2025 Mornington Cup Day Tips & Preview

Prestige Snitzel (8) has competed well in two black-type races and looks well placed dropping in class to start our Mornington Cup Day with a win. 

The Brideoake & Jenkins-trained Snitzel filly debuted in the G3 Ottawa Stakes with a solid effort to finish 3.4 lengths fourth. 

She was excellent second-up in the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Flemington where she had to suck her stomach in to sneak through a tight gap on the fence and charge to the line for a 1.3 length second. 

She’ll enjoy racing on her home track and gets the services of Jamie Mott who is coming off a treble last Saturday. 

Sirius Statement (4) has been plying her trade at Pakenham this preparation to good effect with two wins from her past four races. 

The Gavin Bedggood-trained mare was particularly impressive last start over 1400m at “The ‘Ham” where she produced a powerful finishing burst to put her rivals away and dash clear to win by two lengths with third a further 2.8 lengths away. 

She takes on a mile for just the second time but given how strong she was last start, she’ll enjoy the rise in distance. 

Jamie Mott remains in the saddle and should settle off what looks a decent speed. 

Verdad (2) has earned a reputation as a horse that doesn’t like winning, so it’s with trepidation that I’m with him here.  

The Robbie Griffiths-trained Justify gelding can be forgiven for his failure last start at The Valley where he settled too far back on an on-pace biased track that was also wet and shifting underfoot.  

Ben Melham is back in the irons, and I’d suggest he’ll adopt similar tactics to two starts back when he settled handy before proving too strong late over this distance at Flemington for a 1.3 length win. 

There doesn’t look to be a great deal of speed which supports my thinking of Melham going forward. 

Immediacy (4) caught the eye when resuming over 1600m at Flemington last start. 

In an on-paced dominated race, the Busuttin & Young-trained gelding charged home from a long way back, producing the quickest final 600m of the race, to finish 3.6 lengths sixth. 

While his last win was over a year ago, it was at Group 2 level, so he adds a touch of class to this race and it must be noted that he was scratched from the Stawell Cup in preference for this Open Handicap. 

He’ll love the rise to 2000m with increased fitness second-up.  

Chinqui (4) returns to the races since enduring a tough run on speed into a strong wind at Caulfield where he finished fifth by four lengths. 

The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained gelding looked super in a recent jump out where he showed great early speed before cruising home for a comfortable win in good time. 

He’ll appreciate racing on his home track and went within a head of winning his only previous start over this course and distance. 

Beau Mertens will drive forward and settle in the first two pairs. 

Thames (5) hasn’t run a bad race this preparation and looks primed for a win fourth-up. 

The James Cummings-trained daughter of Lonhro was unlucky not to win first-up when held up badly at Pakenham before being run down by subsequent Bendigo Gold Bracelet winner Zloties when taking on older mares at Sandown Hillside. 

Last start she stormed home over 1200m at Caulfield to finish 1.8 lengths second to Soft Love but defeated Mckeyla and Rockin’ At Midnite comfortably. 

Daniel Stackhouse will give her every chance from a nice draw. 

Storm Season (14) was terrific when resuming over 1400m at Pakenham two starts ago. 

The Price & Kent Jnr-trained filly let down powerfully down the middle of the track to win and defeat subsequent Clare Lindop winner Commanche Miss by half a length.  

Last start she gave a good account of herself in the VOBIS Gold Reef at Flemington where she found the line well from the back despite being disadvantaged by a lack of speed and suffering from poor post-race recovery.  

She can bounce back with increased fitness third-up. 

Berkshire Breeze (6) looks set for a peak performance fourth-up in the Listed Mornington Cup. 

The Ciaron Maher-trained grey gelding returned to his best two starts ago when running on strongly to finish just under a length fourth in the Australian Cup Prelude.  

Last start he duked it out with the talented Deakin all the way up the Flemington straight in the Listed Roy Higgins to finish a short neck second. 

He has a super record over 2400m and should prove hard to beat.  

War Machine (4) returns to the races for the first time since finishing down the track in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes where he suffered from poor recovery. 

The Glen Thompson-trained gelding was much better earlier in the preparation where he kicked off proceedings with a close second to subsequent G1 winner Baraqiel over this distance at The Valley.  

Second-up he showed his potential when finishing just over a half-length third in the G3 Silver Eagle. 

Two jump outs, with the most recent producing a very slick piece of work, will have him ready for a bold first-up showing. 

He’s drawn beautifully in barrier 1 and should enjoy a great run for Declan Bates. 

Prancing Spirit (2) was a hard luck story last start over 1200m at Caulfield. 

The Phillip Stokes-trained gelding was caught three-deep in the run and if that wasn’t bad enough, he was blocked for a run in the straight but to his credit he charged to the line once clear to miss the win by a nose.  

In his only previous race over this course and distance he finished a head second. 

From barrier 3, Daniel Stackhouse should be able to settle in a prominent position.