Flemington racing tips & best bets | Saturday, September 10

Race 1: Poseidon Stakes (1100m)

A massive day of racing at Headquarters kicks off with the Listed Poseidon Stakes down the Flemington straight over 1100m. Alpha One looked to have had the smart Giga Kick’s measure in the Group 3 Vain Stakes at Caulfield on August 13, only to be gunned down in the shadows of the winning post. Prior to that defeat, the three-year-old son of Super One had strung together three straight wins and with race fitness and strong form lines coming into a race like this, he looks like the one that Doull and Spacewalk need to chase down in the Poseidon.

• 4
  

  ALPHA ONE

• 6
  

  DOULL

• 8
  

  SPACEWALK

• 1
  

  BRERETON

Race 2: Handicap (1700m)

One of our better bets of the day comes up nice and early on Saturday as the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Sir Davy returns from a spell. The five-year-old gelding has some nice form lines throughout his winter campaign when chasing home Tuvalu at his last two starts and arguably should have finished much closer to him when they clashed in the Listed Winter Championship Final on July 2. He boasts a handy first-up record of 3: 1-1-1 and can handle the wet tracks as he has shown with three wins and three minor placings. He draws barrier five and gains the services of Ethan Brown who will look to have him settled midfield with cover throughout. With a majority of his rivals wanting further or perhaps lacking the class that Sir Davy has, we’re hoping he is raring to go first-up from a spell and can take out this 1700m event at a nice price.

• 10
  

  SIR DAVY

• 13
  

  LYRICAL LAD

• 8
  

  ZEYREK

• 12
  

  HEZASHOCKA

Race 3: Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m)

Following a superb two-year-old season in South Australia, the Richard & Chantelle Jolly-trained See You In Heaven gets her crack in Melbourne in the Cap D’Antibes. The Divine Prophet has three wins and two minor placing from her first five starts and despite going down by the barest of margins in the David Coles AM Stakes on May 21 when a $1.85 favourite, she looks to be a filly going places this spring. She already has a win under her belt down the Flemington straight when landing the Ottawa Stakes on debut over 1000m. With plenty of speed drawn underneath her, Jake Toeroek should just be able to camp off those leaders and have See You In Heaven ready to strike inside the final furlong.

• 2
  

  SEE YOU IN HEAVEN

• 6
  

  OJAI

• 7
  

  GHAANATI

• 9
  

  BUBBLE PALACE

Race 4: The Sofitel (1400m)

Pinstriped returns to the track and trip at which he took out the Group 3 C.S. Hayes Stakes during the autumn and we expect he will make it two wins from two starts at the Flemington 1400m. The four-year-old gelding from the Enver Jusufovic yard will need to overcome barrier 16, but considering he likes to get back upon settling, it should not be a hinderance to his chances. With a flawless two wins from two starts when fresh, and two wins from three goes on rain-affected going we have no doubt he will handle the conditions he faces on Saturday. If Michael Dee can have him settled with cover in the three wide line, Pinstriped is armed with a devastating turn of foot and is sure to take some beating in The Sofitel.

• 10
  

  PINSTRIPED

• 8
  

  BERMADEZ

• 3
  

  SCALLOPINI

• 1
  

  LIGHTSABER

Race 5: Makybe Diva Stakes (1200m)

A star-studded albeit small field of eight runners have assembled to take on the 2022 Makybe Diva Stakes. With six of the eight already tasting success at the highest level, this is sure to be a cracking edition of the race. Who will join the likes of Northerly, Weekend Hussler and Incentivise on the honour roll?

Click here for our full runner-by-runner preview of the 2022 Makybe Diva Stakes

Race 6: Handicap (2500m)

Having won the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes in arrogant fashion before heading to the paddock, we expect the Robert Hickmott-trained Point Nepean to return with another victory. The four-year-old son of Camelot has four wins and a second from seven starts showing he simply does not know how to run a poor race and having already qualified for this year’s Melbourne Cup through winning the Ramsden, this looks to be the perfect starting point for a big spring ahead. The booking of Jamie Kah is a notable one, considering normal jockey Alana Kelly is on board a stablemate in this race. However, if Kah can lob this bloke in the one-one and get him to switch off behind the leaders like Horrifying and Fengarada, Point Nepean clearly has the most upside in a race like this and should prove quite the handful for some of these stayers.

• 3
  

  POINT NEPEAN

• 5
  

  HORRIFYING

• 2
  

  VOW AND DECLARE

• 14
  

  FENGARADA

Race 7: Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m)

Kissonallforcheeks is coming into the Let’s Elope Stakes on the back of an eye-catching run behind Chain Of Lightning in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes. The five-year-old mare found the 1200m at Caulfield a touch too sharp, but the step up to 1400m second-up from a spell looks ideal. Having destroyed her rivals in the Shaftesbury Avenue earlier in the year at this track and trip, there looks to be no reason why the Written Tycoon mare cannot bring up a second win from as many starts here. With a second-=up record of 4: 3-1-0 and two wins and two minor placings on soft ground in her career thus far, on paper this race shapes up beautifully for Kissonallforcheeks. At $4.20 with Unibet, the former WA mare looks a clear best bet of the day in our opinion.

• 5
  

  KISSONALLFORCHEEKS

• 6
  

  FLYING MASCOT

• 11
  

  LADY OF HONOUR

• 14
  

  I AM BENE

Race 8: Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m)

The Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality has been taken out by the likes of Chautauqua and Redkirk Warrior over the last 10 years and we are hoping Shooting For Gold can add his name to the honour roll. The five-year-old gelding sprinted the better against Generation and Star Patrol in the Heath 1100 and looked like he will only appreciate the extra 100m he gains here. He was beaten close to three-lengths in the Aurie’s Star Handicap two starts back, but with that experience under his belt down the Flemington straight, we’re happy to be with him this time. He gets half a kilo off Sirius Suspect this time and in a race that looks set to be run at a genuine tempo, the race looks perfectly set up for Shooting For Gold to peel off the leaders back and ultimately prove too hard to hold out.

• 13
  

  SHOOTING FOR GOLD

• 11
  

  SIRIUS SUSPECT

• 12
  

  SWATS THAT

• 17
  

  VERANSKOVA

Race 9: Exford Plate (1400m)

You could easily make a case for about 11 of the 16 runners in the Exford Plate, but the one we have settled on is Tijuana from the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr yard. The three-year-old colt was the one to follow out of the McNeil Stakes at Caulfield when flashing home late to grab third behind Caulfield Guineas fancies Jacquinot and Aft Cabin. The American Pharoah colt blundered the starts but made up a stack of ground to suggest if he shows better barrier manners at his next start, he will take a power of beating. From barrier 11, Michael Dee will need a touch of luck early on to not get trapped wide, but as he showed at Caulfield, Tijuana has a strong turn of foot and at a nice each-way price is the one we are happy to be with in the Exford.

• 3
  

  TIJUANA

• 6
  

  BERKELEY SQUARE

• 7
  

  OSPIENKO

• 14
  

  CADAZIO