FOR the second week in a row, a flagship autumn carnival lead-up event has attracted a small field, reports The Age.It says: Just five runners will line up for the $120,000 Zeditave Stakes and among them is talented three-year-old Wakeel, who has come from South Australia for the race.Last weekend's Kensington Stakes at Flemington could only attract six runners for the $120,000 sprint race.Along with the Blue Diamond previews, the Zeditave Stakes would have been a major drawcard for the Melbourn
FOR the second week in a row, a flagship autumn carnival lead-up event has attracted a small field, reports The Age.
It says: Just five runners will line up for the $120,000 Zeditave Stakes and among them is talented three-year-old Wakeel, who has come from South Australia for the race.
Last weekend's Kensington Stakes at Flemington could only attract six runners for the $120,000 sprint race.
Along with the Blue Diamond previews, the Zeditave Stakes would have been a major drawcard for the Melbourne Racing Club meeting at Caulfield. But the trend of trainers waiting until later in the summer to produce their carnival hopefuls continues.
South Australian trainer Sam Kavanagh, the son of leading trainer Mark, said on Wednesday that despite having accepted at Moonee Valley on Friday night and at Morphettville in South Australia on Saturday, Wakeel would start at Caulfield.
''He would have more than likely won back in Adelaide on Saturday but after speaking to the owners they agreed to roll the dice and start at Caulfield,'' he said. ''We get $3000 in prizemoney for just arriving [at Caulfield] and it would strengthen his pedigree by getting some black type if he could run a place.''