We’re back to Headquarters this Saturday as Flemington prepares to host nine races.
A wet week has the track rated a Soft 7 after we saw heavy conditions at Sandown on Wednesday, while the rail is out eight metres right across the circuit.
With more Group 1 racing ahead on Queensland Oaks Day up in Brisbane, we’ve run the rule over the entire Flemington card down below.
RESONANT (2) was largely disappointing second-up for the Hayes boys last month, thrown in the deep end over the 1400m trip where he failed to run on after blowing the start.
The trip clearly didn’t suit the colt by Spirit Of Boom, but there was a lot to like about his debut performance over the 1100m trip at Bendigo where he was only beaten half a length in second.
Coming back to race over a shorter sprint trip this time, he looks capable of a bounce back performance with growing fitness on his side and the potential for a firmer track.
MADIYYA (13) was a good thing beaten over 1400m here at Headquarters last month, a race she probably would have won if she wasn’t held up badly approaching the final furlong.
The daughter to Super Seth was forced to settle for third in the end but was still solid all the way through the line considering she was caught four-wide at one point.
Still lightly raced with a tidy strike rate, she looks well-placed to breakthrough for another win up to her preferred trip with Luke Currie sticking in the irons.
DIRNASEER (7) has to be taken seriously in this lineup.
He was an impressive four-length winner two weeks ago over the 1400m trip at Mildura, and while this is a big step up in class to Saturday grade, he was enornous racing from last to first.
Stripping fitter third-up and drawn to settle closer to the speed this time from a soft gate, he looks a serious threat in an open race.
BIOLOGICS (8) was scratched from Wednesday’s meeting at Sandown in favour of this assignment on a firmer track.
The I Am Invincible filly was impressive first-up at Werribee three weeks ago, overcoming a tricky start and covering ground five-wide before building momentum near the turn and scoring by nearly two lengths.
She rises 1.5kg, but stepping up in distance, this shapes as another ideal opportunity for her to stamp her authority.
DUCHESS ZOU (2) has found the winning formula again for Ciaron Maher and company.
She should be racing with a touch of confidence after scoring well at Sandown last time out, finding the box seat and stalking the speed the whole way before unleashing with a serious turn of foot.
She’s no stranger to winning here at Headquarters and appears to have found a fairly thin race in terms of depth.
SPIONE (9) just needs a touch of luck from the wide alley to salute as the favourite.
The Hawkes-trained son of Showtime is a far better gelding compared to the one we saw a few weeks ago at Randwick, beaten three lengths as the favourite after dropping right back from an even wider gate and finding himself a long way back.
The tactics were in question and he simply left himself too much to do in the end, but on a soft track compared to the sloppy conditions he faced last time out, he does rate a genuine bounce back candidate on Saturday.
Happy to stick with STARZINTHEIREYES (15) dropping right back to 53kg under the hands of Beau Mertens.
The overseas import has looked up to the task in both runs in Sydney since arriving on our shores, finding the money on both occasions where he’s saved his best for late.
Barrier 6 should give him ample opportunity to get back and run on from midfield as he prepares for his first start in Melbourne.
SIRIUSLY HOT (3) can measure up in a very tricky race over 2000m.
Ciaron Maher’s three-year-old has sights on a hat-trick now after winning his last two starts over the mile, rolling forward early to make every post a winner at Sandown a few weeks ago in what was another impressive front-running ride from Craig Williams.
He needs some help early from the wide gate, but the 3kg apprentice claim should help him make full use of his speed to shuffle across.
SILVER MAGNATE (16) appeals in another wide-open race to wrap things up.
He gets in carrying a handy 54kg to match an unblemished two-from-two record fresh from a spell.
By Written Tycoon, he won his recent Pakenham trial quite well and was a total forgive last time we saw him over the spring when he was held up badly over the 1400m trip.
Providing we’re racing in the soft range by this point in the day, he ticks a few important boxes ahead of his return.