Caulfield Stakes (Group 1)

THE nominal Cox Plate favourite Russian Camelot has been beaten on his lead-up run to the Group 1 feature on October 24th. Going around in the Group 1 Neds Caulfield Stakes over 2,000 metres, the Grant and Alana Williams-trained Arcadia Queen was right back at her best, taking her first win since September 2019 when she was being set up for the Everest (she finished 11th) and the Golden Eagle (fifth).

Ridden by William Pike, in this, the first leg of his Group 1 double, Arcadia Queen sat near the tail of six starters. Tracking Russian Camelot into the race, Arcadia Queen went around the Camelot colt to win by just over a length, as third, completing the same trifecta as in the Underwood Stakes, went to the Teofilo gelding Humidor.

“I knew my only chance was to try and catch him in the last 200 (metres),” said Pike. “There was no point trying to match motors with him. So that’s what I did, I sat there and bided my time. I shook her up a little bit and she got back on the bridle. She cruised to the line.”

Both will clash again in the Cox Plate with Danny O’Brien making no excuses for Russian Camelot. “She was comprehensively better than him today. We certainly wouldn’t be making any excuses.

“We’re hoping that maybe when we get to Moonee Valley that the race will have a bit more pressure in it. Our guy might be looking for a bit further now.” said O’Brien.