While the main attraction is over for this spring, Flemington’s Carnival finishes of with a bang with the one and a half million dollar Group 1 Emirates Stakes. It will also be family day, with lots of entertainment for adults and kids alike. The Emirates Stakes is run over 1600m, and it showcases some of the best handicap racing horses. Previous winners of the race include Better Loosen Up, Shaftesbury Avenue, Testa Rossa and Tears I Cry.
Favourite for this year’s race is 3 year old Cox Plate winner So You Think. He is clearly favourite with Betfair at $3.35, and even then they are probably going to be the best odds you’ll find for him. His form has been good – he won a Group 3 and finishing 5th in the Caulfield Guineas before winning the Cox Plate. He has raced at this distance before; the only query is the track, and even then only if it rains.
Gold Salute is next best at $8.60. He has not raced for nearly a month, but his second in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap was very impressive. His form before that was also very good, although not at a standard similar to this. He has won on this track and over this distance before, though 1600m is at about the edge of his capacities, as he prefers races between 1200 and 1400m.
4 year old Eagle Falls ($15.50) has been impressive this spring. He started off racing in, and winning, some handicap races in August, then moved onto a few Group races, where he didn’t have much luck, but still impressed. He finally managed to win a Group race last weekend in the Group 2 Salinger Stakes on this track. Although his form is good, he has not won a race further than 1200m before.
Vigor ($11.50) was very unlucky to miss out on a spot in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, but he is here to try and salvage something from his Spring Carnival. He won the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes back in September and finished 3rd in the Caulfield Cup, but his owners and his trainer Danny O’Brien will be hoping he can win a Group 1 race, even if it is a few days later in the carnival than they had hoped.
This is a tough race to pick, and I will go with So You Think, though he is not as safe as his odds sound. Gold Salute and Vigor will be there, and Eagle Falls is some good value considering other competitors have him at as low as $10 – so make sure you get on at Betfair.
MY TIPS:
So You Think
Gold Salute
Vigor
Eagle Falls
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