Australia: Russian Camelot has just five to beat in Caulfield Stakes

Russian Camelot, the future-book favorite for the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 3, is scaring away the competition in some of Australia’s leading races.

Russian Camelot has five rivals in Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, and will be heavily favored to win his third Group 1 in his last four starts.

Russian Camelot beat eight rivals in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 26 as the 1-2 favorite.

Trained by Danny O’Brien, Russian Camelot is in the midst of a busy campaign in the Australian spring. After the $714,000 Caulfield Cup, Russian Camelot is expected to start in the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Oct. 24, a race in which he is the future-book favorite, too.

Of his five rivals in the Caulfield Stakes, there are two familiar names in Humidor and Arcadia Queen, who were second and third in the Underwood. The Caulfield Stakes, known this year through the sponsorship name of the Neds Stakes, is the sixth race on an all-stakes 10-race program at Caulfield. First post is 9:15 p.m. Eastern, or 6:15 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The Caulfield Stakes is the first of four consecutive Group 1 races on Saturday at Caulfield.

Instant Celebrity, who has won all four of her starts, will have her Group 1 debut in the $714,000 Thousand Guineas for 3-year-old fillies. The projected favorite in a field of 14 is Hungry Hearts, who was second in the Group 1 Flight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile at Royal Randwick last Saturday.

The richest race on the program, with a purse of $1.42 million, is the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, run at a mile for 3-year-olds. Ole Kirk, who won the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes at seven furlongs at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on Sept. 26, leads a field of 14. The unbeaten Mo’unga will have his Group 1 debut in his fourth start.

The distance fits King’s Legacy, who won the Group 1 Champagne Stakes at a mile in April and was third by two lengths in the Golden Rose.

The Kentucky-bred colt Buffalo River will be favored in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at a mile. Buffalo River, by Noble Mission, has won 6 of 11 starts. The $357,000 Toorak Handicap is his Group 1 debut.

At Randwick on Saturday, Montefilia, who won the Flight Stakes, will be favored in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles. The $714,000 Spring Champion Stakes drew a field of 14, including Love Tap, who has won all four of his races, including a Group 3 at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 26 at Rosehill Gardens.