3 minute read

The G2 Herbert Power (2400m) this Saturday at Caulfield is a very important race for two key runners striving to gain a Caulfield Cup start the following weekend.

This handicap event could well determine the spring path afterwards for Linton and Moudre since both are Melbourne Cup aspirants too.

Linton, a very gifted grey and Moudre, the Warrnambool Whopper, are desperate to win and become exempt one week later.

Recent history however has not been that kind to winners of the Herbert Power.

Five of the Herbert Power winners this century have not won another race since and that includes the last two winners, namely Dolphin Jo (2008) and Alcopop (2009).

Alcopop ran favourite in the Melbourne Cup last year, so it would be a shock if he cannot recapture his best form again but facts are facts until they get disproven.

Leica Falcon won the 2005 Herbert Power and started second favourite in the Melbourne Cup that year to the great Makybe Diva but he has not won a race since though injury has been his nemesis.

Rizon in 2004 and The Secondmortage in 2002 are the other Herbert Power winners this century to not have gone on with it at all afterwards by winning even one more race.

The winners of the Herbert Power this century that have won at least once again include Growl (2006) although he did not win another race until the 2010 G3 Hobart Cup (2200m) and then the Albury Cup (2000m) three starts later.

Growl raced in Hong Kong for eight starts over two stints during that long time between raceday drinks.

Majestic Avenue (2000) won one more race and that was the Warrnambool Cup (2350m), which is a significant area in regards to the Herbert Power this year being where Moudre is prepared.

Freemason (2001) was trained by John Hawkes and would win two more races, with the 2002 G3 Labour Day Cup (2040m) and the more significant one for thoroughbred historical purposes the 2003 G1 BMW (2400m).

The reason that was some race and result was that Freemason ran 2:26.82 and caused a boilover beating Northerly (the fighting tiger from West Australia that met and bet the great Sunline three times out of three meetings) and Republic Lass.

One year earlier the great Northerly won the 2002 G1 Caulfield Cup and Republic Lass finished third.

Yakama (2003) was the last mare to win the Herbert Power and afterwards she won one more race, a 2550m handicap at Flemington in 2004.

Master O'Reilly won the Herbert Power over Zavite in 2007 and has only won one more race since, which came a week later and very easily in the G1 Caulfield Cup.

The stayer has finished fourth in the last two Melbourne Cups, so it is not as if he has lost form but winning again is proving rather tough or is the Herbert hoodoo still in play?

It is the placegetters in the Herbert Power that have achieved more this century starting with Shocking last year obviously.

Shocking finished second in the Herbert Power and then finished second in the G3 Coongy (2000m) before winning the G3 The Lexus (2500m) and then the G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).

In 2004 the winner was the Cliff Brown (now training in Singapore) trained Rizon, with the second and third placegetters being Grey Song and Zazzman.

Grey Song had finished second in the Caulfield Cup the year before to the champion Northerly and in 2004 finished third behind Elvstroem and the mighty Makybe Diva.

Zazzman finished third in the 2004 Melbourne Cup behind the greatest staying mare ever downunder Makybe Diva and the star European warrior Vinnie Roe.

Linton is a long-bodied grey with untapped potential and he will be third up on Saturday having risen from 1400m fresh up to 2040m second up and now 2400m.

Only special horses can do that and make the adjustment so quickly but also it will be his first look at Caulfield, which can be a tricky track for those having a first sight.

Linton has only won up to the mile, so the 2400m here and then all going well the 3200m of the Melbourne Cup, is all still an unknown.

His career high Timeform rating to date of 111 came third up last season at G2 over the mile, with an easy win on the strathayr of Moonee Valley.

He has been kept as safe as houses at Betfair most of the early spring and was available at $29 for the Caulfield Cup right now, which is more poignant as he was at $42 two days ago.

Moudre should have won last start and guaranteed himself a Caulfield Cup start already, when third in the G3 Naturalism (2000m), as he was beaten just half a length when twenty lengths from the leaders starting across the top.

This big slab of a horse hence the nickname has won six times and been placed five times from just thirteen starts, with his two misses being a fresh up fourth over 1200m behind the speedy Uxorious and a ninth at his second ever start on a heavy bog track.

There is no room for error for Moudre this Saturday, which should be unbeaten at his last four starts to be honest, with two apiece at Caulfield and Flemington.

The two big Cups this spring are raced on those two tracks.

He is a big track horse and a big race winner in waiting but the most he has scored at so far is 1800m and the Caulfield Cup is 600m further and the Melbourne Cup 1400m further.

The betting alone on either Cup would be more intense with the presence of Moudre, as he has always been well backed and is available at $16 right now for the Caulfield Cup.

It really looks like the Mount versus the Bool this Saturday or Mt Macedon against Warrnambool to be more correct.