Day four of the Flemington carnival brings with it the new Emirates Stakes, which is the old Mackinnon Stakes, a Group 1 weight-for-age race over 2000m, moved from Derby day and renamed.

We also see the spring WFA championship for the sprinters, the Group 1 Darley Classic down the Flemington “straight six”.

We’re 28 races into Cup week, with another nine to go.

Race 1 – 12.15pm
A two year old race over 1000m to start the day, with little exposed form leading to a lucky dip in some cases.

The Tony McEvoy stable was confident about Azazel on debut at Flemington two weeks ago, and he didn’t disappoint by winning in fine style. Wait For No One provided the Hayes and Dabernig stable with a two-year-old debut winner at Caulfield, and he should be improved for the experience.

Of the unraced, Robbie Laing is known to pop up with the odd juvenile winner, and has Destiny’s Own. The Hawkes camp only races horses when they’re ready, so Fill Fill must have some talent. Anthony Cummings has had a hot start to the season with his two-year-olds, running several placings at big odds, so Ten Carat might be worth a spec bet.

Selections: 1.Azazel 2.Fill Fill 3.Ten Carat 4.Wait For No One

Suggested bet: Ten Carat each-way

Race 2 – 12.50pm
Some lightly raced types taking on the older horses over 2000m here.

The early season four-year-olds have had a great record in the spring so far when taking on their older counterparts, and it may pay to look at the lower saddlecloths here.

Killmacurragh is from the astute Hawkes yard, who can bring on a promising one quickly jumping up in grade. This horse is second-up from 1400m to 2000m in nine days. He’s only had four starts, but did beat a future Group 1 winner on debut.

Curragh was scratched from a race on Oaks day for this. Two starts back he beat The Chairman who has won twice since, including that race on Oaks day, and he’ll love Flemington. Charlevoix will get right back as always, and be running on. He’s been chasing good horses throughout his career, but needs breaks to go his way.

Of the older brigade, Little White Cloud is first-up for three and a half years for Lloyd Williams, so who could know what to make of him. Hipparchus for Waller/Bowman will be tough to beat and is due. Master Zephyr makes each-way appeal dropping back in distance but importantly onto a good track.

Selections: 1.Curragh 2.Kilmacurragh 3.Charlevoix 4.Hipparchus

Suggested bet: Curragh each-way

Race 3 – 1.30pm
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2600m kick-started Makybe Diva’s career, when she won this race as a four-year-old before coming back a year later to score the first of her famous Melbourne Cup hat-trick.

This year’s race sees two main chances, Tom Melbourne and Francis of Assisi.

Tom Melbourne has been the bookies friend this campaign, starting between $4-5 at all five starts, yet failing to win a race. Three times he has run second, but his last two runs have been outstanding, particularly on Derby day when setting a strong tempo and only being nailed in the shadows of the post by Oceanographer’s stunning finishing burst.

Francis of Assisi was a dominant Bendigo Cup winner, and couldn’t have been more impressive even if the field was weak enough. He’ll go forward and look to probably sit behind Tom Melbourne, and we could see these two in a dogfight once they turn for home.

Of the closers, you could only have De Little Engine and Venguer Masque, who both ran well in the Caulfield Cup. De Little Engine was almost four lengths behind Tom Melbourne in the Lexus Stakes and meets him 1.5kg’s better for it. If the two leaders cut each other up, then one of these two can win.

Selections: 1.Tom Melbourne 2.De Little Engine 3.Francis of Assisi 4.Venguer Masque

Suggested bet: Boxed trifecta – 1, 3, 5, 7

Race 4 – 2.10pm
Here we are presented with one of the tougher races on the card, over 1400m for the three-year-olds with a number of mixed formlines.

Niccolance heads the market off the back of two wins this prep, including over Saturday’s Carbine Club Stakes winner, Comin’ Through. He’ll want to lead or sit handy, which means he’ll have to work from a wide gate, and there looks quite a bit of speed engaged here.

Palladian meets Niccolance 3kg’s better for a two-length defeat a month or so ago, and is drawn to get the run of the race, but is four times the price. The smart Souchez is down from Sydney too, but has it all in front of him with 60kgs and having drawn the car park.

Sword of Light drops back from a Group 1 to listed level here, and looks a price at $31. Two starts back she beat home subsequent Myer Classic winner I Am A Star home over this distance. Crazy odds.

Verstappen has talent and will have admirers. Enigman is an enigma after winning on debut on a soft track. Benz can bounce back off an Adelaide flop after beating a good horse previous to that.

Selections: 1.Palladian 2.Sword of Light 3.Niccolance 4.Benz

Suggested bet: Boxed quinella – 3, 4, 7, 9, 16

Race 5 – 2.50pm
Another classically even race over the Flemington carnival, this time over 1600m for the open class milers not quite good enough to chase higher glory.

Lucky Paddy has always shaped as a promising horse, and may be ready to fulfil his potential now third-up after a year off the scene. He needed the run first-up, and made good ground for third behind two very good horses last start at Moonee Valley. The winner there, Master Reset, has since won again, and Rageese, who was second, has been Group 1 placed and won a hot race on Oaks day.

A couple of others in this race have Master Reset form too. Coldstone was a few lengths behind him in the Peninsula Cup on Sunday. Boom Time was close enough to him last prep and second-up at a mile strikes as a perfect formula for him.

Loyalty Time is due a change of luck and the firmer the better for him. Last Bullet is ready to peak now at a mile, coming off a 1400m win in Adelaide, and we know those visitors must be respected in Cup week.

Selections: 1.Lucky Paddy 2.Loyalty Time 3.Boom Time 4.Last Bullet

Suggested bet: Lucky Paddy each-way

Race 6 – 3.30pm
The Matriarch Stakes over 2000m for the mares always attracts a quality field, and this year is no exception.

Horses dropping back from good Group 1 runs to lesser grade are hard to go past at this time of year. The form is exposed, the tracks are good, and we can usually believe what we see.

Denmagic has run in the top four all four starts this prep, in the best mares races, behind a series of genuine Group 1 horses. She’s backing up after a good third in the Myer Classic last week, and is drawn to get a beautiful run here, which she may need given she’s a query at 2000m.

Zanbagh was similarly solid in the Myer Classic, but meets Denmagic 2kgs worse for finishing half a length behind her. The positive for her is that she’s already a winner at this distance and is a more seasoned horse than her aforementioned rival.

Real Love was beaten a long way last week in the Lexus Stakes, but she was well up against it at the weights, and again has to carry a lot here. Rising Romance for David Hayes is a Group 1 placegetter this prep but hasn’t passed the post first since Colin Hayes was winning city premierships. Maybe…

Lady Le Fay is well in the market after racing in inferior ground last prep, but still think she might have done better. She loses a length on good ground too. Sort After bolted in on Cup day and will take catching if she puts in a similar performance.

Selections: 1.Denmagic 2.Zanbagh 3.Sort After 4.Rising Romance

Suggested bet: Denmagic each-way

Race 7 – Group 1 Emirates Stakes, 2000m, WFA – 4.15pm
The old Mackinnon Stakes was a haven for runners backing up off the Cox Plate. If you backed the best run from that race, you were usually in the money, and there’s no reason that formula should change here.

Vadamos was clearly the best run in the Cox Plate, outside the winner Winx of course! Vadamos set one of the most hectic tempos we’ve ever seen in a Cox Plate and on a day when leaders were usually a long way beaten, his run was outstanding. We saw Hartnell frank that form with his Melbourne Cup third.

It’s hard to see any of Awesome Rock, Happy Clapper, Hauraki or Happy Trails beating Vadamos home in this.

Scottish comes off just as good a run in the Caulfield Cup as Vadamos produced in the Cox Plate. He also after working early, holding on gamely for second, and is much more suited at 2000m.

The United States is the other clear class WFA runner in the race, and he showed that with an easy win in the Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley two starts back, and then was the best run in the race last week in the Cantala Stakes, charging home with top weight to be beaten a length. He is ready for 2000m now, and his Group 1 WFA form over 2000m is supreme.

Tivaci was great in the Cantala but meets The United States 4.5kgs worse for finishing next to him. Palentino was unlucky in the same race, but looks better suited at 1600m than 2000m, and might be at the end of his prep.

Chris Waller has two runners, Endless Drama and Vanbrugh. Endless Drama is the x-factor horse in the race, an ex-international having his first start in the country – Waller has been a lethal weapon with these types over the years. Vanbrugh looks a nice handicapper at this stage of his career, and will run well here but find it too tough.

It’s great to see two three-year-olds in the race, adding an extra dimension. Seaburge probably isn’t up to it, if we look at his run against The United States in the Cantala. Good Standing has already had the run at 2000m, which can only help, and his win in the Caulfield Classic held up okay in the Derby last week, with Inference running third both times. He’s a player.

Selections: 1.Vadamos 2.The United States 3.Scottish 4.Seaburge

Suggested bet: Quinella – Vadamos, The United States

Race 8 – Group 1 Darley Classic – 5pm
The Darley Classic has lost some appeal with Chautauqua missing and no three-year-olds represented, but we are still seeing a competitive field well worthy of Group 1 status.

Lankan Rupee was the best sprinter in the land before the emergence of Chautauqua, and while he may not be at that level anymore, he could still win this, being a length or two off it. His first-up return in the Caulfield Sprint was pleasing, and he is the most intriguing runner, and arguably hardest to predict.

Our Boy Malachi won the Caulfield Sprint, racing upside down to suit the pattern of the day, and he is just so genuine. He meets Lankan Rupee 4kg’s worse for beating him 1.7 lengths, which even things up.

The Manikato Stakes is a key form reference for this race, providing five runners.

Fell Swoop was close to landing his first Group 1 win there, but was edged out by a $61 chance. We know he’ll be in the finish somewhere. Japonisme was back to his right form running third, and is a Group 1 winner and placegetter down the straight. The Quarterback was the eye-catcher of the race and is an absolute straight-track specialist, especially at 1200m, where he landed the Newmarket Handicap earlier this year.

Holler was poor in the Manikato and could only be taken on trust. English simply isn’t going well enough this campaign, and might be an autumn mare.

Malaguerra comes out of the Schillaci Stakes, where he was second to three-year-old Star Turn, beating Fell Swoop by a length, which makes the case that he has the Manikato Stakes field covered. He is already a Group 1 WFA winner over 1200m, and looks to be right in the race from what should be a perfect barrier for him.

Speith has a boom on him down from Sydney, and must jump up a few levels to win here, but his latent talent is undeniable. Sheidel is a gun mare, tough in the clinches and in winning form. Keen Array isn’t good enough.

Selections: 1.Malaguerra 2.The Quarterback 3.Fell Swoop 4.Lankan Rupee

Suggested bet: Malaguerra each-way

Race 9 – 5.45pm
The last race of the day, and 37th and ultimate of the Flemington carnival, held over 1400m.

Demonstrate is the testing material if he backs up after a comfortable win on Cup day. He gets a nice weight drop for a marginal rise in grade here. Lucky Liberty was scratched from that Cup day race for this, but will struggle to turn the tables on Demonstrate based on weights and measures from when they last met.

A few horses come out of the same Moonee Valley race to meet again here. Santa Ana Lane was desperately unlucky there, and should have won. 1400m is a test for him though. Redkirk Warrior was second in that race, and will relish the step up in distance. Rough Justice always finds a couple better and will again.

Ulmann just edged out Akavoroun at this track and distance when they met earlier this campaign, with Akavoroun getting a 2kg weight swing his way. Ulmann was then good behind Group 1 horse The United States last start.

Lord Aspen has always had a spruik on him, and gets to a pet trip now coming off a win in Adelaide. It’s the right time to see what he’s got against this sort of carnival field.

Selections: 1.Redkirk Warrior 2.Demonstrate 3.Akavoroun 4.Santa Ana Lane

Suggested bet: Redkirk Warrior each-way