- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The first two of four Group 1 races on the famed Derby Day, the Coolmore Stud Stakes and Myer Classic make up the heart of the opening day in the Melbourne Cup carnival. Join The Roar from 2:25pm (AEDT) for all the live race updates and results.
The Coolmore Stud Stakes has plenty of talent in a small ten-horse field.
Extreme Choice has all the momentum behind him with four wins from five starts, including the Blue Diamond and a first up Moir Stakes win on his last run.
The three-year-old will be the horse to catch among the field come race time, especially over this distance with a jockey who’s had success aboard the colt.
Astern and Star Turn will be riding him all the way, though, both coming into Derby Day with two wins and a second-place finish in their last three starts.
Astern blew away the field in the Group 1 Golden Rose to win by two and a half lengths to make it five wins in six starts and three in a row, before just losing out by a nose at Randwick in his last start.
Star Turn is in similarly strong form, breaking free in the final hundred metres to win by a convincing two and a half lengths at his last Schillaci Stakes.
It should be noted, though, that all his career wins have come over 1100 metres, and has just one place finish at the 1200-metre distance he’ll be riding on Derby Day.
Not so much a smoky, but more overlooked among a really strong field or top-class sprinters, Capitalist has enjoyed four wins from seven starts and a consistent rider in 2008 Melbourne Cup winner Blake Shinn.
The three-year-old rode a thriller to take out the Golden Slipper earlier in the year and his last two wins have come from this very distance.
He finished a length behind Astern at the Roman Consul in his last start but has the strength to keep up and stay on par with his competition.
The Odds
Extreme Choice takes favouritism with the bookies into the barriers, sitting at a flat $3 just ahead of Astern at $3.90.
Star Turn isn’t far behind, paying $4.50 for the win with Capitalist nearly doubled back on that at $8.50, though he’s paying a solid $2.45 for a placing which is worth a look.
Flying Artie and Russian Revolution are sharing $12 each for the win, but it will be tough to crack the big guns up the front.
Prediction
It could really be any one of the top three mentioned in the favourites section.
This is shaping up to be one of the best races on Derby Day and could steal the show with a field of superb sprinters.
While Extreme Choice is hard to beat, Astern is one to watch on this one despite just losing out in his last start. The performance at the Golden Rose was one of the best of the year from a three-year-old.
Star Turn might have to jump early to give himself room to fade late on tired legs, so a battle for placings with the likes of Capitalist could be thrilling racing.
1. Extreme Choice
2. Astern
3. Capitalist
There’s plenty of hype around First Seal after a win in her last start at the Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield, coming home strong to take the win at the post by half a head.
A pair of fighting Group 2 wins in her last two starts has Don’t Doubt Mamma shaping up well for a tilt at the win.
Trainer Tony McEvoy has rested her for over a month in preparation for the Melbourne Cup Carnival and those fresh legs should serve her well on a track she’s already scooped up three wins from.
Whispering Brook started the year with four wins in a row and undefeated in a five-race career but has since slipped a touch, if you count two place finishes from her last three starts as slipping up.
She was looking good for a strong result at Moonee Valley last week but couldn’t settle in the barriers and had to be scratched before the jump.
She should be able to bounce back from that convincingly as she carries between 7.5-8kg less than the rest of the field.
Dixie Blossoms is another to keep an eye on coming into the final hundred metres coming off the back of a solid spring campaign and a Group 3 last start win at the same distance.
Heavens Above out in barrier 15 is an underrated threat to the field.
A seventh place last start finish at Randwick was a disappointing affair after getting caught in traffic earlier in the race, but her finishing form on the straight was superb to rise up the standings.
Similarly, in the run before that she absolutely flew down the final stretch after a poor start to finish half a nose behind Myer Classic favourite First Seal.
She’s one of the fastest finishers in the field, she just needs to find that space and not get caught earlier in the run.
The Odds
First Seal leads the way at $4.20 for the win with Whispering Brook the next best in the bookies’ market with $5.50.
Dixie Blossoms has shortened up mid-week to come in third favourite at $6.50, but Don’t Doubt Mamma looms to rise above at $7.50 as she gets plenty of backing closer to the race.
Danish Twist rounds out the single figure runners at $9 to take the Classic.
Euro Angel ($14) and I Am A Star ($17) are just ahead of the strong finishing Heavens Above who is sitting at $18.
Prediction
This is an odd field to pick from. There’s plenty of good runners, but also a lot of unpredictable outside chances that can wreak havoc with the bookies.
I like the look of Don’t Doubt Mamma off the back of a couple of tight wins that showed some real fight and plenty of stamina in the legs to stave off the late charges.
First Seal hasn’t been as outstanding as a favourite normally would in recent form, but you can expect a very enticing run out of the barrier and a good result.
1. Don’t Doubt Mamma
2. Whispering Brook
3. First Seal
Have you ever tried your skills in a Racing daily fantasy competition? Put your best picks to the test for one day and see if you can scoop the pot with Draftstars. Looking for great odds on racing and sport? PlayUp is your best bet. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.