This Saturday, January 30, the top Melbourne racing action takes place at Flemington Racecourse with a bumper nine race program scheduled for Kensington Stakes Day.
Racing kicks off at 12:25pm (AEDT) and continues through until 5:26pm (AEDT) with just one black-type on the card.
The action is headlined by Flemington Race 7 at 4:06pm (AEDT) with 11 sprinters facing off down the straight in the $120,000 Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m).
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All times are local (VIC).
Feature Race
Race 7 – 4:06pm $120,000 Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m)
The meeting’s feature has 11 sprinters in the mix with field and weights led by the returning Robbie Griffiths-trained The Quarterback (60kg). The son of Street Boss has a stellar record over the track / distance (5-3-0-1) including a win last time out during the Melbourne Cup Carnival carrying 57kg to victory in a black-type on November 5. He’s got the weight to overcome but plenty of love in the markets, which are led by the rails-drawn Wild Rain. Mark Kavanagh’s mare was runner-up to The Quarterback in the spring before returning to win the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) last month and then finish second in the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sprint (1100m) last time out. She gets another top alley here with Glen Boss staying on, but rises 1.5kg to 56.5kg.
Support Races
Race 1 – 12:25pm $50,000 Michael Stewart Plate (1100m)
A field of 11 for the day’s first, this Benchmark 78 host to a number of VOBIS Gold hopefuls shooting for the bonus. It’s A Shame Billy is in flying form with a string of top three runs around Victoria including a third last time out carrying 60kg over the distance at Geelong and drops in weight to 58.5kg. Teofilo mare Chiavari is a nice light weight hope with a Cranbourne win last time out, but she’s yet to run top three from three runs at Flemington. Michael Kent’s Sebring four-year-old resumes and flies fresh (3-2-1-0), the stallion last seen saluting at this track and distance back in July by two lengths.
Race 2 – 1:00pm $80,000 Peter Heath Handicap (1200m)
Only seven sprinters in the mix for the second, a classy Benchmark 90 where weights are led by John Sadler’s Lonrockstar who uses the claim of apprentice Thomas Sadler to help with the kilos. Havana is drawn a treat in barrier two, Paul Messara’s consistent five-year-old first-up for the season. The Team Hawkes-trained Dash For Cash four-year-old Onerous gets the inside run from barrier one and won over 1200m at Sandown-Lakeside in late December. Favourite and one to beat though is classy six-year-old Zupacharged who is a rank above. Ran second in the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) here on New Year’s Day before the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes (1400m) third on January 16, drops back to non-stakes company and will be hard to hold out.
Race 3 – 1:37pm $80,000 Barrie Kerr Handicap (1600m)
Another Benchmark 90, this mile clash for the fillies and mares has drawn nine hopefuls including Chris Waller’s in-form Redoute’s Choice mare All Cerise who shoots for her third win on the trot following victories at Canterbury (1550m) and Randwick (1600m). She is undefeated over the distance and drops from 59.5kg to 58kg. Rails run belongs to Colin Little’s Miss Softhands who is undefeated this time in looking to extend her winning streak to four from four after a narrow win over 1400m here on January 16. Darcy’s Law is also in top form and drops from 57kg for her latest win to the 54kg minimum.
Race 4 – 2:12pm $90,000 Doriemus Handicap (2000m)
Nine in the mix again here with the staying types on show including the Danny O’Brien-trained Second Bullet who comes off back-to-back wins and who has Damien Oliver staying on. Both lead-up victories were at this track and distance but goes up a kilo to 55.5kg; still well weighted. Darren Weir saddles-up Real Love, a WA import who was last seen running third in the Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) on January 2, a race she won the previous year. Star Rolling was runner-up to Second Bullet last time out and uses Dylan Dunn’s claim to help with the top weight, while the light weight in the mix is the David Hayes & Tom Dabernig-trained Tashbeeh. Allocated 54kg, will carry less with Tom Marquand (a1.5) aboard from the inside alley on the back of a Caulfield win over 200m shorter.
Race 5 – 2:47pm $80,000 Andrew Guy Handicap (1100m)
A bumper field of 16 three-year-old fillies run down the straight in the fifth including the Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra-trained local Heatherly who has barrier one and Damian Lane in the saddle. She comes off a Moonee Valley win over 1000m and won that by three lengths so looks good for this. Magna Rossa is flying but suffered a blow with barrier 13, while the John O’Shea-trained Alucinari has her first Flemington run off some good form at Canterbury.
Race 6 – 3:26pm $80,000 John Clavert Handicap (1400m)
Ciaron Maher’s Duibio carries top weight here after taking out a 1200m Flemington race in mid-January with 57kg, so goes up to 59.5kg. Damien Oliver rides Commands four-year-old King’s Command who comes off back-to-back wins at Geelong this month. Pattern is an undefeated High Chaparral three-year-old whose last win was over this track and distance defeating Niccoco, who is also in the mix on Saturday.
Race 8 – 4:46pm $80,000 Kyle Smith Handicap (1400m)
A dozen middle-distance sprinters accepted for the penultimate event on the program where the short-priced favourite is Camdus in barrier three with Craig Williams taking over in the saddle of Darren Weir’s Street Cry four-year-old. The youngster has just his fifth start here having won three times to date including over 1400m at Sandown-Lakeside back-to-back this summer. Early market mover is The New Boy also drawn nicely in gate two, the Danny O’Brien-trained seven-year-old fourth at Caulfield last start from a wide alley and final gets gate luck. Peter Moody has classy mare Dig A Pony here with claims but out wide (11).
Race 9 – 5:26pm $80,000 The Summer Series Handicap (1800m)
The card closer features 12 stayers including the Robbie Griffiths-trained five-year-old Prix D’Or shooting for three on the trot after back-to-back mile wins at Sandown this month. Plenty of others come off promising lead-ups including Spreadeagled out wide in 12 but with time to overcome as the four-year-old shoots for three wins from four starts since the beginning of December. Pemberley for Peter Moody was good when third to Prix D’Or last start and can improve.