One of the big questions for the spring is whether Sth Aussie star Southern Speed can win back to back Caulfield Cups? She'll create history if she does for being the first mare to win two Caulfield Cups. SS is also one of the key prospects for the Cox Plate. Shoe showed her wfa talent when beating Manighar in the Australian Cup (2000m) this year. Connections are looking to the Grp 2 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington next month as a testing ground, In early markets, Southern Speed is rate

One of the big questions for the spring is whether Sth Aussie star Southern Speed can win back to back Caulfield Cups? She'll create history if she does for being the first mare to win two Caulfield Cups. SS is also one of the key prospects for the Cox Plate. Shoe showed her wfa talent when beating Manighar in the Australian Cup (2000m) this year. Connections are looking to the Grp 2 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington next month as a testing ground, In early markets, Southern Speed is rated a $26 chance for the Caulfield Cup and $21 for the Cox Plate.

Larrikin tycoon John Singleton has been appointed to head a taskforce to determine whether to retain popular provincial racetracks at Gosford and Wyong, says the Daily Telegraph in Sydney. Racing NSW has persuaded Singleton to be chairman of a four-person team to consider the long-term viability of the two Central Coast racing and training facilities. There has been a push in recent years to merge Gosford and Wyong race clubs although previous feasibility studies have failed to identify any significant cost savings.

This year's $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup has received an unexpected boost via the late nomination of last year's French Derby winner Reliable Man. The stablemate of 2010 Emirates Melbourne Cup winner Americain wasn't among the initial entries, which closed last Tuesday, but trainer Alain de Royer Dupre utilised the late entry clause to have the son of Dalakhani added to the list of potential starters. The grey entire, a five-year-old by Southern Hemisphere time, is now an entry for two of the spring majors, having been paid up for the $3 million Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) last week. The French Derby win was part of a stellar three-year-old season for Reliable Man, which harvested four wins from his first five starts before a second-last placing in the Arc de Triomphe.