Prince of Penzance winning 2015 Melbourne Cup
Darryl Sherer
Prince Of Penzance (NZ) (Pentire) is set to return in the Memsie Stakes but it is the Melbourne Cup winner's stablemates, Black Heart Bart, Mahuta and Palentino who are the market leaders in the first Group One race of the season.
Victoria's premier trainer Darren Weir has four horses heading to Saturday's Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield with Harry Coffey getting the nod to ride Prince Of Penzance in what will be just the gelding's second race since his famous win at Flemington with Michelle Payne aboard.
Payne has not returned to riding since undergoing pancreatic surgery after a race fall at Mildura in late May, a couple of days after she rode Prince Of Penzance to an eye-catching second in a cameo autumn appearance in the R A Lee Stakes (1600m) in Adelaide.
The entries also feature three Classic winners from last season, Australian Derby winner Tavago(NZ) (Tavistock), Victoria Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner Tarzino (NZ) (Tavistock) and Australian Oaks winner Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi).
New Zealand trainer Stephen Marsh says Sofia Rosa has strengthened and matured mentally since the autumn and he believes she will hit the line strongly over 1400m first-up.
"She's not just a dour staying horse," he said.
"She still has a good turn of foot and I think you might see that on Saturday."
Caulfield Cup favourite Tarzino is expected to have a solid gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday after Monday's barrier trials at Cranbourne were abandoned because of wet weather. -APP
Victoria's premier trainer Darren Weir has four horses heading to Saturday's Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield with Harry Coffey getting the nod to ride Prince Of Penzance in what will be just the gelding's second race since his famous win at Flemington with Michelle Payne aboard.
Payne has not returned to riding since undergoing pancreatic surgery after a race fall at Mildura in late May, a couple of days after she rode Prince Of Penzance to an eye-catching second in a cameo autumn appearance in the R A Lee Stakes (1600m) in Adelaide.
The entries also feature three Classic winners from last season, Australian Derby winner Tavago(NZ) (Tavistock), Victoria Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner Tarzino (NZ) (Tavistock) and Australian Oaks winner Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi).
New Zealand trainer Stephen Marsh says Sofia Rosa has strengthened and matured mentally since the autumn and he believes she will hit the line strongly over 1400m first-up.
"She's not just a dour staying horse," he said.
"She still has a good turn of foot and I think you might see that on Saturday."
Caulfield Cup favourite Tarzino is expected to have a solid gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday after Monday's barrier trials at Cranbourne were abandoned because of wet weather. -APP