We’re off to Flemington on Saturday, as some of the country’s biggest stables continue to gear up for spring on Aurie’s Star Handicap Day.
I’ve run the rule over all nine races, and you can find my complete 2022 Aurie’s Star Handicap Day Tips below.
Berkeley Square has hardly put a hoof wrong since debuting, and this shapes as another winnable race.
The Territories gelding won on debut at Geelong in May and returned for a close-up second placing behind the talented Boogie Dancer in the VOBIS Gold Ingot a fortnight ago.
With improvement for that experience, he can go one better on Saturday.
Defiant Diva takes winning form into this race and looks capable of making it two in a row.
The Dissident mare needed her first run back in BM70 company to tune up, taking plenty of improvement into a comfortable win at Sandown last time out.
This is harder again, but she harbours plenty of upside and can fight out the finish again.
Sixbysixtythree can continue his rise through the grades at Flemington on Saturday.
The Turffontein gelding has recorded four wins from just seven career starts so far, but he returned to the winner’s stall with an eye-catching effort on Mildura Cup Day.
He has plenty of upside and we can have an each-way play at the price.
She hasn’t shown a lot in her two starts back this time, but we know how good Mahashakti can be and I am going to give her another chance at a big price, returning to Flemington.
The Mahisara mare was excellent during her debut prep, and she carried that into her spring campaign last year and a win in the Pinker Pinker Plate at Cranbourne most notably.
She will need some luck on running, but we can have a small each-way play.
This is a small but excellent edition of the Aurie’s Star Handicap, with the likes of King Of Sparta, Sirius Suspect and Stageman joined by Queensland raider Shooting For Gold.
Stageman hasn’t been seen at the races since the Perth summer, but he has missed placing only once at this point of his prep previously and looks the value in Aurie’s Star Handicap betting at around the $7 mark.
The eight-year-old wound back the clock during his most-recent prep, finishing second in three features most notably, including the Winterbottom Stakes.
With even luck, he certainly has the ability to take this out.
The consistent He’s Our Bonneval can bounce back into winning form on Aurie’s Star Handicap Day.
The former European was excellent during his time over the ditch, and stamped himself as one to watch when arriving in Australia for an eye-catching win at Caulfield.
He steps out this week third-up and following another good run for third in BM100 company, and getting out to a mile looks ideal at this point of his prep.
Horrifying looks to have returned to his best form this time in, and I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish again at HQ on Saturday.
The Shocking gelding has missed placing only once in his last six trips to the races, winning twice including a dominant effort over 2800m here last time out.
Given he typically takes a position on the speed, the decreased trip this week shouldn’t prove too much of a concern and Craig Williams can get him there early from barrier 6.
Nicolini Vito was an impressive winner first-up from a spell and can make it two in a row when he steps out in the penultimate race on Aurie’s Star Handicap Day.
The Lindsay Park-trained gelding stamped himself as one to follow with three-consecutive wins last time in, including a race not dissimilar to this one here at HQ.
His fresh effort here was eye-catching and he will only improve for it.
Fire will take a power of beating in the last.
Simply put, Fire doesn’t know how to run a bad race, and he made a typically impressive return to the races with a dominant effort over 1000m at Sandown late last month.
He’s a winner at this point of his prep previously and he gets into this race well under the conditions – assuming he handles the straight, I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish.