The Australian autumn racing season officially kicks into high gear Saturday with the running of the country's first Group 1 race of the year, Caulfield's C F Orr S. The 6-year-old gelding Lucky Hussler (Aus) (Husson {Arg}) won the G1 Toorak H. over a mile of this track in October, and he looks to go two-for-two on the year, having won the Restricted Listed Magic Millions Cup over this trip on the Gold Coast Jan. 9. The horse Lucky Hussler could have to fear most is trainer Murray Baker's latest New Zealand raider Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}). Baker, who also made many successful trips across the Tasman with the likes of Mongolian Khan (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and It's A Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), produced Turn Me Loose to win three straight in Australia last season. He won the Listed Seymour Cup by 3 1/4 lengths Oct. 18 before besting Lucky Hussler in Moonee Valley's G2 Crystal Mile a week later and in the G1 Emirates S. when last seen Nov. 7.
The seemingly ageless Boban (Aus) (Bernardini)–he is actually six–recorded his fifth Group 1 win over this track and trip first up in the G1 Memsie S. last August, but has to rebound after finishing last of nine in the G1 Darley Classic dropped down to 1200 meters in November. He has had two trials coming into this. Godolphin import Bow Creek (Ire) (Shamardal), a dual Group 2-winning miler in Europe in 2014, made a favorable impression in his local debut in October, giving Turn Me Loose a scare when finishing a half-length second to that rival in the Crystal Mile. He exited a 12th-place performance in the Emirates lame, but should be fit for this off two recent trials.
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