Caulfield hosts P B Lawrence Stakes with spring contenders

A hint of the upcoming spring racing season is already present at Caulfield, despite it being over three weeks away.

The Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) will be the highlight of Saturday's meeting at Caulfield. Historically, under its former name, the J J Liston Stakes, and when held at Sandown, it served as a traditional launch for spring contenders.

This race was a common stepping stone for major stayers as they built towards their primary targets such as the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup, and Cox Plate, within a weight-for-age program.

While the P B Lawrence Stakes has seen a decline in its impact in recent years, this Saturday's edition presents a field of 13 competitors, with nine of them making their seasonal reappearance.

Renowned trainer Chris Waller has entered three of his highly regarded horses: Wootton Verni, Soul Of Spain, and Ohope Wins. With the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick and the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield approaching, Waller is planning to manage his team's campaigns separately.

"It's just a starting point," Waller commented. "It just keeps them away from the Winx the following week, and the Memsie as they work their way towards nice middle-distance and staying races."

All three of these gallopers are entered for the Group 1 Cox Plate, scheduled to be run over 2000m at Flemington this year. Furthermore, they are anticipated to be among the nominations for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), which closes next Tuesday, and the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington, with nominations opening on September 1.

Ohope Wins is preparing for her first full season in Chris Waller's stable.

This four-year-old mare, bred in New Zealand, was previously trained by Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott in New Zealand, where she won the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks at Ellerslie in February. She then transferred to Waller's care for a Sydney autumn campaign.

After finishing fourth in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), Ohope Wins went on to win the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick in April.

When asked if Ohope Wins had developed, Waller affirmed that she had.

"She looks really good," Waller stated. "She has come back stronger, and she could run well fresh. She's a talented horse."

Damian Lane has been booked by Waller to ride Ohope Wins. This weekend's meeting will be Lane's first in Melbourne's metropolitan racing circuit since early April, following his return from a riding engagement in Japan. Punters looking for Australian betting sites will be keenly observing these early spring performances.