(Rod Gallegos is a senior commentator with Sky Racing and Sky Sports Radio.)

There is class galore on show at Caulfield this Saturday, headlined by Black Caviar in the Schillaci Stakes.

Helmet seems to have mended his wayward tendencies which should become even more apparent in the Caulfield Guineas.

And don't be surprised if he goes on to be a force to be reckoned with in the Cox Plate because under the weight-for-age conditions three-year-olds have the luxury weight of 49.5 kilograms.

In other Caulfield races, the Luca Cumani-trained Bauer is making an exceptionally early start to his spring in Melbourne by tackling the Herbert Power Handicap. He is coming off a 2800-metre win in England and a forward showing wouldn't surprise.

While Black Caviar is a raging favourite for the Schillaci as she stalks her 14th consecutive win, I just may have a little sneaky bet on Karuta Queen because she has a five-and-a-half and six-and-a-half kilo concession over all of her opposition.

And in the Caulfield Stakes, it may just be the breakthrough race for Western Australia galloper, Playing God. He's had three Melbourne runs, the latest being a solid third in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington last Sunday.

*****

The jockey who initiated the flamboyant flourish of the whip to celebrate a major race (or any race for that matter) is culpable for the current controversy in Australia racing.

There are, of course, two sides to the whip wielding argument. Some accept it as part and parcel of racing theatre while others, including the stewards, look on it as a potential danger.

This may come as a shock to some, but I am with the stewards this time. In fact, maybe they should be even tougher on the transgressors.

Safety always should be paramount. Remember South African jockey Robbie Fraad and his misjudged victory whip flourish on Shout Out Loud in the Darwin Cup last year? It ended with Fraad being unceremoniously spreadeagled on the track. Fortunately he escaped any serious injury but the incident may have had dire consequences.

Although all of the other runners missed the turmoil this time, a riderless horse in future may cause havoc at the end of a race.

As jockeys make the return to scale there is ample opportunity for them to engage in all of the histrionics they desire without risking life and limb for themselves and other jockeys.

*****

On a more jovial note, don't let anyone tell you racehorses are dumb animals.

That doyen of country race callers, Col Hodges, reported that a couple of weeks ago at Grenfell, the ideally named Old Mystique was chasing another win.

It looked grim, though, for the 11-year-old veteran of 83 previous starts because at the 1000 metres he was 15 lengths behind the second last horse and, in Col's opinion, at least 20 lengths off the lead, prompting an observer to tell trainer George Hoy:

"The old bloke isn't going to win today George, he's too far back".

George dryly replied: "Don't worry about him - he's got a good memory; you wait ‘til the 300 metres. When I trained him here on this track an old magpie nested at the 300 and he used to dive-bomb him every morning."

And as George watched with smug satisfaction Old Mystique laid back his ears at the given point and took off with such momentum that he gathered in the leaders and won by a neck.

Hoof note: Old Mystique isn't just any old country cuddy, by the way. By Old Spice from Eastern Mystique he is a full-brother to 1999 Melbourne Cup winner Rogan Josh. And Grenfell isn't just any old western NSW town; it was the birthplace of revered bard Henry Lawson.