After breaking his Australian maiden status last start the John O’Shea-trained import Bow Creek is the favourite final acceptor for Saturday’s 2016 Australian Cup field at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
Peter Young Stakes winner Bow Creek is favourite to win again at Flemington this Saturday in the 2016 Australian Cup. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
One of two elite levels on the ‘Super Saturday’ line-up, this year’s $1.5 million Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) has attracted 11 runners and is due to jump at 4:30pm (AEDT) as Flemington Race 7.
Sitting top of the latest Australian Cup betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Godolphin-raced Shamardal stallion Bow Creek at $3.20 for the win.
Drawn the outside alley (11), a barrier that hasn’t produced an Australian Cup winning in over 30 years, the five-year-old comes off a win in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield a fortnight ago.
That was Bow Creek’s first win down under from four starts here and he is now looking to complete the Peter Young Stakes – Australian Cup double last achieved by Fiorente (2014).
Four other hopefuls are also under $10 in the Australian Cup odds this Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival including Our Ivanhowe ($5.50) who jumps from barrier one with Ben Melham aboard.
Lee & Anthony Freedman’s German expat is the $7 pre-field favourite to win Sydney’s Group 1 The BMW (2500m) at Rosehill on March 26 and is second-up in the Melbourne Group 1 on Saturday.
A six-year-old son of Soldier Hollow, Our Ivanhowe ran third to Mongolian Khan in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) last October before his brave Melbourne Cup 10th over the two miles.
He kicked off his latest campaign in the Peter Young Stakes for a fifth to Bow Creek from gate one, the same alley he has this weekend.
The other single-figure Australian Cup hopes this season are Preferment ($6.50), Rising Romance ($7.50) and the market mover Suavito ($8.50 into $8).
Chris Waller saddles-up the Spring’s Turnbull Stakes winning Zabeel stallion Preferment from gate 10 on the weekend, the four-year-old second-up after a good fourth to star stablemate Winx in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) in Sydney on February 27.
Preferment has had three previous starts at Flemington for two wins, including the Turnbull in Group 1 company, and is also internationally performed having crossed seventh in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m) back in December.
Rising Romance is the best fancied of the female gallopers in the weight-for-age classic out to become the first Australian Cup winning mare since Makybe Diva (2005) over a decade ago.
Craig Williams, who rode the 2009 Australian Cup champ Niconero, rides the David Hayes & Tom Dabernig-trained daughter of Ekraar who shoots for her second Group 1 win after her 2014 ATC Oaks success.
She hasn’t won a race since mid-February last year so is out to break a notable winning drought, but she’s been twice Group 1 placed since including to Gailo Chop when runner-up in the Mackinnon Stakes over 2000m at Flemington last Derby Day.
Her last start was a Peter Young Stakes sixth and the extra metres this weekend will only work in the five-year-old’s favour.
Fellow mare Suavito jumps one on the inside of Rising Romance from barrier five, which last produced a winner in Manighar (2012).
The classy Torn Park five-year-old returned off a nearly year-long spell with a Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) win in mid-February before her third in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield last start.
She boasts two wins, a second and a third from five previous Flemington runs and looks fit and ready to make a charge over the 2000m on Saturday.
See below for the full Australian Cup 2016 field, barriers, jockeys and latest Fixed Win odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost giving punters better odds on any runner in any race daily!
