Mark Walker’s star Kiwi mare Imperatriz carries top-weight in her bid to take her Group 1 tally into double-figures in the Newmarket Handicap 2024 this weekend at Flemington.

Imperatriz looks to take her Group 1 tally into double-figures as favourite in 2024 Newmarket Handicap betting this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The brilliant daughter of I Am Invincible has been allocated 58kg in this year’s Group 1 $1.5 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m) as a nine-time Group 1 winner.

She was excellent fresh kicking off with an elite level sprint success at Headquarters when narrowly defeating Private Eye in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m).

After the Flemington double now, she is back up to her pet distance of six furlongs (9:7-1-1) and has a brilliant second-up record (6:5-0-1).

Imperatriz no doubt has class and deservingly sits top of the Newmarket Handicap odds at $2.60 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

It is a more generous quote than her usual odds-on pricing however as she must become the first Newmarket Handicap winner since Hay List (58.5kg in 2012) to carry more than 57.5kg to victory.

The last mare to carry those sort of kilos to success in this time-honoured sprint was Black Caviar with 58kg back in 2011, so the company she is looking to join is elite.

Still, from a favourable barrier three draw with Opie Bosson in the saddle she looks hard to beat.

The challenge is expected to come primarily from Buenos Noches who is the early market mover occupying the second line of Newmarket Handicap betting at $4.60.

The Matthew Smith-trained sprinter could be had as long as $6.50 earlier in the week for the upset, but has been steadily backed with Blake Shinn to ride from barrier nine.

The progressive Supido four-year-old is second-up back down south off a resuming Sydney run when fourth in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m).

He has form around Imperatriz from the spring when second by a half-length at double-figures with plenty more kilos in the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) at this track and trip.

The Everest performer gets the weight turnaround now with 55.5kg in the Newmarket and presents as a genuine shot in the handicap clash.

There is only one other runner in the Newmarket Handicap field, which has been reduced by the early scratching of Espiona (8), at single-figures with the resuming Grahame Begg-trained Magic Time ($7).

Michael Dee rides the consistent Hellbent mare here from wider out as the bonny four-year-old looks for a second win from as many starts at the track.

She is a noted fresh performer (3:2-0-0) whose other Flemington assignment yielded a Listed victory back in November of 2022 at just her second start.

Lightly-raced, Saturday marks her ninth run and she is out for win number six.

In the spring she caught the eye with a $2 million The Invitation (1400m) third by a neck to Espiona at Randwick before her one-length victory from a wide alley at Caulfield in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).

Chris Waller meanwhile has opted to have Espiona race in a smaller field in Sydney’s Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on the same day at Randwick leaving him without representation in the Newmarket.

Other notable Newmarket hopes at longer odds include the classy Ciaron Maher-trained Bella Nipotina ($10) to be ridden by Craig Williams and the sole three-year-old contender Cylinder ($16) for Godolphin.

The 2024 Newmarket Handicap is set to run as Flemington Race 5 on Saturday’s eight-race card at 3:05pm (AEDT) with full markets from Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.

2024 Newmarket Handicap Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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