Teewaters chases second win at Caulfield

Trainer Archie Alexander is looking to Teewaters repeating the victory he recorded in a staying race at Caulfield a year ago.

Teewaters is back for a second shot at the VOBIS Gold Stayers (2400m) on Saturday, a race he won last year with Craig Williams in the saddle.

This year Declan Bates takes over, and while he has 1.5kg more than his winning weight of 12 months ago, the field is quite similar.

Royal Crown, Ferago, and Rolls all finished behind Teewaters last year when he raced to a three-and-a-quarter length victory.

Last year, Teewaters raced at Caulfield two weeks ahead of his victory, finishing fourth, while this time around the stayer is coming off a sixth-place finish behind Mimi’s Award in the Banjo Paterson Series Final (2600m) at Flemington on July 1.

Alexander said Teewaters’ last start effort should be ignored.

“When he gets boxed in, it ruins his momentum,” Alexander said.

“He’s going good, as good as he was last year, but I think we’ve all have Rolls to beat.

Rolls definitely looks the standout horse. He’s beaten us once, he’s racing well and apart from him I think it’s a very open race.”

Rolls finished sixth in last years edition, a little less than six lengths astern, but since that effort has won the Listed Warrnambool Cup while he has placed three times from his past three starts at Flemington.

Alexander said even though Teewaters ran third to Hitotsu in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington as a three-year-old, winter racing was more the gelding’s grade these days.

“He ran third in the Derby as a three-year-old, so he’s always shown staying promise,” Alexander said.

“But I think this is his class, off-season, winter, and being a VOBIS race, it’s a good race for him.

“And if you win it, it’s almost $100,000, so it’s good prize money to be racing for.”