Meridius shaping well for Guineas despite wide gate

Favourites draw towards the inside while outsider starts from wider but on track for an upset.

MERIDIUS.
MERIDIUS. Picture: Racing Photos

Godolphin-owned and race favourite Golden Mile has drawn barrier five for Saturday's Group 1 Caulfield Guineas while second favourite Berkeley Square has drawn barrier two.

Lloyd Kennewell, however, believes his three-year-old Meridius is the forgotten horse.

Meridius closed off his preparation for Saturday's stallion making race over 1600m with a gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday morning which his trainer said has the colt in the peak of condition.

"It was his final gallop for the week," Kennewell said. 

"He had a companion he could idle up to. It was exactly what we wanted to see, and his recovery was also what I wanted to see after a gallop like that." 

After a first-up closing second over 1200m at Moonee Valley, Meridius last appeared when second to Aft Cabin in the Group 3 Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on September 17. 

That race was run in atrocious conditions, but Kennewell got see enough from his colt to suggest a forward showing on Saturday while the trainer is a little surprised Meridius has not been talked of more in Guineas discussions. 

"But it's good that he's floating under the radar a little," Kennewell said. 

"No-one is really tipping him but he's going about doing his business and he gives you 110 per cent when he races. 

"After Saturday, he could be a valuable colt."

The dent in the confidence could be the awkward widest barrier 16 in the capacity field.

"He's had a faultless preparation. He has gone from 1200 metres, which was good, to 1400 metres, which was great, and he's up to the mile and it's Grand Final Day on Saturday. 

"He's got a good turn of foot and he finishes off strongly. He's the sort of horse that you want for the Guineas." 

Kennewell is hoping that the full extent of the forecast rain later in the week does not fall at Caulfield despite Meridius having an excellent wet track record. 

"I would like to see him on a good track," Kennewell said. 

"His work on good tracks has always been very good, hence the reason why I've always had a high opinion of the horse." 

Meridius is rated a $17 chance with TAB while Golden Mile is the $3.50 favourite post-barrier draw.

Berkeley Square holds the second line of betting at $5.50.


Racing and Sports



Caulfield

Saturday, 08th October 2022

2
12:50
(local)

The Big Screen Company Weekend Hussler (LR)

WT: 54.0kg Type: OPEN
AUD $175,500
1400m TURF SOFT
2
12:50
(local)
AUD $175,500
1400m SOFT

The Big Screen Company Weekend Hussler (LR)

WT: 54.0kg Type: OPEN
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 12. CARDINAL GEM (AUS) 4yo G
CHOISIR (AUS) - ELOQUENT RUBY (AUS)
JORDAN CHILDS
GRAHAME BEGG
$4.6
54kg
D M D B Syndicate (Mgr: D Mcinerney), Dundas Sports (Mgr: J Morgan), Dream Date Racing No. 6 (Mgr: E Antonucci), The Cumberland Group (Mgr: R Joynes), Barkley St Racing (Mgr: N O'brien), Ms M Caliste, R Caudwell, D Oliphant, T Prodromou, W Tahche, A J Duguid, C Barrile, W Smart & C Moir

Sales Information

2nd 6. MORVADA (AUS) 9yo G
MOSSMAN (AUS) - CARNEGIE MINSTREL (NZ)
LINDA MEECH
PETER JOLLY
$26
56kg
R V McIntosh, P W Jolly, Mrs H A Jolly & R R Jolly

Sales Information

3rd 7. JIMMY THE BEAR (AUS) 4yo G
JIMMY CREED (USA) - BELVEDERE ROAD (AUS)
HARRY COFFEY
PATRICK PAYNE
$6.5
55.5kg
M J Hirst, J Bruin, N Wright, Ms E Sweetnam, PROF S Hawkins, Ms G Crowe & C Wright
4th 8. NOT AN OPTION (AUS) 5yo G
NOT A SINGLE DOUBT (AUS) - CHINTZ (NZ)
JYE MCNEIL
MICHAEL MORONEY
$18
55.5kg

Sales Information

5th 11. IMPERIAL LAD (AUS) 6yo G
ALL TOO HARD (AUS) - STAMMER (AUS)
DAMIAN LANE
JOHN MOLONEY
$21
54kg

Sales Information

6th 10. BLACK SAIL (NZ) 8yo G
SAVABEEL (AUS) - ENNERDALE (GB)
TEODORE NUGENT
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$81
54kg

Sales Information

7th 2. OLD FLAME (GB) 4yo H
INVINCIBLE SPIRIT (IRE) - LILYFIRE (USA)
JAMIE KAH
PETER & PAUL SNOWDEN
$2.5
57kg

Sales Information

8th 1. AYSAR (AUS) 5yo H
DEEP FIELD (AUS) - MISS INTERIORS (AUS)
MICHAEL DEE
BEN & JD HAYES
$21
58kg

Sales Information

9th 5. REGARDSMAREE (AUS) 6yo G
SO YOU THINK (NZ) - ROSSA MIA (AUS)
MARK ZAHRA
NICK RYAN
$12
57kg

Sales Information

10th 4. PURPLE SECTOR (NZ) 7yo G
PINS (AUS) - EDEN VALLEY (NZ)
BLAKE SHINN
JOHN P THOMPSON
$9.5
57kg

Sales Information