Rubiscent was a surprise winner with favourites usually around the mark since
Rubiscent was a surprise winner with favourites usually around the mark since Photo by Bronwen Healy MORE MELBOURNE SPRING RACING CARNIVAL FACTS
The Spring Racing Carnival begins this Saturday at Caulfield with the Group 1 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes the headline event. Following are some fast facts that may be of interest.
The Makybe Diva Stakes has proven the most successful Underwood Stakes guide with seven of the past 11 Underwood winners coming through the Flemington mile. Master O'Reilly, Midas Touch, Glass Harmonium, Playing God and Lights Of Heaven follow that path this year.
Several mares are among the leading fancies for this year's edition, but no mare has won since Tristarc in 1985. Shamrocker, Brazilian Pulse, Scarlett Lady, Lights Of Heaven and Southern Speed are the mares engaged this weekend.
The Underwood has been an outstanding Caulfield Cup guide with 10 of the past 25 Caulfield Cup winners coming via the race. It has also produced seven of the past 25 Cox Plate winners and six Melbourne Cup winners.
Since 1998, Rubiscent ($41, 2008) is only Underwood winner who has started at better than $10. Five favourites have won, including So You Think last year.
So You Think is the only horse to win the race second-up since Almaarad in 1989. Heart Of Dreams, Maluckyday, Lion Tamer and Shamrocker are among those second-up this year.
While 11 horses have won the Underwood more than once, Young Idea (1935 and 37) and Lord (1958 and 60) are the only horses to win it in non-consecutive years. Heart Of Dreams, winner in 2009, is looking to join them.
Danny Nikolic is the most successful current jockey with four wins (Always Aloof 1997, Mummify 2003, Perlin 2005, Rubiscent 2007). He rides Southern Speed in this year's Underwood.
Co-feature, the Thousand Guineas Prelude, can throw up a rough result with four of the past 10 winners starting at $17 or better. The only two favourites to win in that time are Miss Finland and Irish Lights, who both went on to win the Thousand Guineas.
Zipping, who carried 58kg in 2006, is the only horse to cart more than 55kg to Naturalism Stakes victory since 2002. He was also the last favourite to win. Saturday's favourite December Draw has 54kg.
