Masked Crusader Looms Large for Heath

While the headline race of Saturday's Caulfield meeting is the Gr1 Memsie Stakes, a major runner of interest who will not be contesting the feature, but instead lining up in the Gr3 The Heath 1100 Stakes is last season's Gr1 William Reid Stakes winner Masked Crusader (Toronado-She's Got Gears, by Invincible Spirit). With the news during the week that his dam passed away, the Hawkes Racing-trained 5YO has competed at Group 1 level in his last four starts, with a fifth placing, beaten just over a length in the Gr1 All Aged Stakes, the furthest he has finished back of late. Winning a barrier trial by 2-lengths on August 13 at Rosehill, the Inglis Premier yearling sale graduate has been allocated 60kg first-up, with the Jye McNeil ridden gelding coming up with barrier 10 in the 11-horse field. A short price favourite due to his superior race form, the market only has one other runner under double figure odds, that being the Peter Moody-trained 4YO Oxley Road (Exceed And Excel-Bonnie Mac, by Thorn Park), a Group 3-winning full-brother to Gr1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner and Vinery Stud stallion Exceedance.