Caulfield on Sunday the 19th September may well have changed our perceptions of the Spring Racing. Fastnet Rock was badly held up for a run and I was all ready to put him in my black book but when he did get out he did not accelerate. It was a dead track but we were entitled to expect better. I'll reserve judgement until I see him on a good track with clear running but I wont be taking any short prices. The race was slowly run.

Hollow Bullet put up one of the best runs of the day after racing wide and well back to the turn. Hollow Bullet finfished just like that and quickly swept the opposition away in much faster time than the colts. Tahni Girl raced on the pace and after looking good to the turn dropped out too quickly for mine. Maybe a good track is what she needs.

Our Egyptian Raine was a very big run for this open class galloper and it is obvious that she will quickly come back to her best. The trouble is that Blind Freddie could spot the run and we wont get any value.

Confectioner was another impressive run over 2000 metres and being lightly raced can only improve. The markets quickly changed but there was one more run that will have an effect. Devestating was well beaten into 3rd but came home well and was having only a second up run so will improve for sure.

The Underwood is the race every one was waiting for, to see if Northerly was coming back to his best. Sadky it was not to be and I don't know what Kearsley was thinking, backing this horse up so soon after his first up run in Perth. It would have been a miracle had he won but as it was he put in a tired tenth. He might be good enough to win races again but maybe not a Cox plate.

Elvstroem should never have been beaten by Hugs Dancer last start and he showed that today when he came back after being headed by She's Archie, the current Melbourne Cup favourite when her jockey took her to the lead too early. In the end , the margin was clear and so was the message. Follow Elvstroem which, unlike some of the more glamorous runners, is not yet overbet. In the same race Delzao lost no supporters with a solid 3rd.