Viridine out for a repeat victory in G3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield

The six-time Stakes winner Viridine (Damien Oliver) lines up for a second consecutive victory in the G3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, 24 July.

In a race that provides one of the season’s final opportunities for a Stakes success, trainer James Cummings has also accepted with the accomplished sprinter Isaurian (Jamie Kah), who is also an entry at Rosehill in Sydney on the same day.

The Bletchingly provides Viridine with the opportunity to add another Stakes success to a record of solid consistency over five seasons of racing.

As well as being the winner of the 2020 renewal of Saturday’s race, the gelding claimed a G2 success as a three-year-old in the Roman Consul Stakes at Randwick and has collected a further four Listed victories and a G1 placing.

Viridine comes to the Bletchingly off a sixth placing behind Red Can Man in G3 company over the Caulfield 1,200m course earlier this month, finishing off strongly after being slow into stride. At his previous start, he finished third to Adelong in a Listed event at Randwick.

Isaurian is capable of providing a strong back-up to his stablemate on the strength of his latest fifth to The Astrologist in a Listed sprint at Flemington on 3 July.

Prior to that, he finished third to another stable companion, Roheryn, in the Listed Falvelon Stakes at Eagle Farm last December.

A decision on where Isaurian runs will be made closer to race day, but the gelding, twice a winner at Listed level, rates well in either event.

The weekend Stakes-race contingent is completed by the former French-trained runner Ziegfield (Josh Parr) who lines up for his third Australian start in the Listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill.

The winner of three races in France, the son of New Approach produced an encouraging effort when third to Bandersnatch over 1,400m at Randwick two weeks ago.