Derby Day – one for the racing and punting purists. It also marks the start of the four-day Flemington Spring Carnival which also includes next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, Thursday’s Oaks meeting (Ladies Day) before concluding on Saturday November 11 with Stakes Day.
This year’s Derby Day program promises to be a cracker with it’s three Group 1 races. The Flemington meeting in Melbourne will be accompanied by a terrific card at Sydney’s Rosehill Racecourse, who will be hosting the $10m Golden Eagle.
Overall, there is $22m prizemoney up for grabs in Melbourne and Sydney this Saturday.
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KEY RACE TIMES/FIELDS
Flemington Race 7 – Group 1 Penfolds Victoria Derby – 2500 metres @ 4:20pm (AEDT)
Horse Number – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight
1. APULIA – Ben, Will & JD Hayes – Mark Zahra – 3 – 57kg
2. VERDAD – Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock – Jye McNeil – 4 – 57kg
3. AIR ASSAULT – Andrew Gluyas – Ben Allen – 6 – 57kg
4. RIFF ROCKET – Chris Waller – James McDonald – 5 – 57kg
5. SUNSETS – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – John Allen – 16 – 57kg
6. MAKE A CALL – Peter & Paul Snowden – Jamie Kah – 15 – 57kg
7. GOLD BULLION – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Opie Bosson – 13 – 57kg
8. GATES – Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman – Luke Nolen – 14 – 57kg
9. KOSGEI – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Blake Shinn – 12 – 57kg
10. BULAWAYO – Pat Carey & Harris Walker – Celine Gaudray (a) – 7 – 57kg
11. SACRED EAGLE – Symon Wilde – Jordan Childs – 2 – 57kg
12. ROGUERY – Lloyd Kennewell & Lucy Yeomans – Billy Egan – 1 – 57kg
13. MERCANTE – Nigel Blackiston – Damien Oliver – 11 – 57kg
14. TO BE FRANK – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Jamie Spencer – 10 – 57kg
15. WARIALDA WARRIOR – John Ramsey – Darryl McLellan – 9 – 57kg
16. TOKYO RUN – Dean Mirfin – TBA – 8 – 57kg
The headline race of the Flemington card is the time-honoured Victoria Derby, first run in 1855. It is a gruelling 2500m test for three-year-old horses. The 2023 edition isn’t the strongest Derby field assembled, but there looks to be an exciting prospect in the form of the favourite Riff Rocket. His win in the Super Impose Stakes at this track on October 7 was the performance of a very good horse. He was beaten as a very short favourite last time out by Sunsets, but back onto Flemington will suit the Chris Waller-trained gelding.
Flemington Race 6 – Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes – 1200 metres @ 3:40pm (AEDT)
Horse Number – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight
1. SHINZO – Chris Waller – James McDonald – 4 – 57kg
2. CYLINDER – James Cummings – Tim Clark – 14 – 57kg
3. DON CORLEONE – Peter & Paul Snowden – Opie Bosson – 3 – 57kg
4. VEIGHT – Tony & Calvin McEvoy – Jamie Kah – 18 – 57kg
5. KING‘S GAMBIT – Peter & Paul Snowden – Mark Zahra – 2 – 57kg
6. STEPARTY – Paul Preusker – John Allen – 1 – 57kg
7. ARKANSAW KID – Ben, Will & JD Hayes – Jye McNeil – 16 – 57kg
8. SNAPBACK – Peter & Paul Snowden – TBA – 13 – 57kg
9. SCHEELITE – Ken & Kasey Keys – Luke Nolen – 11 – 57kg
10. I AM UNSTOPPABLE – Lloyd Kennewell & Lucy Yeomans – Blake Shinn – 12 – 57kg
11. OZZMOSIS – Bjorn Baker – Rachel King – 6 – 57kg
12. MEXICO – Michael Freedman – Jordan Childs – 10 – 57kg
13. BUTCH CASSIDY – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Jamie Spencer – 19 – 57kg
14. MORAVIA – Michael Freedman – Damien Oliver – 7 – 57kg
15. CELUI – Brent Stanley – Craig Newitt – 5 – 57kg
16. NADAL – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Ben Allen – 15 – 57kg
17. TIZ INVINCIBLE – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Harry Coffey – 9 – 55kg
18. STRETAN ANGEL – Phillip Stokes – Daniel Stackhouse – 17 – 55kg
19. TREASURWAY – Jason Warren – Billy Egan – 8 – 55kg
A 1200m scamper down the iconic Flemington straight, and like the Derby, is a race only reserved for three-year-olds. As always, a near capacity field will clash. Golden Slipper winner Shinzo headlines the event, but he will have his work cut out for him by the likes of Cylinder, Steparty and King’s Gambit.
Flemington Race 8 Group 1 TAB Empire Rose Stakes – 1600 metres @ 5pm (AEDT)
Horse Number – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight
1 – ALCOHOL FREE – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott – Opie Bosson – 5 – 57kg
2 – PRINCESS GRACE – Chris Waller – TBA – 12 – 57kg
3 – HOPE IN YOUR HEART – Kerry Parker – Tim Clark – 1 – 57kg
4 – ATISHU – Chris Waller – TBA – 8 – 57kg
5 – HINGED – Chris Waller – TBA – 13 – 57kg
6 – FOXY FRIDA – Andrew Noblet – Billy Egan – 6 – 57kg
7 – RENAISSANCE WOMAN – Bjorn Baker – TBA – 14 – 57kg
8 – BARBIE‘S FOX – Ben, Will & JD Hayes – Mark Zahra – 16 – 57kg
9 – WROTE TO ARATAKI – Matthew Williams – Dean Yendall – 10 – 57kg
10 – PRIDE OF JENNI – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – Declan Bates – 17 – 57kg
11 – DENY KNOWLEDGE – Michael Kent – TBA – 7 – 57kg
12 – LIFE LESSONS – Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman – Daniel Stackhouse – 15 – 57kg
13 – SHUFFLE DANCER – Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman – Luke Nolen – 2 – 57kg
14 – WISHLOR LASS – Symon Wilde – John Allen – 11 – 57kg
15 – AUSBRED FLIRT – Brad Widdup – Rachel King – 9 – 57kg
16 – MORE SECRETS – Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes – Damien Oliver – 4 – 57kg
17e – JENNILALA – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace – TBA – 3 – 57kg
Rosehill Race 8 – JAMES SQUIRE GOLDEN EAGLE – 1500 metres @ 4:45pm (AEDT)
1. HAWAII FIVE OH – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Nash Rawiller 4 57.5kg
2 ATTRITION – Mitchell Freedman Beau Mertens 19 57.5kg
3 PERICLES – James Cummings Ben Melham 1 57.5kg
4 GOLDEN MILE – James Cummings Zac Lloyd (a) 18 57.5kg
5 KOVALICA (NZ) – Chris Waller Tommy Berry 16 57.5kg
6 REDIENER – Chris Waller Ms Kathy O‘Hara 3 57.5kg
7 OSIPENKO (NZ) – Chris Waller Jason Collett 8 57.5kg
8 STRAIT ACER – Edward Cummings Tyler Schiller 7 57.5kg
9 COMMUNIST – Michael Freedman Koby Jennings 12 57.5kg
10 COIN TOSS – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Brett Prebble 17 57.5kg
11 KNIGHT‘S CHOICE – John Symons & Sheila Laxon Jaden Lloyd 10 57.5kg
12 OBAMBURUMAI (JPN) – Keiji Yoshimura Joshua Parr 2 56.5kg
13 NEW ENDEAVOUR (IRE) – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Adam Hyeronimus 3 56.5kg
14 AGE OF KINGS (IRE) Chris Waller Craig Williams 11 56.5kg
15 GALERON (IRE) Charles Hills Regan Bayliss 14 56.5kg
16 AMELIA‘S JEWEL Simon A Miller Damian Lane 5 55.5kg
17 RUTHLESS DAME (NZ) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Sam Clipperton 20 55.5kg
18 LEGARTO (NZ) Ken & Bev Kelso Michael Dee 6 55.5kg
19 VIENNA PRINCESS Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 9 55.5kg
20 RAZETA Kris Lees Dylan Gibbons 15 55.5kg
2023’s edition will be just the fifth running of the Golden Eagle, a $10 million race for four-year-old horses. It is the fourth-richest race in the world that is run on turf. Plenty of in-form gallopers line up here, including Epsom Handicap winner Rediener and Hawaii Five Oh, who comes out of the Everest.
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