The Melbourne Spring Carnival kicks up another gear at Flemington on Turnbull Stakes Day!
The time-honoured Group 1 Turnbull Stakes headlines the program, but there is plenty to look forward to on the ten-race card, including ballot-free exemption into the Melbourne Cup going on the line in The Bart Cummings, and the new crop of two-year-olds stepping out in the Maribyrnong Trial!
You can find my thoughts and selections for those races and the remaining seven of Turnbull Stakes Day below.
Race 1 - 12:25pm
Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m)
Moby Dick takes winning form into this contest and will take plenty of beating again.
The Toronado gelding won two of four starts during his debut prep and returned to action with an eye-catching effort and victory here at Flemington last month.
The form out of that race has been franked and this horse will only improve for that hit-out.
4 Units Moby Dick
Race 2 - 12:55pm
Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m)
Everything is on debut in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes, and it looks to be a very exciting crop of two-year-olds this season!
Rumble Town looked rather good in a recent jump out and debuts for Danny O’Brien and Damian Lane. There’s no doubt he improves for whatever he does here, but all signs suggest he’s ready to race.
1 Unit Rumble Town
Race 3 - 1:30pm
Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m)
I’m keen to five Lavalier another chance at nice odds in Saturday’s Super Impose Stakes.
He didn’t race to expectations in the Victoria Derby Preview here a couple of weeks ago, but his form prior to that was very promising.
He steps out this week in peak order and at around the $9 mark, we can have something on each way.
1 Unit E/W Lavalier
Race 4 - 2:05pm
Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m)
Declichy Boulevard is a dual acceptor in the Group 1 Flight Stakes up in Sydney on Saturday, but given trainer Chris Waller holds an extremely strong hand in that race already, I’m confident this is the way that this filly goes, and she’ll take beating in the Edward Manifold Stakes.
Declichy Boulevard returned to action to fill the minors in BM64 company at the midweeks and was last seen hitting the line to only just miss in Listed company at Caulfield.
Fitter third-up, this looks a perfect black type target for her.
3 Units Declichy Boulevard
Race 5 - 2:40pm
Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m)
There’s a case to be made for a few of them in the Danehill Stakes this year, and I thought that Eneeza looks a winning chance fresh at a price ($10 at publish).
Eneeza hasn’t been seen at the races since May, but she turned in some typically fine performances last time in, winning the lucrative Percy Sykes most notably, and finishing a length behind Hayasugi in the Blue Diamond.
Her fresh record is excellent and she’s another whom we can have something on each way.
2 Units E/W Eneeza
Race 6 - 3:15pm
Listed Paris Lane Stakes (1400m)
Arran Bay is second up in an open edition of the Paris Lane Stakes on Saturday.
Arran Bay has been a great horse for the Stokes yard for a few seasons now and has more often than not found his best right here at Flemington.
His fresh effort to finish fourth at this track and trip and in Listed company was promising, and any improvement would see him into the finish again.
1 Unit E/W Arran Bay
Race 7 - 3:50pm
Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2520m)
Ballot-free entry into the Melbourne Cup goes on the line and I think it will be claimed by Berkshire Breeze.
The talented grey has hardly put a hoof wrong this year and won three races in succession most notably, while he returned from a freshen-up to fill the minors of the Archer Stakes three weeks ago.
He strips fitter for that, will carry only 54kgs will relish the conditions.
3 Units Berkshire Breeze
Race 8 - 4:25pm
Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m)
This truly is an excellent edition of the Turnbull Stakes and could prove to be one of the key form races of the 2024 Spring Carnival.
Warmonger enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence earlier this year, culminating in a fourteen-length demolition job in the Queensland Derby, while there is no doubt that he was doing his best work late when fourth behind Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
With natural improvement and getting further out in trip, there is plenty of appeal in his double figure quote ($11 at publish).
2 Units E/W Warmonger
Race 9 - 5:05pm
Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m)
The Gilgai Stakes has attracted an open field of sprinters this year, but a horse that looks ideally suited to the race second-up is Sghirripa.
Having won two of four runs down the Flemington straight, Sghirippa returned to action with a fair effort in Listed company in his native Adelaide last month, but he is a horse that tends to enjoy sharp improvement with a run under his belt, and his second-up record is outstanding.
He’ll relish these conditions and is certainly up to something of this class.
2 Units Sghirripa
Race 10 - 5:40pm
Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m)
Skybird was excellent first up from a spell and can go one better in the Rose Of Kingston.
The multiple Group 2 winner as sent off at double figure odds in the Bobbie Lewis when resuming but mustered an eye-catching turn of foot to go down in a photo to a fit Arkansaw Kid.
With natural improvement, I can’t find a reason why she won’t be in the finish.
3 Units Skybird