Bletchingly Stakes Tips Preview

Bletchingly Stakes: tips and preview

BLETCHINGLY STAKES - 1200m, Caulfield R8

The Bletchingly has always been a more than handy race going back through the years, possessing a very solid honour roll for a Group 3 run in July, with plenty of Group 1 horses having taken it out.

This year’s edition doesn’t look to have that sort of quality among it, and it mostly brings together formlines from the Monash Stakes at Caulfield two weeks ago and the Sprint Series Final at Flemington a week earlier.

The market is slightly siding with the Monash, given Ingratiating and General Beau ran in it and hold the first two spots in betting.

General Beau held his form well and finished a good third there, but steps up to 1200m now, a distance he is still yet to win at. You’d think he will get there at some point, perhaps as he gets older and more mature, but it’s got to be a key factor of consideration until he does.

Ingratiating started favourite in the Monash, but put in a plain performance to run a middling fifth. He is also yet to tick the 1200m box, and now has to do it off a disappointing run. Still, he’s better than what he showed there, and deserves another chance.

Regardsmaree also comes from the Monash, and was okay there first-up in his prep. He’ll take another run, and look to be at his best over 1400m.

Mnementh was the winner of the Sprint Series Final, starting at double figure odds albeit backed in a couple of points on the day. Unlike the horses from the Monash above, 1200m is absolutely his pet distance, but the query for him is that he hasn’t seen Caulfield. Still, he’s an adapatable conveyance, and shouldn’t have any concerns.

It’sourtime settled in the back half of the field at Flemington, and just couldn’t reel in the leader Mnementh. While he is seen as something of a straight track specialist, he does have five placings from six Caulfield starts, with the miss being beaten a length and a half into fourth. He is yet to win here though.

So each of the key four chances have a significant knock on them, either yet to win at six furlongs or at Caulfield at all.

Nicolini Vito was too far back behind Mnementh, but that’s his racing pattern which can sometimes come unstuck. Alpine Wolf brings the Tasmanian form behind The Inevitable to the mainland, and should be competitive. Starlight Scope wasn’t far behind Sigh back in December, and that mare won the Monash Stakes, so you don’t have to dig too deep to give her some hope at massive odds.

The interesting runner is Windstorm, having his first run in almost three years. He won five races in Perth at the start of his career, before coming to Melbourne and running well including two good wins here at Caulfield. It would be great to see him make some sort of impression.

Starlight Scope is the only traditional leader or on-pace runner in the field, so will be prominent. Connections of Mnementh will be tempted to push forward again, like they did last start to control the race and win.

Selections: 1.It’sourtime 2.General Beau 3.Mnementh 4.Ingratiating