Moonee Valley – Friday night and Saturday
VIA SISTINA (IRE)
Trainer: Chris Waller
Won Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m)
The Chris Waller-trained mare became the headline act for Cup Week with her breathtaking win in the Cox Plate. Only superstars can claim an eight-length win in the famous weight-for-age race at The Valley, yet she distinguished herself further by breaking the track record by nearly two seconds. She was phenomenal and now returns to Flemington, where she won the TAB Turnbull Stakes two starts ago. Should connections decide to enter her in the Lexus Melbourne Cup, she will be the favourite and the main pre-race storyline.
Flemington target: To be confirmed Lexus Melbourne Cup or TAB Champions Stakes
BROADSIDING
Trainer: James Cummings
3rd Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m)
James Cummings and Godolphin have elected to bypass the Penfolds Victoria Derby and aim for TAB Champions Stakes Day with their star three-year-old colt, who impressed by finishing a strong third in Via Sistina's record-breaking Cox Plate win. Defeating Mr Brightside for that placing underlines the merit of the performance. He's a Triple Group 1 winner and he will be well placed in whichever event he races in.
Flemington target: VRC Champions Mile or TAB Champions Stakes
MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ)
Trainers: Ben, Will & JD Hayes
4th Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m)
The Mr Dependable of Australian racing lost no admirers with another gutsy performance to finish fourth in the Cox Plate. Team Hayes has decided to follow the same path as last year, and that’s to take on the VRC Champions Mile on the final day. Last year he finished second in the Cox Plate and then again in the same position behind Pride Of Jenni. At his last run over 1600m at Flemington he won the Crown Makybe Diva Stakes in September.
Flemington target: VRC Champions Mile
OKITA SOUSHI (IRE)
Trainer: Ciaron Maher
Won Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m)
Ciaron Maher added another runner to his Lexus Melbourne Cup team when Okita Soushi ran out a strong winner of the Moonee Valley Gold Cup. The son of Galileo and the Group 1-winning Fastnet Rock mare Amicus was a proven stayer in Ireland when trained by Joseph O’Brien. He was transferred to Maher after he finished 11th in the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup. The Moonee Valley Gold Cup was his fourth start for Maher, and it was a strong staying effort as he was only 0.4 seconds outside the 2500m course record.
Flemington target: Lexus Melbourne Cup
RED ACES
Trainer: Nick Ryan
Won Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m)
Nick Ryan kept two dreams alive for Cup Week when Red Aces out-toughed his rivals to win the Moonee Valley Vase for three-year-olds on Saturday. The first part for the Flemington trainer is the Penfolds Victoria Derby. He was initially still in calculations for the Lexus Melbourne Cup, rare for a three-year-old, but has elected to target the Penfolds Victoria Derby. Red Aces was a late scratching at the barriers in the Norman Robinson Stakes at Caulfield, so Ryan opted to run him at The Valley instead, believing that a one-week back-up might be a better approach for the Derby.
Flemington target: Penfolds Victoria Derby
BITTERCREEK
Trainers: Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin
Won Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes (1200m)
Troy Corstens had always had the Coolmore Stud Stakes as the number-one spring target for the son of Snitzel and he confirmed that he will back him up after his win in the Red Anchor Stakes at The Valley. Corstens said Bittercreek needed to show a return to form after a poor effort in the Cirka Danehill Stakes, which he did. He pointed out that he always thought he was a classy colt and his form in Brisbane over winter, which included a Group 2 win and a second in the Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes behind Broadsiding, underlined this.
Flemington target: Coolmore Stud Stakes
BARAQIEL
Trainers: Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin
Won Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1200m)
The training partnership of Leon and Troy Corstens was joined recently by Will Larkin, and they have hardly put a foot wrong since. The lightly raced six-year-old Baraqiel, also by Snitzel, continued his amazing rise from restricted grade to winning his sixth race from eight starts with an easy win in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes. As Larkin pointed out after the race, Baraqiel had defeated a Group 1 winner in Mornington Glory who finished third, so the 1200-metre Group 1 Darley Champions Sprint was the logical next run.
Flemington target: Darley Champions Sprint
I AM UNSTOPPABLE
Trainer: Ciaron Maher
2nd Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1200m)
As a three-year-old colt last year, I Am Unstoppable demonstrated his class and his affinity for the straight track with three consecutive seconds in the premier sprint races of his age group: the Winning Edge Presentations Poseidon Stakes, the Cirka Danehill Stakes and then the Coolmore Stud Stakes. He is now with Ciaron Maher and he sizzled home for second from a long way back in the McEwen Stakes, where his last 200m sectional of 11.35 seconds was the fastest for the day.
Flemington target: Darley Champions Sprint
PLENTY OF AMMO
Trainer: Symon Wilde
Won Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m)
The equation was a simple one for Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde, which was that if Plenty Of Ammo won the Crystal Mile she would run in the TAB Empire Rose Stakes, and that’s where she’s heading after her tough Group 2 win. Plenty Of Ammo has had only seven starts and won five of them. Her only defeat from her past six starts was an unlucky first-up second to Uncle Bryn over 1400m at Flemington on October 5. It’s been a big effort by the Wilde team to get the six-year-old mare to a Group 1 race as she’s been a handful for the stable with her barrier manners.
Flemington target: TAB Empire Rose Stakes
LADY JONES
Trainer: Stephen Brown
Won Group 3 Tesio Stakes (2040m)
Seymour trainer Stephen Brown was unsure if Lady Jones could handle 2000 metres, but her victory in the Tesio Stakes has convinced him to aim her for the TAB Matriarch Stakes. Brown said Lady Jones struggled with the track conditions two starts ago when she disappointed at Caulfield. On Saturday at The Valley, however, she went forward and narrowly edged out front-runner Lievore.
Flemington target: TAB Matriarch Stakes
Randwick - Saturday
EL CASTELLO
Trainer: Anthony Cummings
Won Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick
Anthony Cummings said after El Castello’s tough effort to hold off Henlein in the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick that he had always factored in starting the son of Castelvecchio in the Penfolds Victoria Derby the following Saturday. Cummings even suggested after his Randwick win that El Castello was a half a run short. “The preparation was set up so that today’s race would give him the step to go to the Derby. Looks like that will happen,” Cummings said after the win. Cummings was successful in the 2012 Victoria Derby with Fiveandahalfstar.
Flemington target: Penfolds Victoria Derby
BELCLARE (NZ)
Trainer: Bjorn Baker
Won Group 2 The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick
Bjorn Baker said he was privileged to have been given the job of training the seven-year-old mare this campaign in Australia after she was transferred to him from Lisa Latta in New Zealand. She was a dual Group 1 winner in New Zealand, and she added a big cheque to her bank balance with her win in The Invitation over the smart Grahame Begg-trained mare Magic Time on Saturday, where she recorded a time of 1:20.74 minutes for 1400 metres.
Flemington target: TAB Empire Rose Stakes or VRC Champions Mile
