The final day of the week of racing is arguably harder again. Worst still, there's at least four races on Saturday where I genuinely can't pick between two runners in the race. And some where I can't pick between six!
The races that I'm interested in are:
RACE TWO. Form lines from Thursday give a very strong push for CADILLAC MOUNTAIN and the wide open spaces of Flemington should see this horse deliver both on early promise and great breeding lines. Over 2000m races in Flemington are usually fairly run and assuming no jockey error, looks a good bet. But take fixed odds. The world and his wife are tipping it.
RACE FIVE. The Group 3 Queen Elizabeth is one of those races where I'm finding it hard to split two. At good odds is the last start Bendigo Cup winner BRING SOMETHING who has run in quality races and looked promising and put away a tidy field at Bendigo. 12/1 seems good value in a tough race. But I'm also struggling not to back NOBLE PROTECTOR who looks likely to follow the well trod import path of improving second up. Impossible to leave out of this, a race he might just run away with and 6/1 also seems value.
I'll probably mess about with some exotics around these two.
RACE SIX. The Darley Classic is just that. There's no way you can ignore CHATAQUA up the straight and based on the way that imports have been going its impossible to overlook SLADE POWER. And then there's the Buff, Lankan Rupee, Cluster. We may still not have mentioned the winner as many will have been trained with this in mind. No bet for me, but the race of the day.
RACE SEVEN. Or maybe the Emirates is the race of the day? HOOKED comes here from winning the Cameron and then flashing home in a high quality Epsom. RIVER LAD, the Stradroke winner is $81. And related to Topping but that's not important right now...
The SA galloped HUCKLEBUCK went straight into the Blackbook last time and has done nothing wrong to date. Likewise Waller can't be overlooked at this carnival and I'd expect BULL POINT to be primed. He certainly sounded bullish earlier in the week. CONTRIBUTER is another import who looked impressive in his first run out here, certainly more impressive than the owners spelling.
And I've still not mentioned the horse that will grab all the headlines tomorrow. After braving the Cox Plate, this might be an afterthought for THE CLEANER but the way he runs and the way the fence played this week, well....
Maybe it's been a tough week, but I can't remember a harder Saturday card than this one at Flemington, especially as we know that many horses will have been brought here to their Grand Finals before a trip to the paddock.
BEST BETS: CADILLAC MOUNTAIN MR2
AMOVATIO SR4
Be careful out there!
