Flemington full racing tips, best bets & quaddie | November 1

Race 1: Maribyrnong Plate (1000m)

The traditional opener to Melbourne Cup Day is the Listed Maribyrnong Plate and we are hopping the James Cummings-trained Zulfiqar can complete the Maribyrnong Trial / Maribyrnong Plate double. The two-year-old Exceed and Excel colt produced a sharp turn of foot when leading throughout to claim a debut victory to suggest he was worth sticking with in the Group 3 four weeks late. From barrier three, we expect William Buick to hunt for the rail as is often the case with early season juveniles and if he can lead upon settling, Zulfiqar should prove too hard to gun down in the opener.

• 1
  

  ZULFIQAR

• 
  3
  

  DIABELLI

• 9
  

  AWESTRUCK

• 
  7
  

  PARADE GROUND

Race 2: BM96 Handicap (2800m)

We do not need to wait too long on Cup day for our best bet of the day, with the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained White Marlin stepping out in the second event. The four-year-old gelding managed to outstay his rivals in the rain at Caulfield on October 12 and managed to bring up a fourth career win from as many starts. We expect Tim Clark to have this four-year-old son of Mastercraftsman settled midfield with cover throughout the 2800m journey. As he showed at Caulfield, he has a strong turn of foot for a stayer and with a few plodders going around in a race like this, we expect White Marlin to prove far too strong late once again.

• 7
  

  WHITE MARLIN

• 
  8
  

  VERIMLI

• 9
  

  CABOCHE

• 
  3
  

  TEAM CAPTAIN

Race 3: Greys BM90 Handicap (1400m)

It is one of the more visually pleasing races of the Melbourne Cup Carnival the Greys BM90, where a massive field of 15 greys are set to compete in the in-honour of 1992 Melbourne Cup winner Subzero. Having been an all-the-way victor first-up at Morphettville, it is hard to go past the Travis Doudle-trained Struck By. The five-year-old son of Barbados has a racing pattern which is hard to knock as he is not far off the lead in all of his starts and considering he has two wins from three second-up runs he is sure to take some gunning down. Look for Jason Benbow to use barrier two to his advantage and with a cheap sectional or two, he should prove too hard to run down once again.

• 5
  

  STRUCK BY

• 
  4
  

  ASCENSION

• 1
  

  LOVE TAP

• 
  9
  

  KOOLED

Race 4: TAB Trophy Stakes (1800m)

With Pericles and Perfect Thought expected to come out of the race, the market is set to be shaken up. One we are hoping who will benefit from the depth coming out of the race is the Daryl Cannon-trained Zoe’s Promise. The three-year-old filly was a determined winner of the Group 2 Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley on October 22 and looks well-placed to continue her strong form. The Swear filly looks set to gain an uncontested lead throughout on Tuesday and considering she is rock hard fit she is expected to handle the rain-affected going. If she can handle the extra furlong she gets in this, then Zoe Promise should run a cheeky race out in front and prove too hard to gun down.

• 1
  

  ZOE’S PROMISE

• 
  12
  

  QUANG TRI

• 7
  

  COOL KAAP

• 
  8
  

  TOKENIST

Race 5: Super Vobis 3-Y-O Plate (1000m)

Races do not come much tougher than this three-year-old sprint over 1000m, with online bookmakers marking it as $8.50 the field. Having chased home the likes of Jacquinot and Aft Cabin, we have settled on Crosswinds from the Anthony & Sam Freedman barn. The Written Tycoon colt has a win to his name over subsequent Stakes winner Nanagui and is arguably the proven class sprinter on paper. Despite drawing in barrier 18, we expect being near the grandstands rail will not be the worse place to be. If Mark Zahra can have him in clear air inside the final 400m, Crosswinds has the turn of foot to cause a boilover.

• 1
  

  CROSSWINDS

• 
  18
  

  YOWIE

• 16
  

  XTRAVAGANT STAR

• 
  15
  

  SELOUS

Race 6: Melbourne Cup Day Plate (1700m)

Regal Lion was a breathtaking Sandown winner two starts back, before he found the 2400m a touch too far in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes last time out. He returns to the 1800m on Tuesday which looks more up his alley. He has had one run at the trip for a minor placing and if we can get a slightly improving track, he should prove too hard to hold out at any old price. Look for Blaike McDougall to get away from the rail upon settling where he can then have this bloke settle in the moving line and when asked for an effort; his turn of foot is Elite and look for Regal Lion to roar down the centre of the track late on.

• 7
  

  REGAL LION

• 
  4
  

  NONAME LANE

• 1
  

  JUST FOLK

• 
  14
  

  WHITE NOISE

Race 7: Melbourne Cup (3200m)

The race that stops the nation, the Melbourne Cup. It has been around since 1861 and the 2022 edition looks set to be a corker. Who will etch their name alongside some the greats of the turf with a win in the Melbourne Cup?

Click here for our full preview of the 2022 Melbourne Cup

Race 8: BM90 Handicap (1400m)

One of our better bets of the day comes up in the race after the Cup, so hopefully our wallets are full and we can launch into Minsk Moment. We were with the Chris Waller & James McDonald combination when Minsk Moment won last time out at Geelong and with even luck on Tuesday, should prove too good for his rivals once again. He draws out wide in barrier 14, but the wizard that is James McDonald on board, we expect he will prove a class above of his rivals. His turn of foot is much better than most of these and if he does not get trapped wide with no cover, Minsk Moment should be winning.

• 6
  

  MINSK MOMENT

• 
  10
  

  MUNHAMEK

• 13
  

  DETONATOR JACK

• 
  7
  

  THE GARDEN

Race 9: Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m)

It is hard to knock the way the James Cummings-trained Heresy hit the line at Randwick last time out on a day where it was near impossible to win from off the pace. The four-year-old mare gave the eventual a 10-length start when straightening but thundered home to beaten by just under two-lengths in an eye-catching run. Her third-up form is near bombproof and with a rain-affected track expected on Tuesday, look for William Buick to have this girl settled in the second-half of the field where she can build through her gears, unleash a strong turn of foot and ultimately prove too hard to gun down.

• 5
  

  HERESY

• 
  3
  

  LITERARY MAGNATE

• 1
  

  PROMISE OF SUCCESS

• 
  11
  

  KATALIN

Race 10: MSS Security Sprint (1200m)

The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Najmaty looks the one to get out with in the last at Flemington on Cup Day in the MSS Security Sprint. The four-year-old mare has two wins from three first-up runs and with a couple of quiet trials under her belt, we expect she will prove too good for her rivals. She is coming off a strong Queensland winter campaign and with Tommy Berry sticking on board, she is sure to be given a perfect ride. Her turn of foot is more than good enough in a race like this where the pressure should be on from the get-go. At $9 with online betting sites, Najmaty is sure to take some beating in the last.

• 6
  

  NAJMATY

• 
  11
  

  ZETHUS

• 16
  

  VESPERTINE

• 
  10
  

  NICOLINI VITO