Four Group 1 races highlight the Flemington card for Victoria Derby Day on Saturday including the Myer Classic 2014, betting tips for the fillies and mares classic found below.
Sweet Idea is the Races.com.au tip to win the 2014 Myer Classic. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
There is a capacity field ready to face off in this year’s $500,000 Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m), five of the hopefuls under double figures to win through Ladbrokes.com.au.
Heading the latest Myer Classic odds at $4.80 is Australasian Oaks winner May’s Dream, the Darren Weir-trained New Approach four-year-old looking for her first win of the spring.
She’s been thereabouts in her three Melbourne runs this time in including a close last start fourth in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on October 18 when beaten two lengths.
Gai Waterhouse’s Tristarc Stakes winner Sweet Idea is then the next best in Myer Classic betting at $5.50 to post back-to-back wins after coming up trumps with barrier one and Tommy Berry to ride.
She’s a dual Group 2 winner for the season and twice tested in Group 1 company over the past couple of months for a Memsie Stakes second and Sir Rupert Clarke fourth at Caulfield.
Saturday however will be her first look at the famous Flemington track and how she handles that, and the step up to a mile which she also hasn’t seen before, will be key to her chances.
The other single figure Myer Classic hopes are then last year’s runner-up Catkins ($8.50) looking to go back-to-back for trainer Chris Waller who won 12 months ago with Red Tracer, early market mover Neena Rock ($9) coming off a Group 3 win at Randwick over the 1600m and last year’s Crown Oaks third placegetter Solicit ($9.50).
So will this year’s Myer Classic winner come from inside the top half of betting?
Or should punters be looking further down the markets at a double figure chance such as last start Ladies Day Vase winner Star Fashion ($13) for an upset Myer Classic result?
1st
#1 Sweet Idea ($5.50)
Deserving of her own Group 1 after quite a few close calls and should relish the inside alley where she’ll be going forward to race up on the pace. That should suit. She beat a number of these home including Girl Guide (2nd) and Catkins (3rd) in the Tristarc last time out on the back of two excellent Group 1 runs so if she handles the Flemington mile she’ll take some beating with the run of the race. Hasn’t seen the 1600m but was runner-up to Steps In Time in the Group 1 Coolmore over 1500m during the autumn so the distance shouldn’t be an issue.
2nd
#2 Catkins ($8.50)
Waller did it last year with this one finishing second best in the Myer Classic quinella, can she go one better this year? In flying form with three top three runs this season, including her third in the Tristarc, but many feel she should have won at Rosehill before that when runner-up as the odds-on favourite off the back of a first-up win at the same track. Sees the mile for the first time since a sixth to Diamond Drille, a $15 chance for the Myer Classic, in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes back in April. No excuses last two but think she can atone here at a track she loves (3-0-2-1).
3rd
#4 May’s Dream ($4.80)
The Group 1 favourite can’t be left out of the equation based on what she’s done in the lead-up. The 1600m at Flemington should suit to a tee, especially if the pace is on which it’s predicted to be with Solicit up front setting the speed. She’ll settle midfield from the wider gate and with winning form over further should have enough in the tank to peel out and finish strongly.
Get behind our Myer Classic betting tips online now at the best prices through Ladbrokes.com.au who are running the $3 million Megapick again on the last eight races at Flemington this Saturday!
*All odds quoted are Fixed Win from Ladbrokes.com.au and subject to change
