Crack The Code wins narrowly at Caulfield

Crack the Code won Grim Beef Plate by a half-head at Caulfield.

Odds-on favourite Crack The Code has been made to work hard for back-to-back victories at Caulfield.

After an impressive first-up win at The Valley on December 29, the Mick Price-trained three-year-old was sent out the $1.80 favourite in Saturday’s Cape Grim Beef Plate (1100m) for fillies.

Damien Oliver was forced to sit three-wide on Crack The Code in the small field before the filly dug in to fight down the straight and beat leader News Girl ($14) by a half-head.

Embrace Me ($7) was another length away third.

“She was a little wide but they weren’t going too hard and I would have rather been there than boxed away,” Oliver said.

“She was challenged and she had to dig a bit deeper today and she did a good job.”

Crack The Code took her overall record to three wins from four starts and Saturday’s victory has set up a shot at the Group Three Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) for three-year-old fillies at the same track in two weeks.

“That’s the logical option for her,” Oliver said.

The John Sadler-trained Miss Norway is also in line to chase a stakes win in the Bow Mistress Stakes (1200m) after making it three city wins from her past four starts with a determined all-the-way victory in The Mary Bell (1100m) for fillies and mares.

“We are thinking about taking her to Tasmania for a Group Three race for mares on Friday week,” Sadler said.

“She is very well bred so if she could get some black type it would make her quite a valuable mare.”