Weight drop to suit Epic Centre

Trainer Clayton Douglas is banking on a drop in weight and some slightly firmer footing being advantageous for Epic Centre at Caulfield.

Epic Centre will be chasing a third win from his past four starts when he heads out for the Take It To The Neds Level Handicap (1000m) on Saturday.

The three-year-old scored successive wins at Seymour and Sale before lumping 59.5kg when a narrow second at Mornington on June 12.

After the 1.5kg claim for apprentice Matthew Cartwright on Saturday, Epic Centre will drop to the minimum, 54kg.

“His form has been really consistent this preparation,” Douglas said.

“He’s had the two wins and then he just got beaten at Mornington last time with the big weight.

“He drops a bit in weight on Saturday, he’s back to three-year-old company and he’s drawn a good gate, so he should be thereabouts, definitely.”

After being rated a Soft 5 at acceptance time on Wednesday, the track was downgraded to a Soft 7 on Friday following 49mm of rain over the past seven days.

Being the second race back after a seven-month lay-off from racing at Caulfield, Douglas is hopeful the track will play a bit firmer than the Soft 7 rating.

“I rode in the jump-outs there last week and the track is in good order,” Douglas said.

“Hopefully there is not too much rain as his best runs have been on the better going.

“The topweight (Katsu) looks pretty hard to beat. He looks very well placed, but he still has to carry 60 (kg), but we’re in there with a chance.

“I’m rapt with how he (Epic Centre) is going. He’s strengthened up a lot and I still think he’s got a bit more to come, as a four-year-old and hopefully we can keep progressing off Saturday’s run.”