Clinton Payne’s 2025 Might And Power Stakes runner-by-runner form assessments and selections

Here is a runner-by-runner analysis of every horse set to line up on Saturday.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

1 – LIGHT INFANTRY MAN

Getting fitter with every run and now lands in a race over a trip that suits. His two performances this preparation would suggest he’s not going as well as he was in the autumn when he won the Australian Cup over this trip but he did close off last time out in the 7 Stakes with the third-best last 200m. Back to anti-clockwise and his two best Australian wins have come racing in that direction.

VERDICT: Expected to run in the Hill Stakes in Sydney rather than running third here.

2 – BUCKAROO

He’s back going as well as he was last spring and comes here off a close second to the impressive Sir Delius. Lands here third-up, he won the Underwood third-up last year and strikes a small field at a track where he’s always performed well. Proven at weight-for-age and over 2000m, he has a turn of foot which is a huge asset at weight-for-age. Ticks all the boxes for this.

VERDICT: Plenty to like about how he’s going and his chances here.

3 – HEZASHOCKA

It’s been a fair while since he won a race, about 16 months. He is Group 1-placed at weight-for-age over this trip but that form was a few seasons ago now and he is zero from 19 on good tracks – a surface he’s likely to be faced with here. Resumes off a short break after campaigning in Queensland during the winter.

VERDICT: Not since the autumn of 2023 has he produced a performance required to win a race like this.

4 – GLOBE

Been racing well this preparation, albeit in handicap grade. Yet to win in three runs but in saying that he is also yet to be beaten more than a half-length – and he did chase home Golden Path two starts ago. He could find himself in front here and you know what they say about leaders in small fields?

VERDICT: He can finish fourth, or third if Light Infantry Man stays in Sydney.

5 – TREASURETHE MOMENT

An emerging weight-for-age force that is yet to prove herself over this trip against all comers. Yes, she won the Wakeful and Vinery over 2000m as a three-year-old against her own sex but doing it against the old hard heads is a different proposition again. Couldn’t reel in Pride Of Jenni over 1600m last time but entitled to have come on again from that run as she had a setback leading into it.

VERDICT: No knock but I think she faces a task to beat Buckaroo.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

CLINTON PAYNE’S MIGHT AND POWER STAKES TIPS
1st – BUCKAROO (No. 2)
2nd – TREASURETHE MOMENT (No. 5)
3rd – GLOBE (No. 4)
4th – HEZASHOCKA (No. 3)

Originally published as Clinton Payne’s 2025 Might And Power Stakes runner-by-runner form assessments and selections