THE TOP 12 Australasian candidates for next month's Caulfield Cup will today race for bragging rights for the spring's upcoming majors, but it won't just be horses that are striving to impress, reports The Age.It says: Nick Hall, 22, and just one month into his career as a senior rider, will be hoping to catch the eye also as he takes his first mount on the 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient in today's group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield. Hall is the son of former champion Greg Hall and godso

THE TOP 12 Australasian candidates for next month's Caulfield Cup will today race for bragging rights for the spring's upcoming majors, but it won't just be horses that are striving to impress, reports The Age.

It says: Nick Hall, 22, and just one month into his career as a senior rider, will be hoping to catch the eye also as he takes his first mount on the 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient in today's group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield. Hall is the son of former champion Greg Hall and godson of Efficient's major part-owner Lloyd Williams. Never before in his short but impressive career to date has the former leading apprentice been offered such a chance to secure a ride on a genuine contender in the Melbourne Cup.

''Nick, well he's almost part of the family and this is a good chance for him,'' Williams said yesterday. ''We've not made any bookings for the spring as yet but the ride was free when Steven (Arnold) took the ride on C'est La Guerre. He's (Arnold) trying him out because he knows Efficient well and he doesn't really know this horse.''

Hall, who took out last season's champion apprentice title, only began riding at 17 but in that time has notched nearly 100 Melbourne winners. He rode $101 chance Red Lord into 16th place in his first Melbourne Cup ride last year.

Twelve of the 14 top Australasian favourites for the October 17 Caulfield Cup will run today, predominantly in Melbourne, but also Sydney (Roman Emperor) and in New Zealand (Daffodil). The other two favourites in that top group, Kirklees and Cima De Triomphe, are in quarantine in the UK and will arrive on September 26.