Underwood Stakes, boasts a formidable form guide to the Cox Plate with 12 horses completing the double, and 14 taking the Caulfield Cup.

Whobegotyou wins fresh-up in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes

With New Zealand horses taking three of the last six Caulfield Stakes, notable winners of the race include recent Cox Plate victors So You Think (NZ), Maldivian (NZ) and El Segundo (NZ), with other winners including the champions Lonhro (twice), Northerly, Might and Power (NZ), Rough Habit (NZ), Bonecrusher (NZ) and Kingston Town (twice).

Headlining the kiwis' chances is the $9 Melbourne Cup favourite, the VRC Derby winner Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home x Lioness). The four-year-old comes into the race looking to add Group 1 number three, and the Championship win to his record for trainer Murray Baker, after impressively winning the Group 1 Underwood Stakes in his last appearance. He is sitting on ten points in the Championship and is the current race favourite at $3.50.

Peter Moody and Luke Nolen will be looking to coax improvement from the Group 1 winning Zabeel mare Lights of Heaven (NZ) (ex I'm In Heaven) who was very impressive when running second to Whobegotyou in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes fresh-up. She ran with blinkers for the first time in her last start, the Underwood Stakes, but didn't have the cleanest of passages during transit. She has eight points in the Championship and a win here could potentially see her take the title on Saturday.

Coming into the race with only one run this preparation is last season's Caulfield Cup winner Descarado (NZ) (High Chaparral x Karamea Lady). The Gai Waterhouse trained runner suffered a setback earlier in his preparation and was forced to carry 61 kilograms in his fresh-up ninth in the Shannon Stakes (1500m). Waterhouse rates the five-year-old as a real 2000 metre horse and the race looks to be his final lead-in for the Cox Plate where he is quoted at $41.

King's Rose (NZ) races clear of Heart of Dreams to win the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes

Backing up from last week's Epsom Handicap is the Stradbroke Handicap winner Sincero (Umatilla x Yours as Always). He makes his debut in the Championship and has never raced over a distance greater than a mile. His trainer Stephen Farley has his eyes set on the Cox Plate, where he is at $18, and Saturday's contest will tell all in reference to his ability to stay the 2000 metre trip.

The Neville Parnham trained Playing God (Blackfriars x Dolly Will Do) will also be backing up from the weekend after running a very good third in the Turnbull Stakes. He has raced consistently this preparation without taking a win but has proven himself a very honest performer at the top level. He has earned three points and has a very outside chance of taking the Championship, if the race finishes in his favour.

A horse that looks to have begun to recapture the form that saw him win the JRA Cup and Herbert Power Stakes in the spring of 2009, Alcopop (Jeune x Lota of Luck) took the Listed Penny Edition Stakes at Morphettville two starts back before running a good second to Rekindled Interest in the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes at his last start. Trained by Jake Stephens, the seven-year-old will enjoy the step up in distance to 2000 metres.

Robert Hickmott has saddled a number of runners in the Championship and will have At First Sight (Galileo x Healing Music) in the last leg of the Series. The Irish import ran last weekend's Turnbull Stakes winner December Draw to half-a-length in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) after coming from well back in the field. That form suggests that he could be a big player in Saturday's race.

A winner of the Group 1 Champion & Carter Cup (2400m) in his last start in Hong Kong, Mighty High (Peintre Celebre x Bernimixa) ran a good third in his Australian debut at Caulfield in late September with 61.5 kilograms for John Moore. He is Group 1 placed over 2000 metres and will be partnered by jockey Darren Beadman who rode him in his last two Hong Kong starts.

In a storming run from the back, Lion Tamer (NZ) takes his second Group 1 in the Underwood Stakes

Running second in the same race was the Mark Webb trained Avienus (Reset x Genova) who has not been in the winners' circle since claiming the Group 2 Cleanevent Stocks Stakes in September last year. His five career wins have all come at 1700 metres or less but he will be race fit coming into his fifth start this preparation.

An interesting runner in the Caulfield Stakes is the Chilean bred Sahara Sun (Milt's Overture x Dalaika) for the English trainer Luca Cumani. Group 1 placed in the Chilean Derby, his last performance saw him unplaced in England in early September over 2100 metres. He is at odds of $51 for the race, and $151 for the Melbourne Cup, and Saturday's race will give punters an indication as to his ability in Australia.

The winner of the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield Stakes (2000m) will earn 10 points in New Zealand Bloodstock's Weight-for-Age Championship, with the ultimate winner receiving a magnificent emerald and diamond clasp pearl necklace to the value of $25,000 courtesy of Catanach's Jewellers. A perpetual trophy has also been commissioned.

The points available for the Championship are as follows:

Gates will open for the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield Stakes at 4pm New Zealand time. To view the current points table for New Zealand Bloodstock's Caulfield Spring Weight-for-Age Championship, click here.

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