The Sydney Saturday’s meeting will be held at Rosehill this weekend. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with light showers in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Rosehill could border on Good/Slow condition on raceday.
The huge Victoria Derby meeting will be held at Flemington on Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with fine weather forecast for Melbourne over the next couple of days, Flemington will be racing on a Good surface on raceday.
Top weight Hey Doc has been in terrific form and he looks the horse to beat in Carbine Club Stakes (Melbourne Race 1,1600m). The ever-consistent 3YO has won 3 of his 4 starts this prep with an unlucky 3rd last start in the Caulfield Guineas. Hey Doc finished the race strongly but got pushed back in at the 100m mark eventually just got beaten 0.7 length by Divine Prophet. From barrier 12 on Saturday, Luke Currie will go forward on Hey Doc and settle just behind the pace and he’ll be hard to hold out.
The Team Hayes & Dabernig-trained mare Sheidel has conditions to suit in the Sensis Stakes (Melbourne Race 3, 1100m). Two starts back, Sheidel finished a good 2nd behind super sprinter Hellbent over Saturday’s trip and she won the Group 3 Northwood Plume Stakes brilliantly last start. She has a great record over 1100m having won 3 times and a 2nd placing from 5 attempts at the trip. The “Magic Man” Joao Moreira will be aboard the 5YO and from barrier 12, Sheidel will go towards the lead and she will be hard to catch.
Golden Rose winner Astern has blitzed Sydney’s best 3YOs this Spring and he can bring his best form to Melbourne and take out the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Melbourne Race 5, 1200m). It’s a hot field in the Coolmore Stud including Golden Slipper & Golden Rose winners, the Blue Diamond quinella as well as the San Domenico winner. The Godolphin-owned Astern has developed into possibly the best sprinting 3YO in Sydney taking out the Run To The Rose and then the Golden Rose this prep. He just failed to run down the unbeaten Russian Revolution last start after coming back in distance. John O’Shea has freshened the colt up and he will be spot on for the 1200m on Saturday.
The way Sacred Elixir annihilated the field in the J.J. Atkins during the Winter Carnival has “derby winner” written all over him and he can fulfil that potential in the Victoria Derby on Saturday (Melbourne Race 7, 2500m). The New Zealand-trained 3YO has come back well after a spell winning the Guineas Prelude 1st up before beating himself in the Caulfield Guineas after over-racing the whole way. Sacred Elixir made amend last Saturday by taking out the Mooney Valley Vase, finishing strongly in the last 200m, indicating that the 2500m on Saturday will suit him even better. Having drawn the inside gate (barrier 1) would allow Zac Purton to settle the gelding mid-field along the fence and put him to sleep in transit. He will be the strongest at the end of this mile and a half race. Sacred Elixir is all set to be the first horse since Mahogany in 1993 to complete the J.J. Atkins – Victoria Derby double.
By Owens Wong, Editor
