6.14 ; Race 10 6.15pm Listed over 1100m, field of 15 Massive field size alert

3 11271x12x2 ANATINA Craig Williams 2 57kg 95 93

4 008x11221x CRADLE ME Tommy Berry 1 56kg 93 92

11 2x13x174x1 THE MESSINA NYMPH Kerrin McEvoy 15 55kg 77 91

2 x661x411x3 MISS STEELE Damien Oliver (late alt) 11 58kg 89 91

The Punters Mate “ many late closers are engaged here, busy finish, bookies race” PUNT RISK EXTREME

5.45 : 1 Admire Ratki the Japanese galloper with Zac Purton aboard wins the Caulfield Cup over Rising Romance and Lucia Valentina 1-16-15-19.

Admire Ratki 12.00 and 4.40, Rising Romance 3.50 and Lucia Valentina 2.10

Our analyst gives us the winner of the Caulfield Cup. #Racingtoday. He also picks the trifecta for his top 4.

Here's the replay :

5.39 : Lucia Valentina is still a heavy favourite for the Caulfield Cup. 4.40 on the track. 

5.32 :  Lucia Valentina is well backed and remain a comfortable favourite for the Caulfield Cup

5.26 :2 Avoid Lightning gets there for Tim Clark for Les Bridge over Brook Road and Rose Of Choice 3-11-6-5 the final numbers in the final race in Sydney. The winner has paid 2.30 and 1.40

5.23 : One to go in Sydney - Race 8 5.25pm Group 3 Nivision over 1200m, field of 13 Large field size alert

3 40x512113x AVOID LIGHTNING Tim Clark 7 56kg 109 97

4 1942231523 MY SABEEL (NZ) Glyn Schofield 13 56kg 91 96

7 5413x13155 I’VE GOT THE LOOKS Ms Kathy O'Hara 2 54kg 90 95.5

11 138x11x2 BROOK ROAD Brenton Avdulla 5 54kg 76 95.5

The Punters Mate “n3 has class edge, returns from spell off trial win” PUNT RISK MODERATE

5.18 : Lucia Valentina into $4.30 now for the Cup

5.06 : The full market on the Caulfield Cup as the big race draws near

5.00 : The big race The Caulfield Cup coming up at 5.40 : Our analyst likes.

Race 9 5.40pm G1 Caulfield Cup over 2400m, field of 18 Massive field size alert

1 0x4240x20x ADMIRE RAKTI (JPN) Zac Purton 8 58kg 113 101

15 2x3013x161 LUCIA VALENTINA (NZ) Kerrin McEvoy 12 53kg 102 100

9 31143x8611 JUNOOB (GB) Douglas Whyte 15 55.5kg 104 99.5

16 312241x472 RISING ROMANCE (NZ) James McDonald 17 53kg 105 99.5

The Punters Mate “ field quality here not strong, ratings edge to n1 who should get cover for late surge” PUNT RISK HIGH

4.57 : A sensation dead heat with Miracles of Life (Hughie Bowman) 2.90-1.70 and Bel Sprinter Ben Melham  5.40 and 3.70 in the $200,000 Caulfield Sprint. Shamal Wind 3rd.

4.50 : Dandy Cup coming soon at Narromine.

 Foreign News gets there at 14.50 and 3.90 over  Superbad or Tyson's Tiger. Success for Anthony Cavallo. Bob Howe  the winning trainer from Mudgee

4.49 : Shamal Wind is the favourite for the next in Melbourne

4.47 :  5-8-12 at Randwick in the City Tatts Club Handicap..Mahara for Peter and Paul Snowden and a treble to Blake Shinn. 3.30 and 1.50 the winner.

4. 35 : The next in Sydney  Race 7 4.45pm BM85 Tatts handicap over 1400m, field of 11;

6 45x23x1453 MURDER OF CROWS Jason Collett 11 56kg 79 77

5 7x131124x5 MAHARA Blake Shinn 6 56kg 83 77

8 x11240x084 ALL CERISE Glyn Schofield 7 54.5kg 80 77

12 3x41221x55 RARE FRAGRANCE Ms Winona Costin a2 2 52kg 71 77

The Punters Mate “ yet to see best of these for some time, luck has gone against recently” PUNT RISK EXTREM

4.33 : Lucia Valentina is the hot favourite for this afternoon's big race. Its staying steady at $4.50

Getting excited for the Big one day at 5.40 the Caulfield Cup. But one to go before that. Fashions look good.

4.30 : Race 8 4.55pm G2 Perri Cutten Sprint over 1100m, field of 13 Large field size alert

5 122x11211x BIG MONEY Michael Rodd 6 55.5kg 99 99

7 2x1715x433 SHAMAL WIND Nicholas Hall 8 55kg 102 98.5

8 410x46x522 I’M ALL THE TALK Craig Williams 9 54.5kg 97 98.5

3 19x5937x75 UNPRETENTIOUS Damien Oliver 3 56.5kg 101 98

The Punters Mate “Big Money well placed here and should figure” PUNT RISK MODERATE

4.22 : James McDonald and John O'Shea win the David Jones Cup 2000m with Contributor $7.00 and 2.50 over 12 and 9.

4.14 : 3-9-8 Narromine, Justin Stanley gets My Little Beauty home for Martin Haley.

4.11 : Noble Protector is the favourite for the David Jones Cup 2000m

Race 7 4.20pm G3 Cup over 2000m, field of 13 Large field size alert 

12 162x512x13 NOBLE PROTECTOR (GB) Craig Williams 3 54kg 92 96

2 x1224x131x CONTRIBUTER (IRE) James McDonald 7 57kg 102 96

5 6017x12524 KINGDOMS (NZ) Joao Moreira 13 55.5kg 99 95

8 x4131x3521 COMMANDING TIME Damien Oliver 1 54.5kg 96 95

The Punters Mate “n2 is fresh, each should be competitive so luck in running will be a big factor” PUNT RISK HIGH

4.06 : Race 6 Sydney : the time honoured City Tattersalls Club Cup 2406m. Mulaqen too good with Blake Shinn and Chris Waller over 4-2-3. 5.10 and 1.70 for the winner.

Some of the colour at the Caulfield Cup today.

3.59 : In Sydney : Race 6 4.05pm Listed Tatts Cup over 2406m field of 10

8 1708160x01 ORDER OF THE SUN Thomas Huet 11 54.5kg 86 86

4 08111x3740 LA AMISTAD Brenton Avdulla 1 55.5kg 98 85

6 x054354312 MULAQEN (GB) Blake Shinn 8 55.5kg 94 85

2 5x49x40515 DISCLAIMER (GB) Jason Collett 6 57kg 97 84 ( Favourite)

The Punters Mate “these can be inconsistent, n8 brings form” PUNT RISK MODERATE

3.49 : Its Sweet Idea for the colourful Gai Waterhouse and Tommy Berry  3.30 and 1.40 over Girl Guide and Catkins in the Tristarc Stakes.

3.43 : Tips for the next at Caulfield :Race 6 3.45pm G2 Tristarc Stakes over 1400m, field of 10

4 11316x4x12 CATKINS Hugh Bowman 8 57.5kg 110 98

3 111729x124 SWEET IDEA Tommy Berry 6 57.5kg 109 97.5 ( Favourite on track)

6 121113x112 GIRL GUIDE Dwayne Dunn 5 56.5kg 93 97.5

7 737x621x44 POLITENESS Craig Williams 4 56.5kg 93 96.5

The Punters Mate “top three should be in the mix, talented and closely rated at moment” PUNT RISK MODERATE

Lots of colour at Caulfield today.

3.39 : Up There Electra wins for Kody and Peter Nestor at Narromine in Race 3. 7-8-10 at Narromine confirmed.

3.36 : The next at Caulfield.

Race 6 3.45pm G2 Tristarc Stakes over 1400m, field of 10

4 11316x4x12 CATKINS Hugh Bowman 8 57.5kg 110 98

3 111729x124 SWEET IDEA Tommy Berry 6 57.5kg 109 97.5

6 121113x112 GIRL GUIDE Dwayne Dunn 5 56.5kg 93 97.5

7 737x621x44 POLITENESS Craig Williams 4 56.5kg 93 96.5

The Punters Mate “top three should be in the mix, talented and closely rated at moment” PUNT RISK MODERATE

3.35 : Monarchy and Canny Maree are the winners at Narromine so far for our central west readers.

3.32 : Deep Field scores an impressive win in the Lightning at Randwick over 3-8-7

3.26 : Latest betting on the big racing now just two hours away. The Caulfield Cup.

Lucia Valentina 4.60, Junoob 8.70 , Lidari 9.70, Rising Romance 9.90, Brambles 12.80, Hawkspur 13.00, The Offer is at 15.30 has been vetted again and ready to run. 

3.17 :  Its 5-9-8 at Caulfield. Lucky Hussler gets there for Glenn Boss and Darren Weir paying 10.40 and 2.30 

3.21 : Great story at Caulfield. Glenn Boss pays tribute to a young jockey who died this week.

race 4 replay 

2.19 : 9-4-2-1 at Randwick Race3.

2.16 : Some earlier raceplays thanks to the racing network.

Lots of colour and glamour at Caulfield today.

Memories of old Cups.

Here is Lucia Valentina's win in the Turnbull Stakes

Race 1 12.50pm Handicap Plate over 1400m, field of 11

Investment manager by day and Caulfield Cup dreamer by night, New Zealander Lib Petagna knows better than most about crunching the numbers.

As an eight-year-old he was towed to the local TAB by his father and turned $2 into $80. Would it be inevitable the Wellington businessman would end up the racing game? He thought so, too.

But still despite breeding and owning four individual group 1 winners, the wait for a horse good enough to name after a pride and joy continued.

Enter Lucia Valentina, the $NZ60,000 yearling which carries the name of his daughter, who is now eight years old.

"Over the last 10 years we've called horses a variety of names, like Bella Valentina and Lucia Bella, and we were waiting for a good one to call Lucia Valentina because that's my daughter's name," Petagna said

"When we put her with [New Zealand trainer] Stephen Marsh it didn't take him long to say, 'we've got a good one here and she's pretty special'. You just have to make sure it's a good horse if you name it after someone close.

"The children are certainly a bit more interested now with her racing. They're not coming to Australia because they've got various things on, but they'll certainly be watching the race and they don't mind coming to the studs and to visit trainers occasionally, just to have a look what's going on. I've got one son who is quite keen and has just started riding."

Petagna is the man behind the man with Lucia Valentina. And the sole owner, who like his softly spoken and understated trainer Kris Lees, is a man of his word.

So when Petagna's bloodstock agent Bruce Perry got a sniff Lees was interested in a Savabeel filly at the yearling sales, Petagna and Perry promised they would send her to Newcastle if she was ever good enough to race in Australia. This was on the proviso the Lees camp did not bid on her.

"She was well balanced, athletic and not overly big – but she had a real presence about her," said Petagna, who eventually raced the first three foals out of her dam, Staryn Glenn. "We were amazed we got her for $NZ60,000.

"And Kris is very down to earth. He keeps it low key and doesn't over-hype anything ... that's probably quite a similar personality type to me. And that's similar to Bruce Perry as well.

"We've clicked with Kris really well and I've got a lot of time for him on a personal level. He's just a really good guy and very trustworthy.

"He knows his stuff and he planned two preps ... it's gone like clockwork."

Despite crashing heavily to the turf in a Boxing Day race in New Zealand last year, Lucia Valentina has kept Petagna content ever since after joining Atlante (Hawkes Racing) as another permanent Australian resident for him.

She won the Vinery Stud Stakes at group 1 level in the autumn before being shaded in the Australian Oaks.

Petagna hopes the Turnbull Stakes "consolation" – a group 1 victory, no less – will not be the end of the run.

Lucia Valentina jumps as favourite in Saturday's $3 million Caulfield Cup.

"This is a step up in pressure, interest from media in Australia and New Zealand ... just the number of articles around the mare," Petagna said.

"She's a beautiful looking mare with a cool name – at least I think so – and it's been a bit of a distraction from the day job, I have to say.

"I can't stop thinking about it at the moment.

"But that's what it's all about ... enjoying the journey, isn't it? When you get to the race it doesn't last very long."

But long enough to turn, possibly, that $2 investment into a $1.75 million windfall on Saturday. And then there will probably be another eight-year-old hooked on racing, too. 

What goes behind the fashions check this out:

Race 9 5.40pm G1 Caulfield Cup over 2400m, field of 18 Massive field size alert

Scratchings