A total of eight late entries have been received following the close of late nominations at 12pm today for the BECK Caulfield Guineas, Schweppes Thousand Guineas and Sportingbet Cox Plate, with Newcastle-based trainer John Thompson featuring prominently among the list.
Thompson has nominated promising three-year-old Hooked for the Caulfield Guineas and Cox Plate, Desk Pop for the Caulfield Guineas and Spurrendous for the Thousand Guineas.
By Casino Prince, Hooked won two races in Brisbane as a two-year-old before finishing midfield in the Group 1 J.J. Atkins Stakes (1600m) at his latest effort.
A daughter of Shamardal, Spurrendous has also shown plenty in her two career starts winning on debut at Newcastle before finishing third behind Overreach and Villa Verde in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.
Still a maiden, Tale Of The Cat colt Desk Pop has similarly shown potential, finishing third behind Hooked at both of his two runs in Brisbane.
While Hooked was the only late nomination for the Cox Plate, the Dean Howard-trained Lucky Striker, who finished runner-up at Cranbourne on debut over 1000 metres on Sunday, was the third late nomination for the Caulfield Guineas alongside John Thompson’s duo.
Aside from Spurrendous there were also three other late nominations in the Thousand Guineas; debut Newcastle winner The Special Two for John O’Shea, the unraced Pat Carey-trained Flametree of Thika and Australia Day, a stakes placed daughter of Sebring who finished runner-up in a barrier trial at Morphettville yesterday behind Miracles Of Life for South Australian trainer Marilyn Smith.
Late nominations for the BMW Caulfield Cup close at 12pm Tuesday 27 August.
Click to view the full list of nominations, including the late entries, for the Caulfield Guineas,Thousand Guineas and Cox Plate