All the best bets and tips for Standish Handicap Day at Flemington.
A filly has caught the eye in the first race, while there is plenty of great value on the rest of the card as we get set for another big weekend of summer racing.
flemington race 1
#7 English Riviera
English Riviera has speed to burn from what we have seen at the jump outs.
She is a $260,000 purchase by sire Deep Field out of a listed winner dam and has shown nice ability to date.
A debut up the straight over 1100 metres looks ideal for her given the straight-line pace we saw at her Mortlake and Terang jump outs over 800 metres.
She is the sole filly in the field against a group of males, which means she gets the two-kilo drop on them at the weights.
Jye Mcneil is riding in sensational form at the moment and he will give this two-year-old filly every chance from the middle pin.
Suggested Bet: English Riviera win at $2.4
flemington race 3
#7 somerset maugham
Somerset Maugham looks set to atone for a luckless run on New Year’s Day when he appears at Flemington at over 1700 metres.
He ran over the mile in BM-84 grade and was held up for a run for the majority of the straight and by the time he got out, the bird had already flown.
Jamie Kah retains the ride and from barrier three, we hope she can be one off the fence and hook into three-wide running line with full momentum rather than being cluttered up like she was last start.
With even luck and clean air, this horse will be hard to run down.
He is ready to peak from a fitness point of view with this being his fourth run for the campaign and he gets in on the minimum weight of 53kgs.
Suggested Bet: Somerset Maugham win at $2.80
Suggested Exotic: Boxed Trifecta – 1, 5, 7, 8
flemington race 5
#7 fundraiser
After seeing the weight drop and barrier draw for Fundraiser when the markets and acceptances were out, the eyes lit up and the alarm bells went off.
He ran a super race up the straight behind Pioneer River when having to carry 61kgs first-up from a spell.
Love the way he surged through the middle part of that sprint over 1200 metres and he just knocked up in the concluding stages of the race, which suggests he has plenty left in the locker.
He should strip much fitter for that run and Jye Mcneil is now in the saddle.
Expect him to get the stalking trail behind the leaders and then peel out at the top of the straight to make his run.
Suggested Bet: Fundraiser win at $3.7
flemington race 7
#10 It'sourtime
It’sourtime is ready to the run the race of his life when he lines up in the Standish Handicap.
This clearly looks a massive target race for the Danny O’Brien stable with this sprinter after impressing at both his 1100-metre and 1200-metre runs up the straight this campaign.
He dropped back in distance to 1100 metres last start at Caulfield and arguably should have won had he not been held up for a run down on the inside.
The wide expanses of Flemington are going to suit him perfectly as he should be able to find clear galloping room to utilise that nice turn of foot he possesses.
He also has a big tumble down in the weights having to only carry the minimum of 54kgs after lugging around 60, 59.5 and 59kgs at his last three starts.
The one to beat.
Suggested Bet: It’sourtime win at $4.6
Suggested Exotic: Quinella 1 & 3