Australian Racing: Sea King can claim Flemington crown

It’s Cup Day and all eyes will be on Flemington for the 2024 renewal of the Melbourne Cup.

Race 7 Flemington

Sea King @ 13.00

Race 9 Flemington

Here To Shock @ 6.00

Race 7 Flemington

Miss Aria @ 6.00

King to rule in Cup

The Cup comes up as the seventh race on a 10-race card with a field of 24 declared for the 3200m Group 1 contest.

Irish raider Vauban was highly touted for the race last year but could finish only 14th and he is sure to have his supporters once more.

This seven-year-old has been in good form in Europe this season, finishing in the first three in all bar one of his five starts.

The exception came when tackling Royal Ascot’s 4023m Group 1 Gold Cup, a race in which he finished fourth.

This gelding arrives here on the back of a second-place finish in the 2816m Group 1 Irish St Leger at The Curragh in September and has a leading European hoop in the saddle.

While David Eustace may have departed these shores for Hong Kong earlier this year, brother Harry is taken to make his mark with his representative SEA KING.

The gelding showed solid form in handicap company in the UK earlier this year, including when winning over 2615m on a firm 2 track at Ayr in July.

This six-year-old’s final European start saw him finish sixth in the 2816m Ebor Handicap at York in August.

The son of Sea The Stars prepped for this contest with an impressive victory in the 2400m Group 3 Bendigo Cup recently.

Hollie Doyle’s mount gets in off a low weight here and, while stamina has to be taken on trust, he looks capable of recording a win in the biggest race of the year.

Shock for Big Dance success

The $3,000,000 Big Dance, a Listed 1600m contest is the highlight at Randwick with the valuable event set to take place on a good 4 track.

Gringotts has been allocated a wide barrier here and is expected to start having demonstrated good form so far this year.

The five-year-old won in Listed company at Doomben on his final start last prep and resumed with a close second in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap here.

That Group 3 effort came over 1400m and he should have no issue stepping back up to 1600m, with the previously-mentioned Doomben success coming over the distance.

HERE TO SHOCK is the pick here however, having registered four wins so far this prep with three of those coming at Group 3 level.

The most recent of those saw him triumph by half-a-length in the Australian Bloodstock Cameron Handicap over 1500m at Newcastle in September.

Nash Rawiller, set to ride here, was on board for the first time that day and he was again in the saddle when the seven-year-old triumphed at Rosehill last month.

That Rosehill success, which came in a 16-runner renewal of the Alan Brown Stakes, came on a good 4 track and the selection boasts an inside alley here.

Aria to record Group 3 win

The ninth race at Flemington is a competitive looking 1400m Group 3 contest, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes.

Danny O’Brien’s MISS ARIA won a 1200m Benchmark 84 handicap at Moonee Valley in September and followed it up with placed efforts in her following two races.

Those Group 2 placings include a narrow defeat when second in the Rose Of Kingston Stakes over this course and distance a month ago.

The filly raced on a soft 6 track that day and again encountered wet conditions when third in Caulfield’s Tristarc Stakes over the same distance on 19th October.

Blake Shinn’s mount boasts an inside barrier for this contest and is taken to record the sixth win of her career.