Princess Grace wheels back to race in Group 1 Memsie Stakes
After her impressive second-place finish two weeks ago in her first Group 1 start in Australia, five-time U.S. graded-stakes winner Princess Grace was the third choice in early betting Friday for the US$487,612 Memsie Stakes this weekend at Caulfield.
The 6-year-old Karakontie mare trained by Chris Waller faces seven geldings, four colts and two other mares in the weight-for-age race covering seven furlongs on the left-handed turf course in suburban Melbourne. The Memsie is scheduled to start Saturday at 2:50 a.m. EDT, which translates to Friday at 11:50 p.m. PDT.
After opening at 9-1, Princess Grace was bet down to 6-1 in the futures market at Tabcorp in Australia. That was on the strength of her rally from seventh to a late lead before she was caught at the wire by her stablemate Fangirl in the Winx Stakes (G1) at Royal Randwick in Sydney.
Jockey Blake Shinn, whose Group 1 wins include the 2008 Melbourne Cup and three races in the past two years in Hong Kong, takes over on Princess Grace, who drew post 3 and carries 126 pounds.
Mr Brightside, a 6-year-old Bullbars gelding who has earned nearly US$5.5 million, was the 2-1 favorite Friday on the strength of his three consecutive wins. After his April score in the Doncaster Mile (G1), he had a 4 1/2-month break before his victory two weeks ago in the seven-furlong Lawrence Stakes (G2) over the same course and distance as the Memsie. Mr Brightside will carry 130 pounds from the widest draw in the field.
I Wish I Win, a 5-year-old Savabeel gelding, was made the 4-1 second choice. He has been on the shelf for five months since his half-length triumph in the T.J. Smith Stakes (G1) during The Championships in Sydney. He will break from the rail carrying 130 pounds.
Princess Grace makes her fourth start since China Horse Club bought her last fall in Kentucky for $1.7 million and moved her to Australia, where she is 3: 1-1-1.
As was the case two weeks ago, the ground at Caulfield is expected to come up soft on what is forecast to be a partly cloudy day for the Memsie.