Horse racing / Paul Bugeja / 05 February 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

Racing action continues to heat up, with the running of the group one C. F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Brad Thompson reflects on the contenders.

With the differentiation between prices of Heart Of Dreams and Typhoon Tracy, I know which one I want to be on

In this Saturday's C.F.Orr Stakes at Caulfield, the majority of runners are stayers resuming campaigns, with Bart's Viewed, Cup-winning Shocking, and even rising nine-year-old Zipping, who generally makes an autumn cameo, all returning for the 1400m feature.

The weight of money for Typhoon Tracy suggests she should dispatch of this lot of stayers in decisive fashion, but is the race that clear cut?

The odds are stacked against the Peter Moody-trained mare, with only two mares victorious in the race in the past 20 years. Sure, her emphatic five-length win in the group one Myer Classic impressed everyone, as did her group two triumph in the three-length Tristarc Stakes.

Tracy's group two J.J. Liston Stakes on August 15, when first-up, also reads well for this mare. At the same track and distance she defeated Whobegotyou, Predatory Pricer and Heart Of Dreams.

Mick Price's Heart Of Dreams offers some appeal and, of the three Typhoon Tracy took down in the J.J. Liston, seems to have the most upside.

With the differentiation between prices of Heart Of Dreams and Typhoon Tracy, I know which one I want to be on.

Typhoon Tracy is drawn to advantage in gate one, and the lack of pace should enable her to control the tempo in front, or box seat behind probable leader, Danzylum.

That appealing factor alone is the reason she starts odds on, and should win. The most recent Caulfield meeting saw only one race won by a horse not in the top three on the turn.

On-pace bias at its most prominent.

However, Saturday's meeting sees the rail in the true position for the entire circuit, and seemingly takes away the obvious advantage of being on top of the speed.

Heart Of Dreams should be sitting favourably midfield in the running, and I believe can take down Typhoon Tracy in the shadows of the post.

Other races of intrigue on the card include the group three Rubiton Stakes, with an interesting field assembled for the 1100m dash.

Three-year-old Avenue completed a jump-out recently, and gave his rivals a lesson. Trials can sometimes be misleading in assessing a gallopers chance, but it's hard not to agree this filly could be something special.

Secret Flyer has become a difficult sprinter to catch in recent times, but there's no doubting he is capable of unleashing a devastating turn of foot. He might just get the race run to suit, and could swamp home over the top.

In my opinion, he hasn't been well-placed by connections to win a suitable race, but at big odds they might have found an assignment he is capable of.