Nine races will be run and won at HQ on Flemington Finals Day, and it’s always an outstanding betting program!
There are nine winners to be found, and I am confident in having unearthed at least a few of them below in my 2022 Flemington Finals Day Tips.
There is a case to be made for a few of them in this year’s Leilani Series Final, particularly with several talented horses resuming.
Il Affare is one of those first-up gallopers, and she is the one that I want to be with.
Il Affare raced consistently for Peter Williams over in New Zealand before debuting for the Waller camp with a nice effort for fourth in BM84 company on Neds Caulfield Guineas Day.
She’s drawn ideally and can make a winning return.
Thron Bone faces a rise in class at Flemington on Saturday, but he couldn’t have been much more impressive at Caulfield last week, and he can win again.
The Thronum gelding has improved with each of his three starts since debuting, and his last-start performance suggested the penny is really starting to drop.
With further improvement, I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish.
Bella Rouge is a dual accepter with a race in Sydney and given that I believe the other race to be a better target for her, I’m going to have something on Liberated Girl in the Rivette Final.
Liberated Girl stamped herself as one to watch with an easy win on debut at Mornington in December and was immediately put away, and I thought that she worked home nicely to finish fifth here at HQ when resuming.
With improvement, she’ll be tough to toss again.
Capital Elle is the only horse in this year’s Taj Rossi Final field that has won a race longer than 1400m, and that is good enough form for me.
The Annabel Neasham-trained filly has also improved with each start back this time, and she was rewarded with the nice win at Hawkesbury last time.
She steps out this week in peak order and the mile looks perfect, as does the big Flemington track.
Rock Up finished second in a 2000m race here at Flemington last time, and I am happy to stick with him in the Mahogany Final.
Rock Up has been a mode of consistency throughout his career, and he arrived in Australia for an easy win at Mildura finishing second behind Texas Tea last time out.
He has a couple of lengths to make up on that galloper, but meets him better at the weights this week, and the rise in trip should suit.
This is one of the most open races on the program, but I am happy to stick with race favourite Maserartie Bay.
Maserartie Bay has returned to the races in typically smart form this time, winning three of his five starts, and he takes his place in this contest following a particularly dominant performance here.
He’s at peak fitness and boasts a class edge over most of these rivals, and as long as he isn’t feeling the topweight late, I think he’ll be winning again.
Group 1 winner Savatoxl leads this year’s Sprint Series Final field, but he gives at least 6kgs to every other horse in the field, and I am going to take him on.
Fluorescent Star doesn’t win out of turn, but she has returned some nice performances this time in, and we can have an each-way play this week at current odds ($19 at publish).
The Yargi-trained mare has placed in two of four starts back, and she hit the line well to finish fourth, beaten just over a length here last time out.
Linda Meech will become the first Australian female jockey to win the same feature race four times if she is success in the Winter Championship Final, and she climbs aboard leading chance Looks Like Elvis.
Looks Like Elvis has continued to return outstanding performances and results during his recent preps, and he returned a winner here at HQ last month before filling the minors of the Civic Stakes in Sydney last week.
The mile is ideal and the $7.50 about him at publish looks a touch of overs, in my opinion.
Cardinal Gem looks the one to beat in this year’s Silver Bowl Series Final.
The Choisir gelding has been a model of consistency this time in, filling the minors in his first two starts back and recording an impressive win over 1400m at Caulfield last time.
He has been set for this race, he’s ready for the mile and I am keen to have a decent crack to end the day.