Futurity Stakes Tips - Look on the Brightside in Caulfield Group 1

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: 22 Feb 2024

Alex Marsh 22 Feb 2024

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The Futurity Stakes will be run on Saturday's Caulfield program
This WFA event is the first of three Group 1s on the February 24 card
Eight runners have accepted for this feature

Expired

Mr Brightside (L) dominates the Futurity Stakes market. (Getty)

Run over 1400m, the Futurity Stakes forms a major part of the prestigious Blue Diamond race day, as one of three Group 1's contested on the this feature Melbourne program.

A weight-for-age race that dates back to 1898, the Futurity Stakes has many of Australia's greatest gallopers on its honour roll, with Phar Lap, Ajax, Bernborough and Manikato some of the champions to have won this race.

Mr Brightside heads the market for the 2024 Futurity Stakes as an odds-on favourite.

2024 Futurity Stakes Tips

Best Bet - Mr Brightside

Mr Brightside will contest the Futurity Stakes second-up and that was the same pattern he followed last autumn, which saw the gelding win an All-Star Mile third-up.

He returned with a victory over this track/trip when taking out the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes and he was vulnerable there fresh in a fast-run affair, but class prevailed.

Second-up last spring, he took out the Memsie Stakes under the same conditions and the gelding sat wide there yet still accounted for the likes of I Wish I Win and Alligator Blood.

Not only is this much weaker than what he faced in that Memsie triumph, but there's also no I'm Thunderstruck or Alligator Blood and he split them in last year's Futurity.

In the weakest race he's seen in a long time, I'm not sure what the knock is at WFA level, especially as there's no Pride Of Jenni this time, who was the class on-pacer in CF Orr.

Value Bet - Pericles

Visually, it was just a run on return in the CF Orr, however, Pericles was clearly in need of that hit-out, having arrived there off only one trial and the jockey backed that up post-race.

Also, the Godolphin four-year-old was forced to retreat early and chase a long way out from the back half, and he's clearly a galloper who is more comfortable closer to the speed.

Without as many on-pace influences and now with barrier one at his disposal, the son of Street Boss finds a much kinder set-up, where he'll likely be stalking Buffalo River.

While he was stretched over longer trips as a three-year-old, James Cummings has kept speed in his legs this season and he was very competitive over a Golden Eagle path.

Pericles could be on an Australian Cup path unless they're thinking of a switch to Sydney for a Doncaster and with a run under his belt, he should improve second-up.

Verdict

Futurity Stakes

Our tips for the 2024 Futurity Stakes are:

Mr Brightside

To Win

@1/2 - 8 Units

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Pericles

To Place

@23/17 - 2 Units

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