Champions Day is again likely to see the best horses in the country do battle. With Mr Brightside, Pride Of Jenni, Via Sistina, Giga Kick, Joliestar, Ceolwulf and Tentyris all set to run in the Group 1 features on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Sam Freedman confirmed this morning on RSN’s Correct Weight that Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Tentyris is likely to back up in Saturday’s Champions Sprint, with Craig Williams likely to be called up to ride, as Mark Zahra is locked in for former Everest winner Giga Kick.
Newmarket Handicap winner Joliestar will also be there for James McDonald, as is Yulong’s top performer Magic Time, with Mickey Dee booked to ride.
Rising Fast stakes winner Caballus is another set to back up in the Group 1 Weight-For-Age contest and could be joined by yesterday’s runner up Flying For Fun.
Jamie Melham is set to ride Benedetta in the feature Sprint.
CHAMPIONS SPRINT, 1200m, Group 1, Weight-For-Age
GIGA KICK (C Douglas) M Zahra
CABALLUS (B Baker) J Collett
TROPICUS (A & S Freedman) D Lane
JEDIBEEL (B Widdup) B Shinn
BENEDETTA (C Maher) J Melham
CHARM STONE (M Price & M Kent Jnr)
MAGIC TIME (G Begg) M Dee
JOLIESTAR (C Waller) J McDonald
FLYING FOR FUN (B Heys) J Childs
TENTYRIS (A & S Freedman) C Williams
The mile could see legendary mare Pride Of Jenni also on the quick turnaround from her dominant win in the Empire Rose Stakes yesterday. Trainer Ciaron Maher suggesting on ‘Correct Weight’ via SENTrack/RSN, that the mare had pulled up superbly post her effort and would be entered for both the 1600m and 2000m, conceding that the mile may suit better. He also stated it was very likely she’d run on Saturday again.
She will be one of a host of horses who enter for both races which includes Ceolwulf, Tom Kitten and Pericles. We are expecting that Ceolwulf runs in the mile and the two Godolphin runners head to the Stakes at 2000m, but no official decisions have been made as yet.
Last year’s winner Mr Brightside will be here in what will be his 5th straight appearance in the mile event.
International galloper Lake Forest will also run here with Tom Marquand flying in to ride the William Haggas trained galloper.
Classy Mares Stefi Magnetica and Treasurethe Moment will also be seen here, with Jason Collett coming down to ride the Doncaster Mile winner and Damian Lane sticking with the Cox Plate 3rd placegetter.
Fangirl also hasn’t been ruled out from backing up, after yesterday’s Empire Rose Stakes run.
CHAMPIONS MILE, 1600m, Group 1, Weight-For-Age
MR BRIGHTSIDE (B, W & JD Hayes) C Williams
CEOLWULF (J Pride) C Schofield
TOM KITTEN (A & S Freedman) B Melham
LAKE FOREST (W Haggas) T Marquand
PERICLES (B Baker)
VON HAUKE (C Brown) E Brown
PRIDE OF JENNI (C Maher) D Bates
FANGIRL (C Waller)
STEFI MAGNETICA (B Baker) J Collett
TREASURETHE MOMENT (M Laurie) D Lane
Via Sistina will be looking for successive Champion Stakes wins at Flemington and will likely face a smaller field with the likes of Golden Path, Pier, Attrition, Light Infantry Man and Kovalica set to face her.
Tom Kitten and Pericles may be seen here but Ceolwulf is expected in the Mile.
Leica Lucy is another who could run here after yesterday’s placing in the Empire Rose but is also to be entered in the Matriarch Stakes.
The surprise entrant is the Mick Price Racing trained Zambardo who is yet to run in a Metropolitan Saturday meeting but has built a picket fence at the midweeks.
CHAMPIONS STAKES, 2000m, Group 1, Weight-For-Age
LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (C Maher) M Zahra
ATTRITION (M Freedman) C Williams
TOM KITTEN (A & S Freedman) B Melham
CEOLWULF (J Pride) C Schofield
PIER (D & B Weatherley) E Brown
GOLDEN PATH (M Price & M Kent Jnr) B Shinn
KOVALICA (C Waller)
ZAMBARDO (M Price & M Kent Jnr)
VIA SISTINA (C Waller) J McDonald
LEICA LUCY (C Waller)
She’s A Hustler will be one of the key players in the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes, she’ll be popular with punters and may jump favourite if Leica Lucy doesn’t run here and heads to the Stakes.
Chris Waller has won this race on many occasions in recent years including with Atishu and Hinged off the Empire Rose, he could run Firestorm as well as Leica Lucy, whilst Movin’ Out and Molly Bloom are also expected in the nominations.
Jamie Melham has been booked to ride Sunset Park for Brad Widdup. Tim Clark combines with Chairman’s Handicap winner Alalcance, in her first run in Victoria. Whilst, Blake Shinn rides Jennilala.
MATRIARCH STAKES, 2000m, Group 2, Mares
LEICA LUCY (C Waller)
FIRESTORM (C Waller)
SHE’S A HUSTLER (G Begg) J Childs
ALALCANCE (G Waterhouse & A Bott) T Clark
JENNILALA (G Bedggood) B Shinn
MOLLY BLOOM (C Waller)
SEA WHAT I SEE (D O’Brien)
SUNSET PARK (B Widdup) J Melham
BLINDEDBYTHELIGHT (P Moody & K Coleman)
GOOD BANTER (J O’Shea & T Charlton)
MOVIN’ OUT (C Waller)
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes will feature a host of horses that were ballotted from the Lexus Melbourne Cup including Birdman, Sayedaty Sadaty, Whisky On The Hill, Interpretation and Post Impressionist.
Grand Pierro, Brayden Star, Point King, Scary and Etna Rosso are some of the others expected in the staying contest.
QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES, 2500m, Group 3
BIRDMAN (C Waller)
SAYEDATY SADATY (C Maher) H Coffey
BRAYDEN STAR (T Busuttin & N Young)
POINT KING (A & S Freedman) J Melham
WHISKY ON THE HILL (G Thompson) D Lane
STAR OF INDIA (C Waller)
SCARY (D & E Browne)
BERKELEY SQUARE (D O’Sullivan)
POST IMPRESSIONIST (A & S Freedman)
GRAND PIERRO (J Warren) Z Spain
ETNA ROSSO (C Waller)
INTERPRETATION (C Maher)
GLENTANEOUS (A & S Freedman)
In Sydney it’s Five Diamonds Day at Rosehill, with the feature at 1800m exclusively for five-year-olds.
Transatlantic, Rise At Dawn, Wootton Verni and Militarize look the main chances in the big feature.
FIVE DIAMONDS, 1800m
TRANSATLANTIC (T Gollan) T Berry
MILITARIZE (C Waller)
WOOTTON VERNI (C Waller)
RISE AT DAWN (B, W & JD Hayes)
GENERAL SALUTE (G Ryan & S Alexiou)
THE INFLICTOR (C Cousins)
SHADIZI (C Waller)
LES VAMPIRES (G Waterhouse & A Bott) A Hyeronimus
SCARLET OAK (C Waller)
CAFE MILLENNIUM (B, W & JD Hayes)
ENCAP (G Portelli)
KINTYRE (G Portelli)
