Caulfield Racing Tips for August 15 – Cosmic Crusader to edge Private Eye in quality edition of PB Lawrence Stakes

Here are our best bets from the meeting that features the PB Lawrence Stakes and is one of the major metropolitan meetings we are covering in our Saturday tips. 

Duchess Zou can go on with the job in Race 4. The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper has won three of her past four starts and was dominant when taking out the Leilani Series Final (1400m) last time, settling handy before putting two lengths on her rivals. She has had a slight freshen-up with more than a month between runs, but should still have a stack of fitness in the tank. The figures from that latest win were outstanding, running 13 lengths faster than standard benchmark — more than five lengths superior to the next-best last-start figure of any runner in this field. Her only previous appearance at Caulfield came over 1200m, where she was as brave as they come after being posted wide without cover before narrowly missing as the exacta horse behind Rue De Royale, while still running 9.4 lengths faster than standard. Expect her to settle handy from the draw and put her foot down in the straight, where she should prove very hard to hold out at the business end.

Spring is just around the corner and the PB Lawrence Stakes offers an early taste of what is to come. Old warhorse Private Eye loves the track and trip and returns looking to defend the crown he claimed last year, but it is Cosmic Crusader who shapes as the one to beat following his impressive first-up triumph in the Bletchingley Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield a fortnight ago. The former WA galloper, who claimed last year’s Northerly Stakes (1800m), should only be better suited stepping up to 1400m. He was forced to settle back off a slow tempo first-up but continued to find the gears, producing the fastest splits from the 600m all the way to the finish to score by more than two lengths while running just under eight lengths faster than standard. Importantly, he improved nearly four lengths on the figure he produced at the same stage of his previous preparation, suggesting he has returned a better horse following the long break. The son of Maurice draws ideally in barrier 8 and should be able to camp comfortably in the running line for William Pike. Expect the pair to be doing their best work late, with Cosmic Crusader capable of making another statement on the road towards the spring.

Arkansaw Kid should be hard to beat in the Regal Roller Stakes. The consistent galloper led them up the Flemington straight when resuming in the Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington a fortnight ago and went at a solid clip before hanging on for 3rd, going nearly 11 lengths faster than standard benchmark. He will benefit from that run and was runner-up when fresh in this race last year before improving nearly seven lengths on figures second up when unlucky in the Heath (1100m) behind Tropicus. 1200m does seem to be his go and the Team Hayes galloper should enjoy the perfect sit from the draw.