Caulfield trebles for Blake Shinn and Craig Williams on Saturday

With two of the three Group 1 races going to lesser-considered horses, there is plenty to ponder ahead of the bigger races coming soon. Both Blake Shinn and Craig Williams enjoyed excellent afternoons with the pair riding a treble each at Caulfield to add to careers that will end in the Hall of Fame.

Craig Williams with three wins and three places

Wiliams saluted in two of the first three races on the day. That would have given him the feeling that it was going to be a huge one with some very smart rides coming later on the card but things didn’t quite go to plan.

The first race of the day went to Williams on Extreme Virtue. The four-year-old mare has now won her last three starts, taking her career record to 4/7. Williams was quickly back on the scoresheet in race three aboard Aviatress. She tore the Group 3 Northwood Plume Stakes field to shreds by 2.75 lengths.

The Schillaci Stakes would also go the way of Williams, this time on Bellatrix Star. She has won three straight races, a Listed, a Group 3 and now a Group 2. She is now 4/9 in her career and trainer Mark Walker will surely be looking at Group 1 contests now.

Flying start continues for Blake Shinn

On his current pace, Shinn could ride a career-high in winners this season. His current high is 164 in the 2004/05 season but he has 45 already in less than two and a half months, riding winners at a 24% rate so far. Add in his places and 56% of his 180 rides this season have finished in the first three.

A treble on Saturday added to that spectacular start, beginning with Kuroyanagi in the second race of the day. Third in the Blue Diamond over the same track and distance in February, she could be the type to make her mark at Group 1 level again this spring.

Race five went the way of Jimmysstar. He has long been well-regarded and has won both of his starts this season. That said, he started his last prep strongly as well before his form fell apart so needs to be treated with caution.

By far the most impressive winner of the day was Antino in the Toorak. The six-year-old broke his duck at the top level by 6.5 lengths under an inspired ride. Held up early, he made a fast-forward move around the outside just before the home turn and caught them all napping.

Group 1 races in favour of the bookmakers

The defeats of Mr Brightside and Broadsiding have to go down as disappointing on the day. Both had plenty in hand over the field on paper but the track was against them.

Deny Knowledge took a leaf out of the Pride Of Jenni playbook to beat Mr Brightside. Building up a commanding lead, it was a masterclass from Mark Zahra to deny Craig Williams another winner on the day.

Damian Lane also made all of the running on Private Life to win the Caulfield Guineas. With the way that the track was running, Broadsiding was given too much to do from the back. It was a day where it proved hard to make any ground from behind.

Three Group 1 races on a card always leave plenty to think about for the future. It will certainly give connections of the beaten horses some pause for thought as to what they need to do ahead of future spring targets.