Flemington Tips for Coolmore Stud Stakes 2023

After one of the best Cox Plate races we have seen in recent memory, attention turns to one of the best race days for the year Derby Day at Flemington.

A smorgasbord of black type racing awaits punters, including three Group 1 contests.

The Coolmore Stakes is always a hotly contested clash up the Flemington straight, and we tackle the 1200m dash to see which 3YO comes out on top.

 

Track Conditions

The Flemington surface is currently a Good 4 and that will remain for Saturday with no rain forecast for Melbourne in the coming days.

The running rail will be in the True position.

Expect the track to play fairly, with only slight disadvantages to on-pace runners from an inside barrier or at the rear from an outside barrier.

 

 

Flemington Race 6 – Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m)

 

The Map

Look for the field to split into two groups up the Flemington straight.

Closer to the inside, Celui (5) and Ozzmosis (6) should find the front with Steparty (1) and Moravia (7) looking to settle in behind.

Tiz Invincible (9) is drawn right in the middle so jockey Harry Coffey will have options but looks as though he will go to the inside and settle behind the pace.

King’s Gambit (2) is an interesting watch, he has settled up on-pace before but after a brilliant win last start from the back, it would be likely he will be ridden cold at the rear.

Shinzo (4) will also settle at the rear of the inside group.

Butch Cassidy (19) will lead up the group closer to the grandstand easily.

I Am Unstoppable (12) and Veight (18) should settle just behind the speed with Cylinder (14) just off them.

Other top chance Stretan Angel (17) could go forward like she did last start or settle at the rear, like she did the start prior.

 

 

The Favourite

He has had an excellent preparation and will be looking to cap it off with a Group 1 Victory.

Cylinder was enormous in The Everest last start, finishing 5^th, and comes into this with the strongest claims on form.

He is going to get the perfect run in the race from Barrier 14 on the grandstand side with Tim Clark aboard.

He will be in front for a long way but may get chased down by horses on the inside rail.

 

 

Cody's Tips for the Coolmore

I've landed on King’s Gambit .

The move has been made by the Snowden stable to ride him cold at the rear of the field instead of up towards the pace or in front.

It started with a fantastic trial at Warwick Farm and ended up with an exceptional win at Rosehill in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes.

While he got the perfect run up the inside rail, he won quite comfortably and has been kept fresh since.

He looks back to his brilliant best and he gets a lot in his favour here.

Expect him to settle just off ‘Steparty’, who will bring him into the race.

Third up last preparation, he finished 3^rd in the Golden Slipper behind ‘Shinzo’ and ‘Cylinder’ and the reasons below are why I think he is going better than those two now he is a 3yo.

 

Cylinder could be the victim of being in the wrong part of the track here.

He doesn’t face much opposition who will test him on the grandstand side and his main rivals will largely be out of his line of sight on the far side.

He is flying this preparation and was terrific in the Everest last start.

He may be able to overcome the less-than-ideal position and win anyway, but we see runners get done so often in races up the straight by not seeing the opposition on the other side.

 

Coolmore were able to win their race with a fellow Chris Waller-trained Colt in ‘Home Affairs’ two years ago and they will look to succeed again with Shinzo.

He comes out of the Everest like ‘Home Affairs’ did and he beat some of these in the Golden Slipper as a 2yo.

I’m not sure he is going as well this preparation and will need to re-capture his 2yo form to be in the mix here. Still think he will run on into the placings though.

 

You've got to give Ozzmosis a chance here if I’m putting King’s Gambit on top in the race.

He was a heavily backed favourite in the Roman Consul and was just put under a lot of pressure in front.

That was his first career loss and he will bounce back here and be leading for a long way on the far side.

 

1^st King’s Gambit

2^nd Cylinder

3^rd Shinzo

4^th Ozzmosis