Two top mares are currently battling for favouritism in the all-in Myer Classic 2014 odds ahead of this Saturday’s Victoria Derby Day showdown with May’s Dream narrow top fancy over Sweet Idea.
Schweppes Oaks winner May’s Dream is narrow favourite to win Saturday’s 2014 Myer Classic. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
Yesterday Racing Victoria took 25 nominations for this year’s $500,000 Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m), which runs as one of four Group 1 races at Flemington Racecourse on the weekend.
Futures markets on the fillies and mares’ classic at Ladbrokes.com.au feature four single figure hopes with the Darren Weir-trained May’s Dream ($4.80) and Gai Waterhouse’s Sweet Idea ($5) the top two in betting.
Winner of the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) in Adelaide back in late April, New Approach mare May’s Dream has been steadily building this time in and Saturday she gets up to a mile for the first time for the season.
Two back she ran here at Flemington for a brave third finishing 1.35 lengths off Forever Loved in the Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1400m).
Then she saw that same distance again at Caulfield on October 18 when fourth beaten two lengths by her main danger on Saturday, Sweet Idea, in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes.
Snitzel four-year-old Sweet Idea may have beaten May’s Dream home last start, but the bookies have her as the second tip for Saturday’s rematch as she goes up to the mile for the first time.
In flying form this time in the up-and-comer kicked things off with a Randwick win in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m).
She then travelled to Melbourne and has had three runs over the 1400m at Caulfield including a Group 1 Memsie Stakes second and a close fourth in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes two back.
Her latest effort was then the Tristarc win, a race that the Chris Waller-trained Catkins also comes via.
Occupying the third line of Myer Classic betting at $7.50, Dubawi grey Catkins ran third in the Tristarc Stakes and on Saturday is looking to hand Waller with back-to-back Myer Classic victories following his success with Red Tracer 12 months earlier.
Before the Tristarc Catkins, runner-up to her stable mate in the Myer last spring, won the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill first-up and then went down as the beaten $1.40 odds-on favourite in the Group 3 Golden Pendant (1400m) when runner-up to Arabian Gold.
Equal $7.50 third favourite for the Myer Classic with Catkins is then the Robert Smerdon-trained Politeness.
The Street Sense four-year-old has had three promising runs in Melbourne for the season around this class including a fourth in the Blazer Stakes and a fifth, just 2.3 lengths off Sweet Idea, in the Tristarc Stakes with Craig Williams in the saddle for both.
Outside of the top four fancies are then a host of other top chances including Group 3 How Now Stakes winner Girl Guide ($10) last seen running second in the Tristarc Stakes and the Nigel Blackiston-trained local hope Suavito ($10).
Thorn Park four-year-old Suavito will be thrown in the deep end on Saturday on the back of some promising spring form including her win in the Group 3 Tesio Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley last Saturday on Cox Plate Day.
The John Sargent-trained Group 3 Angst Stakes winner Neena Rock ($11), Toorak Handicap eighth placegetter Solicit ($13) and the in-form Star Fashion ($13) shooting for her third win on the trot then follow closely before the odds become more generous.
See below for the full futures Myer Classic 2014 odds available online at our No. 1 recommended bookie Ladbrokes.com.au up until the final field is out on Wednesday morning.
