Four black-type races will be run and won on Finals Day at Flemington this Saturday.
The $200,000 Listed Winter Championship Series Final is the feature on the program, while the three-year-old sprinters will be on show in the Listed A.R. Creswick Sprint Series Final that boasts previous winners such as Gytrash and The Everest hero Nature Strip.
We’ve analysed the entire meeting and offer our best bets below.
I Found You could not have been more impressive when debuting over 1150m on the Kensington track.
The Team Snowden-trained daughter of I Am Invincible let down powerfully in the heavy conditions to win by 3.8 lengths.
She was scratched from a winnable race at Randwick in favour of this so that must be respected.
Top jockey Blake Shinn takes the ride and she’s drawn in the right part of the track.
Berkshire Breeze has come into his own this preparation and is looking for his third win in a row.
The import led from start to finish to easily win by three lengths over 2025m at Cranbourne two starts ago.
That put the writing on the wall last start over this course and distance where he cruised up to them in the straight and put his rivals away with utter contempt for a 4.8 length win.
That was a month ago and he has since had a jump out which he won.
He’s awfully short but should be winning this race.
Craig has quickly built a cult following thanks to having the best name going around and more importantly having a tonne of ability.
The import bolted in first-up at Bendigo before a sickening nose second here when not getting clear in time.
The Busuttin and Young-trained gelding bounced back last start in impressive fashion with a 1.3 length win over this course and distance.
He’s shown that he is equally as effective off slow and strong speeds and that makes him a terrific winning chance once again.
Pisces was enormous when finishing second by a head over 1420m here last start.
The Godolphin two-year-old gelding drew the outside barrier and raced three wide the trip, yet still had the audacity to find the line strongly to just miss running down Sneaky Sunrise.
He now meets the winner 3kg better at the weights in this year’s Taj Rossi Series Final.
Blake Shinn can take advantage of his mount’s fitness and settle in a forward position.
We get a good guide to this race with seven of the runners coming through a Benchmark 90 Handicap here two weeks ago and I’m with one of them, Electric Impulse.
The Henry Dwyer-trained mare loomed in the straight but was chopped out with a furlong to go, but despite being stopped in her tracks she picked up strongly to come again and finish 1.5 lengths third to Brazen Lady.
She’s at peak fitness now and has built nicely into this final.
Beau Mertens should be able to settle in a prominent position.
Steel Run is only lightly raced and looks to have an abundance of talent.
He won over 1600m on The Heath track on debut before giving Aztec State a massive fight two starts back when finishing a head second over 2000m at Caulfield.
Unfortunately, the Real Steel gelding got too far back last start over 2000m here before hitting the line hard to finish two lengths sixth.
The way he ran through the line suggested the rise to 2500m here will be ideal.
He meets the likes of Aztec State better at the weights and maps to get a better run.
Press Down is an exciting talent that has won three of his four races this preparation.
The four-year-old gelding kicked off his campaign with a hard fought 1.4 length third to subsequent Group 1 The Goodwood winner Benedetta in the Group 3 R N Irwin Stakes.
After winning at Murray Bridge with ease two starts back, he gave them a galloping lesson last start in the Gold Topaz at Swan Hill where he led all the way for a 4.5 length win.
His time that day was a second quicker than Baraqiel who was an impressive winner last Saturday at Caulfield.
If he handles straight racing, then he will give the Santa Ana Lane Series Final a massive shake.
Munhamek may be a rising nine-year-old, but he’s racing in some of the best form of his career.
The Nick Ryan-trained gelding was a class above when powering through the line to win the Swan Hill Cup by a length two starts back.
Despite carrying 61.5kg last start over this course and distance, he let down strongly to get up in the shadows of the post for a neck victory.
He now meets those horses he beat last start better at the weights in the VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final.
He loves racing at Flemington boasting two wins from three starts over the trip.
Pharari faces her stiffest test to date, but based on what we have seen so far, she is up to it.
The Ciaron Maher-trained daughter of American Pharaoh returned in magnificent order two starts ago when braining her rivals by 8 lengths at Cranbourne over 1000m.
She stepped up to this distance at Ballarat last start and put her rivals to the sword with a furlong to go before easily winning by 5.8 lengths.
She’s only lightly raced and gets gun young jockey Ethan Brown in the irons.