Racing writer for The Age
Saturday's rich Orr Stakes meeting at Caulfield will not only give a valuable insight into the coming major races in Melbourne and in Sydney, it will also allow some autumn hopefuls to prove themselves worthy of international preparations later in the year.
For Paul and Collette Beshara, life at their modest training complex in South Australia just isn't the same without their once champion racehorse and family pet Happy Trails.
Even though the $1.5 million Blue Diamond Stakes is still three weeks away, the one constant in the build up to the state's most important two-year-old event is jockey Craig Williams.
The outpouring of emotion was hard to disguise at Caulfield on Saturday when the retiring Darren Gauci booted home a winner on his last day in the saddle.
There'll be more than a tinge of sadness for most in racing late on Saturday night  after the running of the Darren Gauci Farewell Handicap at Caulfield.
Ever since Graeme Sampieri was old enough to work in his father's Kew fruit shop there was just one day of the week the youngster resented serving in the store.
Racing Victoria is in a caretaker mode, but senior officials will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new inquiry into the damaging leaks that saw the demise of former chairman David Moodie.
High-class sprinter Malaguerra returned to racing at Moonee Valley on Friday night and effortlessly disposed of some of the finest sprinters in the state by winning the Australia Stakes.
Saturday's Flemington meeting will be the third metropolitan race program in three days and trainer Darren Weir still remains the major player.
Winners of the Blue Diamond Previews have been installed equal race favourites for next month's group 1 event.
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