There’s a busy day of racing on Saturday with no fewer than 19 meetings set to take place with the feature races being the Group 2 Expedo Missile Stakes over 1200m at Randwick and the Group 3 Aurie’s Star over the same distance at Flemington.
Babe for Missile glory
The first named of those two stakes races sees the return of Group 1 George Ryder winner Forbidden Love who has been competing at a higher level than she encounters here in recent starts.
Sent off fancied for the 1400m Group 1 All Aged Stakes at this track back in April she proved a disappointment when finishing eighth with regular pilot Hugh Bowman up on that occasion.
The wet track forecast is also a positive with regards the daughter of All Too Hard’s chances but the distance is a touch on the short side with the mares best efforts, including both of her Group 1 wins coming over further.
While Michael Freedman’s charge is a worthy favourite it may well prove profitable to side with an out and out sprinter here in the shape of Belluci Babe.
James McDonald’s mount has won first up in the past and delivered some good efforts last spell including when taking out the Group 3 Wenona Girl Quality over this course and distance on a heavy 9 track in March.
Made the top four on all three subsequent starts and with the wet ground forecast here no issue she is taken to make a winning seasonal reappearance with a good draw three off the rail a further positive with regards her chances.
Veteran Suspect to double up
King Of Sparta is sure to have his supporters ahead of the Group 3 Aurie’s Star over 1200m at Flemington.
Mark Zahra’s mount took a step forward when delivering a narrow margin victory at this level in the Bletchingly over this trip on a soft 7 track at Caulfield two weeks ago.
Yet to race at this venue the four-year-old normally races from off the pace and with no obvious pace in the field such tactics aren’t ideal with regards to this contest.
The Saab Hasan-trained Sirius Suspect has raced from the front in the past and may employ similar tactics this time around having delivered a length victory in the Furphy Santa Ana Lane Final over this track and trip at the start of last month.
Ethan Brown, on board for the veteran geldings last two starts takes the ride and he is selected to get the better of his younger rivals.
Idea for Doomben triumph
The bend comes up quickly over 1600m at Doomben so with that in mind it’s no surprise to see that the inside gates have a good record at the distance.
Ocean Treaty and Get The Idea are currently vying for favouritism ahead of the fifth race on the card, a Class 6 contest set to take place on a soft 5 track.
Ocean Treaty placed second in a Benchmark 85 event over 1350m at this track when racing first up last month and while he had won over this course and distance on his final start of his last spell it’s notable that he was drawn four off the rail on that occasion.
Barrier nine here isn’t ideal and taking that into account preference is for last time out scorer Get The Idea.
John Smerdon’s charge has a far kinder draw in three here and the six-year-old has shown a liking for this venue this spell following up three solid efforts in defeat, including two second place finishes with a win over 1350m in a Class 5 contest on a soft 7 track last month.
The extra distance here is no issue and Ryan Maloney is taken to steer the son of So You Think to victory.
