Blue Sapphire Stakes Wednesday at Caulfield 

Caulfield Cup Week kicks off in a burst of Moet & Chandon this Wednesday with the Blue Sapphire Stakes as a Caulfield curtain-raiser. The $350,000 race is a 1200m Group 3 sprint for 3-year-olds at set weights over 1200m, and Jukebox and Formality are level favourites at $3.90.

Jukebox had a strong trial at Cranbourne last week after a spell, but he’s drawn in Barrier 10 on the outside rail, while Formality is drawn in Barrier 4.

The $150,000 Ladies Day Vase is the other race of note on Wednesday’s card and you can bet on it at Luxbet. This race is a 1600m handicap at set weights and penalties for mares only. In a nine-horse field, Hell Or Highwater in Barrier 3 is the $3.60 favourite, but Prompt Response, starting from Barrier 5, is close behind at $3.80.

Full Card for Caulfield Cup Day

Saturday brings one of the highlights of Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival: the Group 1 Caulfield Cup over 2400m, an open handicap dating back to 1879 that has seen its prize money bumped to $3.15-million this year.

The betting is being led by Bonneval and Humidor, both at $6.50, although Bonneval still needs clearance to race after picking up a leg injury in last week’s Caulfield Stakes. Admire Deus and Johannes Vermeer are close behind at $7.00, with Amelie’s Star at $7.50.

Another prestigious race on Saturday is the $750,000 Gr. 3 Caulfield Classic, a set-weights handicap for 3-year-olds over 2000m, originally known as the Norman Robinson Stakes. The Gr. 2 Caulfield Sprint is an open handicap over 1100m, and Saturday’s card also includes the 1400m Gr. 2 Tristarc Stakes for 4-year-old mares, the 2000m Gr. 3 David Jones Cup, the 1400m Gr. 3 Moonga Stakes for 4-year-olds and older, and the 2000m Gr. 3 Ethereal Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Sunday’s Country Action at Seymour

The week’s racing action finishes up in the country, heading north to Seymour Racecourse on Sunday to show off the course’s $6-million 2016 refurbishment. The main attraction is the $150,000 Seymour Cup, a listed open handicap over 1600m. It usually features a mixture of the stronger horses racing the country circuit and decent city gallopers taking a break from Melbourne in the hopes of less demanding competition.