A host of fit winter stars do battle at Flemington on Saturday in an outstanding edition of the Aurie’s Star Handicap 2021 in the lead-up to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
Upset VRC Derby champion Johnny Get Angry returns to racing in Saturday’s 2021 Aurie’s Star Handicap back at HQ. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Set to run as Flemington Race 8 at 4:30pm, this year’s Group 3 $200,000 World Horse Racing Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) field features 15 runners led in betting by the Leon & Troy Corstens-trained The Astrologist ($4.60 @ Ladbrokes.com.au).
The Zoustar five-year-old is drawn midfield in gate eight and chases a third win from four starts coming off a strong winter campaign.
He enjoyed back-to-back Flemington wins including July’s Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final over the six furlongs before a close third only a half-length beaten in Caulfield’s Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m).
The Astrologist faces a challenge here against a field of in-form sprinters, but he has the fitness edge in the Aurie’s Star field and returns to his pet track on Saturday.
It is a wide open Aurie’s Star Handicap betting market on the weekend with a further six single-figure fancies including the Danny O’Brien-trained stablemates Banquo ($7.50) and Group 1 runner-up Order Of Command ($8.50).
Written Tycoon entire Banquo is Group 1 performed at the track (Newmarket Handicap 5th) and a Group 2 placegetter when runner-up to Zoutori in last September’s Bobbie Lewis Quality.
He comes off a second to The Astrologist in the All Victorian Sprint Series Final and is out to turn the tables this weekend from barrier three third-up with Damian Lane in the saddle.
Kicking off his spring campaign is the Ben & JD Hayes-trained Aysar ($7.50) in gate nine with premier hoop Jamie Kah aboard the now four-year-old son of Deep Field.
Aysar is out to shrug his place-getter status having strung together a host of second placings last time out including in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) behind Ole Kirk.
Last start Listed Glasshouse Handicap winner in Queensland King Of Hastings ($8) and Saab Hasan’s resuming Wanted seven-year-old Sirius Suspect ($8.50) are the next best in betting.
Rounding out the horses under $10 Aurie’s Star Handicap odds is the rails-drawn Regardsmaree ($9.50) for local horseman Nick Ryan.
The So You Think five-year-old enjoyed a hat-trick of wins back at the start of the year and hasn’t raced since a fourth in the Echa Cup back in March.
There will also be eyes on triple-figure outsider, the returning VRC Derby champion Johnny Get Angry ($126) for former AFL Premiership coach Denis Pagan.
The youngster makes his four-year-old debut here and races for the first time since his upset win at HQ in last October’s Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) nine months ago.
Click here for the latest Aurie’s Star Handicap 2021 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2021 Aurie’s Star Handicap Field & Barriers
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0329431x | JOHNNY GET ANGRY (NZ) | Denis Pagan | Jamie Mott | 11 | 59kg | 104 | |
| 2 | 722x329x98 | ORDER OF COMMAND | Danny O’Brien | Craig Williams | 5 | 58.5kg | 103 | |
| 3 | x1622x229x | AYSAR | Ben & JD Hayes | Ms Jamie Kah | 9 | 57.5kg | 101 | |
| 4 | 7174346×18 | ROMANCER (NZ) | Grahame Begg | Jordan Childs | 6 | 57kg | 100 | |
| 5 | 2145×54113 | THE ASTROLOGIST | Leon & Troy Corstens | Damien Thornton | 8 | 57kg | 100 | |
| 6 | x16232x483 | GREAT AGAIN | Lindsey Smith | Declan Bates | 2 | 56.5kg | 99 | |
| 7 | 8568436×98 | TACTICAL ADVANTAGE | Kris Lees | Craig Newitt | 12 | 56.5kg | 99 | |
| 8 | 25x7277x52 | BANQUO | Danny O’Brien | Damian Lane | 3 | 55.5kg | 97 | |
| 9 | 9x615x0641 | KING OF HASTINGS | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Brett Prebble | 4 | 55.5kg | 97 | |
| 10 | 11218227×0 | SECRET BLAZE | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Jye McNeil | 7 | 55.5kg | 97 | |
| 11 | 60x311x76x | SIRIUS SUSPECT | Saab Hasan | Damien Oliver | 13 | 55.5kg | 97 | |
| 12 | 34x131114x | REGARDSMAREE | Nick Ryan | Fred Kersley | 1 | 54kg | 94 | |
| 13 | 36x99x7407 | I AM SOMEONE | Matt Laurie | Lachlan Neindorf (a) | 14 | 54kg | 90 | |
| 14 | 72233×7711 | TOO GOOD TOO HARD | Phillip Stokes | Will Price (a) | 10 | 54kg | 89 | |
| 15 | 403×439067 | IRISH SONGS | Kurt Goldman | Beau Mertens | 15 | 54kg | 76 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
