We return to Flemington for the first time since Cup Week and, while the card is lacking that Cup Week sparkle, it does have the joy-inducing combination of good track, rail true and weather fine.
The feature, the Kensington Stakes, is a really competitive race and should provide a good betting contest for punters with early markets arriving on four primary hopes; Mileva, Halvorsen, Sartorial Splendor and Tequila Time.
That looks about right and that looks about the order. Mileva would come right under consideration off her two strong efforts this time in but she draws away from where the race may well develop, right around the other three, and that might be worth a roll or two of the board.
A roll or two out for her can create a roll or two in the right direction for Halvorsen who was a somewhat surprising winner first up, sent around 50/1, but won in convincing fashion with his late splits hardly those of a fluke winner.
In fact, they were the splits of a very convincing winner and in a race that has since worked out well. His racing pattern is a negative but when things fall for him he is a good straight-track sprinter and well up to rounding these up. There is enough appeal in $6.00 and better to play.
For an each-way play we leave the sprinters and head back to the fourth on the card for the stayers over 2500m.
Four last-start winners and a couple of others in form make for another interesting betting heat and one in particular appeals as a good gamble at double-figure odds in Saracen Knight.
Just two ordinary runs in 12 months had Saracen Knight off the radar heading into this campaign but he has set himself up to return to his best now after shaping with a good bit of promise at both Flemington and Ballarat.
Now with that platform he is given his easiest assignement in Australia to date with this well within the range of his best efforts. He can spike and he can win. And we hope that he does.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Bet Of The Day: Race 7 #1 Halvorsen @ $6.00
Each Way Play: Race 4 #2 Saracen Knight @ $10.00
