Australia: Mr Brightside hopes to use Futurity Stakes as steppingstone again

A year ago, Mr Brightside finished second in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, before zipping through impressive wins against big fields in the $3.32 million All-Star Mile and Group 1 Doncaster Mile in his next two starts.

Mr Brightside is on the same career path this season, and will start as a massive favorite in the seven-furlong $491,700 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on Friday evening.

A winner of 15 of 30 starts, Mr Brightside is part of a field of eight in the Futurity Stakes, a prep for the All-Star Mile at Caulfield on March 16. Mr Brightside has started once this year, winning the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes by a short head at seven furlongs at Caulfield on Feb. 10.

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In the Futurity Stakes, Mr Brightside’s main rival is Attrition, a 4-year-old colt who won the most prestigious race of his career in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at a mile at Caulfield in his last start in October.

The Futurity Stakes is one of three Group 1 races on the 10-race Caulfield Stakes program, along with the $1.31 million Blue Diamond Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds, and the $491,770 Oakleigh Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs.

The undefeated colts Bodyguard and Coleman are among the leading names in the Blue Diamond Stakes at six furlongs, which drew a full field of 16.

Coleman, a slight favorite at 3-1 in early betting as of Thursday, won the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at five furlongs at Caulfield on Feb. 2 in his first start of 2024. A week later, Bodyguard won the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude Stakes for colts and geldings at 5 1/2 furlongs at Caulfield, closing from slightly off the pace.

Lady of Camelot, one of six fillies in the field, can be a factor from the front, judging from her first career win in her second start in the Group 3 Widden Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs at Caulfield on Feb. 3.

Blue Diamond Stakes runners could reappear in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes for 2-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens on March 23.

King’s Gambit, third in the 2023 Golden Slipper, will be favored to win the Oakleigh Plate in his seventh start. King’s Gambit has not raced since he won Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds in October.

The Oakleigh Plate will be King’s Gambit’s first start against older horses. He faces the 5-year-old gelding Kallos and 5-year-old mare Asfoora, who were first and second in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Caulfield on Feb. 10 in their first starts of 2024.

Tom Kitten leads Hobartville

Tom Kitten ended his 2023 campaign with a first career stakes win in a Group 1 in the $1.26 million Spring Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Royal Randwick Racecourse last October.

Tom Kitten’s 2024 season began on a sour note when a poor start led to a sixth-place finish in the Group 3 Esk Prince Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick on Feb. 10.

Two weeks later, Tom Kitten is favored to rebound from that loss in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds at seven furlongs, the leading race on a 10-race program at Rosehill Gardens on Friday evening.

A winner of 4 of 11 starts, Tom Kitten was 2-1 in early betting on Thursday and poses a threat from off the pace in a field of 13.

The speedy colt Les Vampires, a winner of 2 of 4 starts, will be the runner to catch. He won his first start since August in a handicap at 6 3/4 furlongs at Canterbury Park on Feb. 9 as the 7-5 favorite and faces a stern class test in the Hobartville.

The Rosehill Gardens program begins at 8:30 p.m. Eastern or 5:30 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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