This Saturday is packed full of racing highlights for punters to sink their teeth into. There will be four Group One races running at Flemington as part of Victoria Derby Day, one of which is the $1 million Mackinnon Stakes (2000m).
He’s Your Man is early favourite to win the 2014 Mackinnon Stakes but is the race’s history and form on his side? Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
15 top middle-distance runners will take each other in the weight-for-age feature race, running as Race 6 at 3:00pm (AEDT).
The field is full of classy horses, many of which have already dominated during the spring racing carnival.
He’s Your Man opened the Ladbrokes.com.au betting market as $5.50 favourite following back-to-back wins in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m). The six-year-old will jump from barrier five with champion international jockey Joao Moreira in the saddle.
Other runners who opened well in the Mackinnon Stakes odds include Criterion and Caulfield Cup runner-up Rising Romance ($6), defending champion Side Glance and Happy Trails ($9).
Side Glance, Happy Trails, and Criterion are all backing-up from the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) last Saturday, which is considered the key lead-up race to the Mackinnon Stakes.
2014 Mackinnon Stakes Form Facts & Bettings Stats
- Trainer Andrew Balding and jockey Jamie Spencer won last year’s Mackinnon Stakes with Side Glance
- Andrew Balding is once again represented in this year’s race with #1 Side Glance ($9) as they aim to win back-to-back races from barrier seven
- However jockey Craig Williams is set to ride, having won the race in 2012 with Alcopop
- Race favourites don’t have the best track record in the Mackinnon with just 3 of the last 10 winning the race and 5 of the last 10 failing to even place which is a bad sign for #8 He’s Your Man ($5.50)
- Since 1983, 7 winners have won at double figures
- Last year’s winning barrier was six (of nine) which will be filled by #10 Star Rolling this year
- #12 Amralah will start from barrier four this year
- But barriers 1-8 have all brought a number of winners home due to the 2000m start of the track which affords most runners ample opportunity to position favourably
- The Cox Plate is the key lead-up race to the Mackinnon, with seven of the last 10 winners backing up from the race seven days previously
- This year there are four runners backing up from the Cox Plate
- So Your Think (2010) is the only horse to win both races while none of the other six even placed
- That is good news for #1 Side Glance (4th), #2 Happy Trails (6th), #3 Foreteller (5th), and #13 Criterion (7th)
- The most successful trainer since 1983 for the Mackinnon Stakes is Bart Cummings with 5 wins from 20 starts
- While the most successful jockey since 1983 is Damien Oliver with 4 wins from 18 rides who will saddle #2 Happy Trails in this year’s race
- There are four last start winners in the race this year with #7 Mourinho (Listed Cranbourne Cup, 2025m, Cranbourne, 12/10/2014), #8 He’s Your Man (Group 1 Epsom Handicap, 1600m, Randwick, 04/10/2014), #12 Amralah (Group 3 Lancaster Stakes, 2100m, Haydock, 09/08/2014), and #14 Costume (Group 1 Ormond Memorial, 2040m, Hastings, 04/10/2014)
- Horses with a good record at Flemington include #2 Happy Trails (7:2-0-1), #6 Brambles (3:1-0-1), and #10 Star Rolling (3:2-0-0)
- Those with the best 2000m form include #5 Moriarty (16:4-2-2), #7 Mourinho (10:4-0-3), #9 Farraaj (5:3-0-0), #11 Spillway (6:3-0-1), and #13 Criterion (5:1-3-0)
- Roughies have been known to feature in the Mackinnon Stakes so don’t rule them out
You’ve now got all the information you could need to make a well-informed wager on the 2014 Mackinnon Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au. Collect a little extra this Derby Day with the online bookmaker! You can get Best Tote or SP + 20% in the Mackinnon Stakes, which means an additional 20% on your winnings!
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