KENNEDY CHAMPIONS MILE - 1600m, Flemington R7

A small but select field has been engaged for the Champions Mile, with every horse surely getting their chance at the Flemington 1600m.

Fangirl, Mr Brightside and Alligator Blood have a stranglehold on the market, and well they might as surely the three best 1600m horses in the country. While Mr Brightside and Alligator Blood have met each other 10 times in the last 14 months, Fangirl has spent most of her time chasing Anamoe. All three previously raced against each other over 1600m in this year’s Doncaster Mile, but it was on a heavy track which didn’t suit Fangirl or Alligator Blood.

Mr Brightside leads Alligator Blood 6-4 in their head-to-head clashes, but the important note is that Mr Brightside has now finished in front of him the last five times in a row. It seems he has improved to become the better horse this spring.

Pride of Jenni will certainly lead this race along, after her exploits in the Myer Classic on Derby Day, but Alligator Blood will certainly be leading the chasing pack behind her, with Mr Brightside next in line. At this point, you have to say the latter will be beating the former home, but can they beat Fangirl?

When Fangirl and Mr Brightside met on a good track in the King Charles two starts back, which both horses used as their lead-in to the Cox Plate, Fangirl obliterated him. That was at Randwick and this is at Flemington, two big tracks that should favour the mare. Mr Brightside beat her home in the Cox Plate, but some judges think Fangirl would have won the race if she wasn’t trapped away for most of the last 600m.

Can Pride of Jenni back up her blazing performance in the Empire Rose last Saturday? Often, these sort of horses can’t, and this is a step up in class now. The Inevitable has had three runs this prep carrying decent weights in handicaps, all of them excellent, but he’s been getting too far back in his races. The small field and WFA conditions will help him.

Selections: 1.Fangirl 2.Mr Brightside 3.Alligator Blood 4.The Inevitable

Cameron rose's Tip

FANGIRL

WIN

Kennedy Champions Mile 11 November 16:30

6. Fangirl

Win

Place

* Odds Correct At Time Of Posting. Check Playup Website For Latest Odds

DARLEY CHAMPIONS SPRINT - 1200m, Flemington R6

The Champions Sprint gives us what we’ve all been waiting for, Imperatriz taking on The Everest form. While the Everest trifecta isn’t in the race, with Think About It, I Wish I Win and Private Eye all in the spelling paddock already, In Secret in fourth was every bit as good as those four in the race, and probably better.

What makes the Champions Sprint even more tantalizing is Imperatriz is tackling the Flemington straight for the first time, while In Secret has already won two Group 1s on the straight course, and is in fact unbeaten down it.

Imperatriz comes into this race off three Moonee Valley wins in a row this campaign. The first two were course records over 1000m, and the third was a three length romp over 1200m, her second such win at that track and distance.

If we go back to the William Reid in March, a certain Bella Nipotina was second to Imperatriz there, and we just saw that mare knock off Think About It and Private Eye in the Giga Kick Stakes last weekend at Rosehill. Oh, and the Giga Kick Stakes is so named because he won The Everest last year – Imperatriz also knocked him off earlier this prep.

In Secret had put in a couple of good-but-not-great efforts in her first two runs this spring. Looking to peak over 1200m, the 1000m and 1100m of her first- and second-up assignments were perhaps building blocks only. But she was right back to her very best in The Everest, reeling of blazing sectionals from last.

Bella Nipotina is a handy straight track mare herself, running third in the Lightning Stakes back in February, and also third in this race in 2021 behind Nature Strip. She was ninth in this race last year, but beaten only 1.4 lengths in a blanket finish, and she seems an even better mare in 2023.

Hopefully all three of these sprinters get clear running and the track plays fairly. May the best mare win.

Star Patrol might be the blow-out at odds, coming off two wins at the Flemington 1200m, beating some decent fields while doing it. He’s come back much stronger as a five-year-old. Asfoora is in the form of her life, but Imperatriz has her measure, and she’s also better at 1100m than 1200m. Espiona should be in the Champions Mile rather than the Champions Sprint, but Chris Waller already has Fangirl there.

Selections: 1.Imperatriz 2.In Secret 3.Bella Nipotina 4.Star Patrol

Cameron rose's Tip

IMPERATRIZ

WIN

Darley Champions Sprint 11 November 15:50

8. Imperatriz

Win

Place

* Odds Correct At Time Of Posting. Check Playup Website For Latest Odds

TAB MATRIARCH STAKES - 2000m, Flemington R5

The Matriarch Stakes sees the mares run the Flemington 2000m under set weights and penalties conditions, and with four gun mares engaged in the Champions Stakes later in the card, it gives the second-level crop a chance to claim a Group 2.

An even betting race greets us in the Matriarch, and we will likely get each-way odds the field by the time they jump.

We saw Pride of Jenni rattle a few cages as a tearaway leader in the Empire Rose last week, a role that Deny Knowledge has sometimes played in her career. She sat second in that race, a long way behind Pride of Jenni, but also a long way in front of third in the run, and she was able to hang on for fourth herself. She’ll be taken to the front, and all eyes will be on Jamie Kah to see what daring tactics she employs.

Papillon Club could be a value play, albeit up to 2000m for the first time. She’s run respectably behind Benedetta, Amelia’s Jewel twice and Wishlor Lass this spring, all of which has been great form for mares grade. She’s drawn to get a lovely run, and shapes as if she does want to stretch out in distance.

Pearl of Alsace and Mustang Valley bring the Group 1 New Zealand form to the race, but it has had mixed results this carnival, and it’s hard to know how much it can be trusted. We saw Mustang Valley run last in a six horse field at Moonee Valley last start.

Thalassophile has been running honestly at 1600m, and could be looking for a step up in trip now. Her Renaissance Woman and Wishlor Lass form is good for this. Ozmose ran in similar races to Thalassophile in the Queensland winter carnival, and there’s not much between them. Steinem is always some sort of threat in this kind of race, but hard to get a gauge on exactly how well she’s going.

Selections: 1.Papillon Club 2.Deny Knowledge 3.Pearl of Alsace 4.Thalassophile

Cameron rose's Tip

PAPILLON CLUB

EACH-WAY

Tab Matriarch Stakes 11 November 15:10

7. Papillon Club

Win

Place

* Odds Correct At Time Of Posting. Check Playup Website For Latest Odds

QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES - 2600m, Flemington R4

The stayers get their chance over 2600m in the Queen Elizabeth, a race that Makybe Diva famously won before taking out her first Melbourne Cup the following year. Time will tell if any of this year’s field have similar prospects.

The Bendigo Cup, Moonee Valley Cup and Geelong Cup are well represented as lead-ups to this race, but only one horse is coming here from the Caulfield Cup, and that’s Duke De Sessa.

Duke De Sessa ran respectably as a $41 shot in the Caulfield Cup – he went back to the tail after drawing wide and being slowly away, and was three wide with no cover for the first third of the race. He enjoyed the clear running in the straight though, and only the trifecta of Without A Fight, Gold Trip and West Wind Blows had a quicker last 400m than he. He had 53kg’s there and goes up to 57.5kg’s here, but he’s the one to beat.

Heading down in the weights, Taramansour is in the form of his career. He closed off pleasingly in the Bendigo Cup, and we saw that form franked in the Melbourne Cup when ran sixth and should have finished closer.

Muramasa turns out for the Busuttin & Young stable, who we saw have a double on Melbourne Cup day. He’s won two in a row, and looked the goods in the Coongy last time out. Daniel Moor will have a bit of work to do from barrier eight to ensure he doesn’t get caught wide, but he is right in the game.

Regal Power gave a good sight at big odds in the Moonee Valley Cup last start, trying to lead all the way and facing an army of challengers in the straight. He was sixth in the end, but only beaten a length and a half. He can run a race again.

Amade won the Geelong Cup, but the form from that race didn’t hold up particularly well in the Melbourne Cup with only one horse running top 10 from it. Still, he’s a true stayer in good form. Luncies is always honest without winning out of turn, but has a poor draw to contend with. So Dazzling was quickly up to 2500m last start, but should be fitter for it, and can pop up at a handy each-way price.

Selections: 1.Duke De Sessa 2.Taramansour 3.Muramasa 4.Regal Power

Cameron rose's Tip

DUKE DE SESSA

EACH-WAY

Queen Elizabeth Stakes 11 November 14:30

2. Duke De Sessa

Win

Place

* Odds Correct At Time Of Posting. Check Playup Website For Latest Odds