The John O’Shea-trained Golden Rose winner Astern is early favourite of the 16 three-year-old sprinters making up the Coolmore Stud Stakes 2016 nominations for this Saturday at Flemington Racecourse.
Astern is narrow early favourite to win Saturday’s Coolmore Stud Stakes 2016 down the Flemington straight on Derby Day. Photo: Steve Hart.
Despite the $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) having a field limit of 20 runners, just 16 make up the early entries for what is one of four elite levels on the Victoria Derby Day card kicking off the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
No more than 15 youngsters have lined up in a Coolmore Stud Stakes field in over 30 and this year the top fancy in pre-field markets at Ladbrokes.com.au is Godolphin’s Medaglia D’Oro colt Astern
He pays $3.20 for the win in all-in Coolmore Stud Stakes betting and is out to improve on his last start second to the undefeated Russian Revolution in Sydney’s Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) on October 1 at Randwick.
Astern is yet to race in Melbourne, but the Roman Consul form has been the one to follow into the Derby Day Group 1 with the past three Coolmore Stud Stakes winners coming out of the race.
Zoustar (2013) and Brazen Beau (2014) completed the double for Chris Waller before he won his third on the trot with Japonisme (2015) improving on a lead-up third in the Roman Consul Stakes last season.
O’Shea has also nominated for the stable’s Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes (1200m) winner at Moonee Valley last Saturday Archives.
The beautifully-bred Helmet colt won the Cox Plate Day sprint narrowly as the odds-on favourite and is at a current quote of $34 to win again a week later and become the first Coolmore Stud Stakes winner to back-up off a run at the Valley since Theatre (3rd in the Manikato in 1998).
Hot on Astern’s heels in the futures Coolmore Stud Stakes odds meanwhile at $3.40 is the Mick Price-trained dual Group 1 winner Extreme Choice.
As a two-year-old the Not A Single Doubt colt won the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).
He atoned for a Golden Slipper eighth first-up as a three-year-old on September 30 when scoring the upset in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley.
Extreme Choice is also entered to take on the older horses again on Emirates Stakes Day, November 5, in the $1 million Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m).
Price is also dually represented in the Coolmore Stud Stakes nominations with Extreme Choice ed in the possible line-up by Flying Artie.
The gun Artie Schiller placed second and third respectively in the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper as a juvenile before kicking off his spring with a Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) win at Caulfield on October 12.
Price chases his first Coolmore Stud Stakes win and Flying Artie is at a current all-in quote of $7.50.
Shorter than him in the markets and the other best fancied three-year-old to take out the title in pre-field markets is Star Turn ($4.60).
Team Hawkes prepare the Star Witness colt who is another last start Melbourne winner after taking out the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield back on October 8 by a smart 2.25 length margin.
The other headline entries are the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained duo of Golden Slipper winner Capitalist ($11) and Russian Revolution ($9) who is yet to taste defeat in his four career runs.
Written Tycoon colt Capitalist ran third first-up in the Roman Consul Stakes won by his stablemate Russian Revolution who is not out to do the double for the third time in four years.
See below for the full Coolmore Stud Stakes 2016 nominations, the final field and barriers out on Wednesday.
Don’t forget to also head to Ladbrokes.com.au for the latest all-in Coolmore Stud Stakes betting markets for early value.
2016 Coolmore Stud Stakes Nominations
Flemington Racecourse – 29/10/2016
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1×50 | APIATA (NZ) | C | 3 | David Brideoake | 63 |
| 2 | 31×291 | ARCHIVES | C | 3 | John O’Shea | 84 |
| 3 | 1x101x112 | ASTERN | C | 3 | John O’Shea | 107 |
| 4 | 1x1121x43 | CAPITALIST | C | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 104 |
| 5 | 2x44224x2 | CHARNLEY RIVER | C | 3 | Stuart Kendrick | – |
| 6 | 12 | COMIN’ THROUGH | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 65 |
| 7 | 6×1203 | DERRYN | C | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 75 |
| 8 | 1118×1 | EXTREME CHOICE | C | 3 | Mick Price | 111 |
| 9 | 2x123x1 | FLYING ARTIE | C | 3 | Mick Price | 98 |
| 10 | 1756×15311 | KENTUCKY MISS | F | 3 | Joseph Pride | 82 |
| 11 | 210×585 | MANOLO BLAHNIQ (NZ) | C | 3 | Tony Noonan | 74 |
| 12 | 2x830x6049 | NIKITAS | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 75 |
| 13 | 1111 | RUSSIAN REVOLUTION | C | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 97 |
| 14 | 253×1156 | SARACINO (NZ) | C | 3 | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 95 |
| 15 | 31x256x121 | STAR TURN | C | 3 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 105 |
| 16 | 151 | VERSTAPPEN | C | 3 | Danny O’Brien | 68 |
