Racing: Time to concentrate on Cup carnival

Jockey Steven Arnold. Photo / Getty Images

Not that the Hawkes Bay Triple Crown is done and dusted for another year, punters this side of the Tasman are concentrating on the Melbourne Spring Carnival, with the first of the features, the Caulfield Cup, to be run this Saturday.

Quote of the week: "I wipe my feet before I get on him." Melbourne jockey Steven Arnold when asked what it's like to ride one as good as So You Think.

The world's best: Melbourne spring racing.

Right back in business: Alcopop. Looked huge dashing past Whobegotyou into second behind So You Think.

Unbelievable: Steven Arnold believes So You Think has been getting it too easy in preparation for a Cox Plate. Those behind him haven't.

Sheer Heart: More Joyous will probably never beat So You Think, but gets 11 out of 10 for guts. Wasn't handling the left-handed Caulfield way on Saturday, but showed stunning ticker to change legs and shoulder her way past them under 58kg in the Toorak Handicap.

Ride(s) of the day: Quadruple dead-heat. Chad Ormsby on Walk Away and James McDonald on Jungle Juice at Matamata, and Noel Harris and Jonathan Riddell getting Dancing Jess and the tricky Conroy home at Hawera.

Back these:

Conroy: Knows as much about racing as a newborn, but the talent is there.

Lady Chaparral: Close up in the Breeders after drawing wide and subject to further improvement and looks as though she could get a middle distance.

Obsession: Hawera was not her true form. Better ground will probably help.

King Of The Desert: Didn't have much luck in behind them at Matamata and wasn't far away.

Ginella: Might have won with a passage straight at the leaders from the 350m.

Walk Away: Shaping like a stayer with a future after a perfect ride. Can only get better.

Quickasucan: Will probably be better next preparation, but might still get one if he can find a race where the pattern suits back runners. It didn't entirely on Saturday.

Haere Mai: Not a lot of room and was beaten a nose. Will look good when he gets to 2000m.

Keepa Lady: Got long way back then checked. Forgive.

Stardom: Beaten by a pretty smart debut maidener, but kept trying.

Amirar: Made ground in the Cup and finished close up. Watch at 2000m.

Sack these:

Backup: At least until he wins another one. Didn't show a lot of fight at Hastings even though third and battled at Hawera to be 4.7 lengths away. Needs to win to show he's back to his best.