"What a buzz it would be to win the Caulfield Cup at your 1000th."
However, it won't be easy. Rising Romance, at around $15, has remained reasonably tight in the market, despite drawing a wide barrier, and she has highly talented local Lucia Valentina's brilliant form to contend with as well as Bande, a Japanese challenger.
Bande has been the plunge horse of the Cup, originally quoted at $31 then, after arriving in Australia, $13, into $11, $9, $7 and yesterday $6.50 behind Lucia Valentina's $4.40.
He is a fascinating runner, having not raced since August 10.
Conventional thinking after a couple of decades of European visitors to the Cups is that they perform best in their main targets after their first Australian start.
This Japanese runner might be the exception. Bande has had five fresh-up career runs and won four of them.
When he won on August 10 it was after a four-month absence and his previous victory followed a slightly longer gap.
His trainer Yoshito Yahagi says he's not happy with the 56.5kg chief Melbourne handicapper Greg Carpenter has given Bande.
It is unusual for the normally super conservative Japanese thoroughbred players to criticise, but Yahagi bucks every trend.
He surprised locals when he arrived midweek at the Werribee quarantine station direct from Melbourne Airport wearing a bright red coat, turned up jeans with colourful cuffs and a hat someone suggested he'd borrowed from Crocodile Dundee. Japanese it wasn't.
But Yahagi hasn't become one of Japan's leading trainers without paying attention. Slightly paraphrased he said: "He hasn't [won a] group race yet and we carry [weight] the same as a group horse. I think it is unfair [by the] handicapper. We are not happy about that weight."
The weight aside, which does not seem excessive, Yahagi knows he has the right horse for the job. We think we have a chance," he said. "We are Japanese, right? What do you expect?"
Yahagi is rated highly in his home country since going out on his own after a training partnership with his father. His grounding though includes periods in Sydney with Neville Begg and Bart Cummings.
He rates trying to win the Caulfield Cup a "heavy burden". There is confidence in the entire Japanese camp - Bande has been backed around the world to win a fortune.
The coup is engaging Frenchman Christophe Lemaire to ride Bande.
Lemaire knows Japanese racing, having ridden there for more than a decade and knows Melbourne in the spring - a couple of years ago he won the Melbourne Cup on Dunaden.
Bande is a natural stayer who likes to lead - eliminating the luck factor that can hamper Caulfield Cup hopefuls.
Sydney owner John Singleton and jockey Jim Cassidy have agreed to be mates regardless of Dear Demi's fate in the Caulfield Cup.
The volatile pair have been friends for years, but million-dollar races can have perverse effects on personalities.
Last year James McDonald rode Dear Demi. They came from an outside gate to quickly cross over to the rail and flew home to finish third. McDonald was hailed as a hero for the ride. Jim Cassidy can weave similar magic.
When it comes to jockeys Chris Waller says he will always engage the best available.
He hasn't changed that for the Caulfield Cup. Waller has Damien Oliver for Hawkspur, Hong Kong great Douglas Whyte on Junoob, Michael Rodd has been engaged for Moriarty and Glen Boss for Who Shot Thebarman. All but Hawkspur are last-start winners.
Hoofnote: South Australian stayer Gris Caro is lame and is expected to be scratched from the Cup. One of the leading hopes, Dandino also pulled up lame yesterday and has been scratched, meaning the first two emergencies, Brambles and Araldo, will get starts.
Punting pointers
Best: Bande, Caulfield Cup. Japan's stayers are equal to the best in the world. Bande could prove he's too tough for the local opposition.
Fresh up: Funhouse (R7 Rotorua). Provided not much rain arrives. She looked talented last preparation.
Value: Saint Kitt (R6 Rotorua). Had an off season last time in. Unlucky when resuming and could surprise. Don't forget his Derby placing.
