Global Weekly Preview: Stars dominate as Autumn Carnival in full swing

It says a lot for the depth of Australian racing that the Winx-Hartnell clash in Saturday's G1 Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick, Sydney, is in serious danger of not even being the weekend's major talking point.

True, most expect the greatest Australian mare since Black Caviar to walk away with her 15th consecutive victory, as gallant and consistent as the Godolphin flagship Hartnell might be.

Trainer John O'Shea has made no secret of the fact that the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 8 is Hartnell's prime target, and every race beforehand is seen as a stepping stone. This is another one.

So, on closer analysis, what has Winx got to beat? Five of her stablemates, for starters. And four of those, Preferment, Grand Marshal, Who Shot Thebarman and Libran, are being tuned for long-distance targets, which include the two-mile Sydney Cup on April 8.

Winx should have little trouble in chalking up another G1 win, and she will rightfully be applauded by the racing world.

But, dare I say it, the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes day at Caulfield in Melbourne offers arguably more clues for future races, particularly in the two-year-old division. 

The G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, exclusively for juveniles, was inaugurated in only 1971, so it has nowhere near the history and prestige of Rosehill's G1 Golden Slipper.

Sepoy, who carried the maroon and white colours of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed's Darley, was a significant winner of the Blue Diamond in 2011.

But this year there is more than a hint that the leading Melbourne stables have the necessary high class two-year-olds ready to make an impact. The Robert Smerdon-trained Property, to be ridden by 'Magic Man' Joao Moreira, who is down for the day from Hong Kong, will be hard to beat from an inside draw.

Apart from the Blue Diamond, the card also features the G1 Futurity Stakes, a time-honoured weight-for-age contest that has been won by many outstanding horses. Turn Me Loose, a son of the Godolphin/Darley stallion Iffraaj, will pose a real threat to strongly-fancied Black Heart Bart.

Also on the same program is the G1 Oakleigh Plate, a handicap run over 1,100m, a helter-skelter sprint that often serves as a pointer to the G1 Newmarket Handicap.

There should be an abundance of pointers as the Autumn Carnival in Australia slips into top gear.