Racing: Smerdon has visions of Caulfield Cup success

Consistent stayer Light Vision has earned his chance to run in the Caulfield Cup after winning The Bart Cummings at Flemington on Saturday for the second year in a row.

Trainer Robert Smerdon avoided the 2008 Cups with the 6-year-old but he has recaptured his form of last spring when he was competitive in a series of support races.

"We thought we would take the softer option last year but he ran in to [Melbourne Cup runner-up] Bauer in the Geelong Cup and finished fourth," Smerdon said.

He also finished second to Melbourne Cup sixth placegetter Moatize in the Saab Quality (2500m) and second to Capecover in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Light Vision shouldered 58.5kg to win on Saturday but drops to 52.5kg in the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup, which also remains a target.

"He is going every bit as good as a year ago, maybe a bit better," Smerdon said.

"He is an on-pace horse who makes his own luck and when he hits form he holds it."

Ridden by Nick Hall, Light Vision was always in the first six on Saturday and fought on strongly to hold off Miss Darcey to score by a long head, with Zacroona 1 lengths away.

Smerdon said that as Hall was unable to ride at 52.5kg, Luke Nolen would take the mount on Light Vision in the Caulfield Cup.

Light Vision is among the top 30 qualifiers for the Caulfield Cup and similarly placed in the elimination order for the Melbourne Cup.

Although Hall cannot make the weight for Light Vision he would certainly have few problems riding Efficient at 58kg.

However, owner Lloyd Williams is not being drawn into speculation on whether Hall would retain the ride on the co-topweight in the Melbourne Cup.

Williams told the Herald Sun it was too early to consider riders for his Cup runners.

Stable jockey Steven Arnold, who rode stablemate C'est La Guerre to 10th in the Turnbull, has missed the past two wins on Efficient: the 2007 Melbourne Cup and the Turnbull.

Hall has ridden Efficient in his past two starts. "It's too soon to worry about that," Williams said. "We've got three horses going ahead and we'll work out jockeys then."

Efficient will have his next start in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 24, his final start before the Cup.

Williams said C'est La Guerre would not run in the Caulfield Cup, but would back up in this Saturday's Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield, along with Zipping.

"C'est La Guerre will go to the Moonee Valley Cup, then Melbourne Cup. Zipping is being set to try and win the Sandown Classic for the third time," Williams said.

A landmark hearing has found that penalties for jockeys breaching the new whip rules should not include suspensions except in extreme cases.

Victoria's Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board (RADB) yesterday upheld an appeal by Craig Williams against a four-meeting suspension for excessive use of the whip in a forward motion at Moonee Valley last Wednesday.

The board was unanimous in finding in favour of Williams and its view that a suspension was generally not appropriate for whip rule breaches.

Williams struck his mount Flying Tessie 10 times, five times more than allowed under the rules, before the 100 metres. The RADB varied his penalty to a A$500 ($615) fine.

At the same race meeting Racing Stewards fined Damien Oliver A$400 fine for hitting his mount, Clearway, nine times before the 100m mark.

Judge Russell Lewis said that under the new padded whip rule guidelines a suspension in Williams' case did not fit the principle of proportionality.

- AAP