PUNTERS only have to look back at last year’s corresponding Flemington meeting to know that although what on paper shapes as a humdrum meeting a superstar can emerge from it.
Last year Giga Kick followed his win in a Sale Maiden in February with an explosive performance to win the two-year-old straight race over 1000 metres.
As they say the rest is history with him having amassed almost $10 million in stake money from only 10 starts.
Again the opening event over 1000 metres for two-year-olds could produce an above average horse. Favourite is the son of Justify, from the Maher and Eustace stable, Naval Academy who romped in with a Warracknabeal Maiden at his debut.
James Cummings’ filly Exploring is a Group 2 winner and she finished tenth in the Golden Slipper Stakes at her last start.
The big watch in the race is the Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior filly Illative, who is by I Am Invincible and is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Inference and the promising Illation who is in the same stable.
On the back of an impressive trial win at Cranbourne she has been installed as a short priced favourite.
Price told Racing.Com that Illative had been immature but was a good filly.
Price said Illative had won five of her six trials and was ready to go to the races but he needed to see her do it on race day.
The stable also has Ouroboros in the same race and Price said he was a handy colt who could run a cheeky race.
Playup has installed Illative as a $3.10 favourite. Naval Academy is second favourite at $3.40 and Ourobouros is $12.
