The Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m), to be race this Saturday at Caulfield, will have a major impact on 2012 Caulfied Cup odds.
Twelve of the fourteen runners in the $400,000 Underwood Stakes are nominated for the 2012 Caulfield Cup meaning that the Caulfield Cup picture should be a lot clearer after this Saturday.
However, the winner of the Underwood Stakes is definitely not a certainty to win the 2012 Caulfield Cup as no horse has done the double since Mummify in 2003.
Equal Caulfield Cup second favourites Manighar and Southern Speed will lock horns once again in the Underwood Stakes.
Southern Speed defeated Manighar by a nose to win the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and avenge her loss to the seven-year-old gelding by the same margin in the 2012 Australian Cup.
Manighar is unlikely to contest the Caulfield Cup but is still priced at $16 in the Caulfield Cup betting market at bookmaker.com.au alongside Southern Speed.
December Draw struggled in the Makybe Diva Stakes but trainer Mark Kavanagh is hoping the import will return to form in the Underwood Stakes.
The seven-year-old gelding won the Naturalism Stakes (2000m) on Underwood Stakes day last year, a result that confirmed him as Caulfield Cup favourite.
December Draw is currently priced at $21 in 2012 Caulfield Cup betting markets but that price will shorten dramatically if he wins on Saturday.
2010 Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday will attempt to qualify for the 2012 Caulfield Cup by winning the Underwood Stakes.
The lightly raced six-year-old finished a solid eighth in his return to racing in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) and he does have a decent second-up record.
The Hawkes family-trained gelding is at odds of $26 in the 2012 Caulfield Cup betting market at bookmaker.com.au.
2012 Sydney Cup winner Niwot is another Caulfield Cup contender that will take part in the Underwood Stakes.
The son of Galileo will likely be outpaced in this race but is on target for another crack at the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.
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