This Saturday March 5 Flemington will come to life with a cracker day of Group racing that includes the $300,000 Group 2 VRC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) for two-year-olds.
Scheduled as Flemington Race 3 due to jump at 12:40pm (AEDST) on Saturday, the 2011 VRC Sires Produce Stakes final field features 11 promising juveniles lead by the Peter Snowden-trained Helmet.
Stablemate of Blue Diamond Stakes winner Sepoy, Exceed And Excel colt Helmet has come up trumps in the VRC Sires Produce Stakes barrier draw with the inside runner from gate one and Mark Zahra booked for the ride.
Helmet is undefeated this preparation having won back-to-back races over 1200m at Rosehill and is out to make it three on the trot as they prepare for a shot at the $500,000 Group 1 AJC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 9.
The other runner in this year’s VRC Sires Produce Stakes field likely to start at the top of the odds when markets open at Luxbet is the Lee Freedman-trained Masthead.
Drawn in barrier seven and due to be ridden by Craig Williams, Written Tycoon colt Masthead won the Inglis Premier at Mornington in mid-February before running third behind Sepoy in the Blue Diamond Stakes last start.
Other notable VRC Sires Produce Stakes 2011 hopefuls include:
- Running Tall (Danny O’Brien) – Stratum colt ran a good third in the Listed Maribyrnong Plate last year before finishing second in the Blue Diamond Prelude, but was well beaten in the Blue Diamond Stakes last start coming in seventh
- Cash For Matt (Rick Hore-Lacy) – Dash For Cash gelding coming off a second place finish behind Anevay in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on February 19, advantages from an ideal barrier two draw
- Covered In Class (Peter Moody) – Improving Exceed And Excel colt coming off a game third in the Talindert Stakes, has work to do against a decent field from the far outside barrier 11
Flemington’s Super Saturday of Racing 2011 is shaping up as a beauty with betting now open on the two Group 1 showdowns at the meet, the Newmarket Handicap and the Australian Cup, at Luxbet.
Luxbet will also open their VRC Sires Produce Stakes odds shortly so sign up with them today to get in on the autumn racing carnival action!
2011 VRC Sires Produce Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
| # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight (kg) | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MASTHEAD | Lee Freedman | Craig Williams | 7 | 55.5 | 78 |
| 2 | DELAGO’S LAD | John McArdle | Chris Symons | 8 | 55.5 | 74 |
| 3 | HELMET | Peter Snowden | Mark Zahra | 1 | 55.5 | 80 |
| 4 | GRAND BRITANNIA | Robbie Laing | Damien Oliver | 10 | 55.5 | 74 |
| 5 | ROCKSHAFT | Robert Smerdon | Jason Maskiell (a) | 9 | 55.5 | 80 |
| 6 | RUNNING TALL | Danny O’Brien | Ben Melham | 4 | 55.5 | 72 |
| 7 | CASH FOR MATT | Rick Hore-Lacy | Danny Nikolic | 2 | 55.5 | 66 |
| 8 | COVERED IN CLASS | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 11 | 55.5 | 65 |
| 9 | MINUTE BY MINUTE | David Hayes | Steven Arnold | 5 | 55.5 | 61 |
| 10 | DECIRCLES | Danny O’Brien | Dwayne Dunn | 3 | 55.5 | 62 |
| 11 | ISOPACH | John P Thompson | Craig Newitt | 6 | 55.5 | 59 |
