A look ahead at Flemington’s Group 1 racing

It all kicks off on February 15 with the electrifying five-furlong sprint, the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m). March features the traditional trio of standout race days: the Howden Australian Guineas (1600m) for three-year-olds on March 1, the prestigious Yulong Newmarket Handicap (1200m), and the recently elevated Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) on Super Saturday, March 8. The carnival culminates with the 163rd running of the TAB Australian Cup (2000m) on March 29.

We take a look at some of the contenders that could target the Group 1 features at fabulous Flemington.

Saturday 15 February 2025

Black Caviar Lightning

SWITZERLAND

By Brad Bishop - Racing And Sports

Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) winner Switzerland is well-advanced in his preparations for a campaign that is being geared around Royal Ascot in June.

Not put off by Home Affairs’ disappointing performance in the 2022 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m), Coolmore is targetting the same carnival with the Chris Waller-trained Switzerland, who is nearing the trial stage of his campaign.

The plan is to resume in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m), the race Home Affairs won at his first start after his Coolmore Stud Stakes success in the spring of 2021.

Switzerland stretched his record to five wins from seven starts with his Coolmore Stud Stakes win, having also won the Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) and Todman Stakes (1200m) at Group 2 level.

Saturday 1 March 2025

Howden Australian Guineas

SOMEWHERE

By Brad Bishop - Racing And Sports

The Howden Australian Guineas is a race that can be won by a horse who was nowhere to be seen on the stage during spring.

Think of Grunt, Ferlax, Rock Classic and Light Fantastic. Somewhere was not quite as anonymous as any of that group during the spring of his three-year-old season, but it would still be considered a rapid rise if the Archie Alexander-trained gelding won the $1 million Group 1 over 1600 metres at Flemington on March 1.

The son of Puissance De Lune has started twice, for a brilliant 1400m Ballarat maiden win on November 14 and a luckless third in the Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1400m) 16 days later.

He ran to 107 on the Timeform scale in the Sandown Guineas and when you consider recent Australian Guineas have been won in 112 (Legarto and Ferlax), 113 (Lunar Fox) and 114 (Shamrocker), he might not have to improve astronomically to be a force, especially in the absence of a standout three-year-old miler.

Saturday 8 March 2025

Yulong Newmarket Handicap

SWITZERLAND

By Simon Dinopoulos - Racing And Sports

The current Australian sprinting ranks are screaming for some new blood and this year’s Newmarket looks to be the perfect platform.

Our big five sprint races last year (Lightning, Newmarket, TJ Smith, Everest, Champions Sprint) were won by Imperatriz (retired), Cylinder (retired), Chain Of Lightning (retired), Bella Nipotina (one more prep) and Sunshine In Paris.

It is unlikely we will see either Bella Nipotina or Sunshine In Paris in the Yulong Newmarket Handicap leaving the door wide open for a new star to emerge.

The Anthony and Sam Freedman trained Right To Party split the two mares in the Group 1 Darley Champions Sprint continuing her upward spiral last preparation.

Arguably the Queen of the Flemington straight last year, she won four of her six attempts and went to the paddock rated 117.

It will be interesting to see where the handicapper lands on her mark after the Champions Sprint, however she is still likely to appear very well treated in the big feature.

Three-year-olds have won nine of the last 20 Newmarkets, including four of the last six, while providing just 22% of the participants, winning more than double their share.

Switzerland spearheads the three-year-olds assault on the Newmarket having spaced them in the Coolmore.

Rated 125 on the RAS scale, he is the highest rated sprinter in the country and looks poised to continue the 3YOs elite record.

Saturday 8 March 2025

All-Star Mile

CEOLWULF

By Adam Blencowe - Racing And Sports

The All-Star Mile’s place is now locked in; both to Flemington and on the calendar.

Consequently, it’s role more clearly defined, a role that is dual purpose; first as a destination for the country’s best milers and second as a platform to the TAB Australian Cup and beyond.

The question of just who is Australia’s best miler is harder to define.

That title was in the balance and hard fought throughout much of 2024, before the Group 1 VRC Champions Mile helped to clear the waters. Mr Brightside, twice a Doncaster winner and a former All-Star Mile winner, added his third G1 over the Flemington mile, downing other key players in the top-miler conversation – Antino and Fangirl – in the process and largely confirming his place at the top of the mile pile.

But there was one missing - the Epsom and King Charles winner Ceolwulf.

Ceolwulf can’t match Mr Brightside’s career achievements – not yet anyway – but he has quickly caught him on Timeform’s ratings where both ended the year rated 125. The talent is there and with trainer Joe Pride no stranger to raiding Melbourne’s riches we can be sure that the All Star Mile is on the radar.

Ceolwulf has the freshest legs among the milers with big ratings and the big ratings among those on the freshest legs. That’s the right recipe to land him the 2025 All-Star Mile.

Saturday 30 March 2025

TAB Australian Cup

ATISHU

By Trent Crebbin - Racing And Sports

The trick with the TAB Australian Cup is identifying who will be targeting the race. Last year saw Cascadian beat Pride Of Jenni with Atishu in third and the quinella have both been retired. Mr Brightside appears unlikely to race beyond a mile again, and top weight-for-age stars Via Sistina and Buckaroo may race solely in Sydney.

That really does leave Atishu as the standout performed horse that is likely to campaign in Melbourne for the TAB Australian Cup. Her record over 2000m at Flemington is excellent, with Racing And Sports noting her two peak performances, both at 120 on the RAS scale, came in the past two editions of the Group 1 TAB Champions Stakes (2000m).

Others to keep an eye on include Eliyass, who was brave in the Group 1 TAB Turnbull Stakes (2000m) in the Spring, and Another Wil, who has hinted at getting to 2000m in the past and has undeniable ability.