Australian Racing: King Of Thunder to show lightning speed

There’s a big day of racing in store in Melbourne, with Flemington’s Victoria Derby one of three Group 1’s set to take place.

Race 7 Flemington

King Of Thunder @ 6.00

Race 8 Rosehill

Tom Kitten @ 11.00

Race 6 Flemington

Growing Empire @ 3.60

King to rule in Derby

The previously mentioned Group 1 Victoria Derby comes up as the seventh race on a nine-race card at Flemington.

El Castello has shown progress with racing as a three-year-old, returning from a spell with a $13 win in a Warwick Farm maiden in early September.

This colt has won all three subsequent starts, culminating in a victory in last week’s 2000m Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.

The son of Castelvecchio raced close to the speed that day and similar tactics are expected here with regular rider Joseph Parr up.

A wide barrier isn’t ideal here however and preference on this occasion is for KING OF THUNDER.

Trained by John O’Shea & Tom Charlton, he is one of five in the field to have contested the Group 2 Drummond Golf Vase at Moonee Valley last weekend.

King Of Thunder beat three of the other four runners who are set to line up here home that day, with the exception being the winner Red Aces.

James McDonald’s mount shapes as if the extra distance will suit, while that latest effort marked the gelding’s first outing at Group level.

King Of Thunder remains open to improvement on just his sixth career start and, jumping from next to the rail, he is taken to register his second career win.

Kitten to claim Golden Eagle

At Rosehill the highlight is the $10,000,000 Golden Eagle, a race restricted to four-year-old’s and set to take place over 1500m.

Jerome Reynier’s unbeaten French raider Lazzat and Japan’s Ascoli Piceno add international intrigue to the race, with the former unbeaten in six starts.

Lazzat recorded his first top level win when taking out the 1300m Prix Maurice de Gheest on a soft 6 track at Deauville in August.

The good 4 going shouldn’t be an issue having scored in similar conditions over 1400m at Longchamp on his penultimate start.

Regular rider Antonio Orani is again set to ride, however, he will have to overcome barrier 12 if his mount is to stay unbeaten.

Ascoli Piceno, a Group 1 winner at Hanshin in December has also been handed a wide alley, with Brazilian hoop Joao Moreira booked to ride.

The filly has placed second in two Group 1 contests so far in 2024 and arrives here on the back of a win in a 16-runner Group 3 handicap at Nakayama in September.

With those wide barrier allocations in mind, the race may well stay on home soil with TOM KITTEN preferred for the James Cummings team.

The gelding has performed well without winning in three starts, since taking out a 1400m handicap at this venue when racing first up this prep.

Tom Kitten was beaten just under one-and-a-half-lengths from a wide alley when contesting the Group 1 Epsom Handicap on his penultimate start.

A good fourth when again jumping from a wide barrier in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes followed, with both of those efforts coming over 1600m at Randwick.

The son of Harry Angel has been allocated an inside barrier here and, with Ben Melham up, looks capable of returning to winning ways.

Empire for Coolmore Stud success

The Coolmore Stud Stakes is the first of the three Flemington Group 1 races, with a field of 14 set to line up for the 1200m three-year-old contest.

Ciaron Maher’s GROWING EMPIRE is expected to jump as favourite, having performed well against older rivals since winning over 1100m in Listed company here in September.

Both of those starts against older horses came at Group 1 level, including when narrowly beaten in finishing runner-up in the 1200m Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The colt arrives here on the back of a third-place finish over the same distance in The Everest at Randwick two weeks ago.

A good 4 track should suit here and he is taken to return to winning ways jumping from barrier nine.