Title fight to be decided this week
The battle between Craig Williams and Jamie Mott for the Melbourne jockeys’ title has been one of the key storylines over the back half of the season, but that fight could be all over by the end of this week, depending on what transpires at Sandown on Wednesday and Caulfield on Saturday.
Williams was quick to make an impact upon his return from suspension last week, celebrating a mid-week double at Sandown on his first day back in the saddle before reproducing that feat at Flemington on Saturday, while Mott drew blanks at both programs.
Craig WIlliams on his win aboard Stars Of Dom at Flemington at top of page
As a result, Williams has a seven-win buffer over Mott with seven metropolitan meetings remaining for the season and should Williams extend that lead further, it would place Mott in a seemingly impossible position to come back from.
Williams has already claimed nine Melbourne jockeys’ premierships in his distinguished career, while the hardworking Mott is chasing his first city title.
Whatever happens on the metro front, Mott is almost certain to be crowned as Victoria’s leading rider for the 2025/26 season, where he has an 18-win lead over Lachlan Neindorf ahead of Monday’s Pakenham Synthetic meeting.
The next chapter in the Williams versus Mott battle is due to be unfold at Sandown on Wednesday, where Williams has seven rides and Mott has five.
Stakes racing returns to Caulfield on Saturday
Group level racing returns to Victoria for the first time since April when Caulfield hosts the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes this Saturday.
The honour roll for the 1100m sprint features the likes of Reward For Effort, Lord of the Sky and Voodoo Lad, while last year’s renewal of the race was rather strong, as Sydney mare In Flight defeated subsequent stakes winner New York Lustre and defending champion Recommendation.
Group racing will be a staple of the upcoming fixtures held on the course proper at Caulfield. The track will hold the G3 Bletchingly Stakes on July 25 prior to the G2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes and G1 Memsie Stakes programs in August.
Newmarket festival to unearth cups contender?
One of the most enjoyable aspects of racing at this time of the year is keeping an eye on the top class racing in Europe and looking out for what horses could be bound for Melbourne this spring.
Thursday’s G3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket in the United Kingdom has a lengthy association with the Melbourne Cup. Emerging stayers like Persian Punch, Masked Marvel, Hartnell, Spanish Mission and Deauville Legend all prevailed in the 2600m contest for three-year-olds, before they then came to Australia to race here for a spring stint or for new connections.
Already, the form out of last year’s Bahrain Trophy has been well and truly franked, with the victor Scandinavia using it as the beginning of a six-race winning streak, which recently saw him land a thrilling triumph in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
Racing.com will have live coverage of the three days of the Newmarket July Festival. The Bahrain Trophy is the first race on Thursday and is due to be run at 10.50pm AEST.
