Not the easiest way to start the program from a betting perspective and at publish, we’re up with around $5 the field.

That being said, I think that Pal D’oro could prove to be overs at around the $10 mark.

Pal D’oro has returned some lovely efforts this time in, striking here at Caulfield most notably and finding form around some talented gallopers.

Starelle hasn’t been seen at the races since January, but she races well fresh, and she boasts a class edge over most of her rivals in the Gold Distaff.

The More Than Ready mare found form around some elite rivals last time in, and placed in four-consecutive black type races, but was at the end of her prep by the time The Wave arrived.

She has reportedly relished her time away from the track, and this looks a nice launchpad for her.

Ain’tnodeeldun has improved for two starts back this time, and he is ready to win when he takes his place in the Gold Heath.

The Dundeel gelding was excellent during his 2020 campaign, winning each of his last three starts, including two at Listed level.

Having missed more than a year of competition with injury, he has clearly needed time to tune up, but hit the line well to finish fourth over a mile here last time.

Fitter third-up and out to 2000m, I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish.

This is a strong edition of the Gold Dash, but I think a horse like Gimmie Par is over the odds at around the $8 mark.

Gimmie Par has been a good horse for Peter Moody since making her debut, and she won the Quezette Stakes over this route most notably in spring.

She resumed this time for a credible third in the Listed Moomba Plate, but failed to beat a single runner home on the heavy going at Randwick last time.

Fitter third-up and back to a good track, this looks a great race for her.

There isn’t a lot of form to study ahead of Saturday’s feature race, but with $1 million on the line, we’re potentially going to witness some exciting two-year-old step out in The Showdown.

Tasmanian raider Bello Beau looks to be a star on the rise, and he’s the one I want to be with in this contest.

Bello Beau won each of his first three career starts in impressive fashion, including two in Listed company, and he was absolutely luckless at The Valley last time.

Group 1 winner Shelby Sixtysix makes his Victorian debut in the Gold Sprint, but I think he could require a genuinely heavy track to find his best, so I am going to look elsewhere.

The one that I like here is The Astrologist.

The Astrologist has been a great horse for the Corstens stable throughout his career, but he has gone to another level this time (incredibly, without winning), and was unlucky not to win the Newmarket Handicap.

This is obviously a substantially weaker target than that race.

I’m confident that the enigmatic So Si Bon can run a race at Caulfield on Saturday.

We all know how he’s been throughout his career, but So Si Bon has also continued to return competitive performances in good races recently, and I thought his first-up run this time for fourth in BM100 company with decent.

With improvement and out to the mile, he can fight out the finish of something like this.