A DAZZLING array of racing talent will come together at Caulfield on Saturday afternoon for the running of the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Orr Stakes (1400m).

Making their first appearance during the 2010 Melbourne Festival of Racing are this season’s Emirates Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and BMW Caulfield Cup winner Viewed.

Following today’s acceptances and barrier draw, eight rivals will join them in the weight-for-age showdown including the nation’s premier mare and pre-post favourite Typhoon Tracy.

Other high profile runners are Heart Of Dreams, Sniper’s Bullet, Zipping and comeback gallopers Littorio and Sirmione, the latter who lines up in his third consecutive Orr Stakes.

The quality of the field is highlighted by the presence of eight millionaires, seven Group 1 winners and six horses that featured in the exclusive 2009 World Thoroughbred Rankings.

Trainer Mark Kavanagh and jockey Michael Rodd, who combine with Shocking, are chasing back-to-back wins in the Orr Stakes after scoring with Maldivian in 2009.

If victorious Shocking will become just the sixth Melbourne Cup winner and the first since Saintly in 1997 to win the Orr Stakes in the same season.

The others to achieve the feat were Jeune (1995), Let’s Elope (1992), At Talaq (1987) and Comic Court (1951).

Shocking will need a peak performance though to defeat Typhoon Tracy with the locally-trained mare installed the $1.70 TAB Fixed Odds favourite ahead of Heart Of Dreams ($4.50) and Sniper’s Bullet ($7.50). Shocking is rated a $23 chance.

Drawn to perfection in barrier one, the Peter Moody-trained Typhoon Tracy boasts an exceptional strike rate with seven wins from 10 starts and connections are looking for a prominent showing to springboard an international campaign later this season.

Acceptances for the remaining eight races on Saturday’s Caulfield meeting will be taken at 9am tomorrow with the fields published shortly after.

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