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Wizard to weave magic from tricky gate aboard Dalasan

The Wizard from the West, William Pike will have to weave his magic from a tricky gate aboard star South Australian Dalasan in Saturday $5m Caulfield Cup (2400m).

The Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas-trained four-year-old eased from $17 to $21 with tab.com.au after drawing barrier 14.

Pike is the new rider, the eighth rider for the four-year-old who will be having just his 20th race start, after connections opted to replace Billy Egan on Monday.

"It is what it is, we'll make do with it," Pike said on racing.com.

"I know I've got a nice tough horse, I've just got to try and find myself a nice run from there - I know he'll be nice and tough to the line.

"He hasn't been far away, he's been running very well. He's just a tough honest horse, and I think I'll utilise those assets on the day and hopefully we can come up with the goods,’’ he said.

Pike is coming off one of the biggest days of his career at Caulfield last weekend where he won four races - including the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas and Caulfield Stakes – and was placed at his two other rides on a massive day of racing.

The Chris Waller-trained Verry Elleegant is a $4.50 favourite with tab.com.au ahead of the Aidan O’Brien-train Anthony Van Dyck ($5).

The last-start Turnbull Stakes winner has won two Group 1’s over 2400m in the 2019 Australian Oaks at Randwick and the Tancred Stakes at Rosehill last March.

Dalasan was beaten just a neck by Verry Elleegant in the Turnbull and will be hoping to repeat the deeds of stablemate Southern Speed who finished fourth in the Turnbull before winning the 2011 Caulfield Cup.

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