Saturday sets the scene for Flemington Finals

This time of year is all about who is going to put their hand up for the Spring, and while Flemington Finals Race Day is anything but a stepping stone, the profile of a few horses heading that way scream springtime.

Across the highly competitive nine-race card on Saturday, which has attracted an average field size of nearly 14 runners, we have two favourites already in the red, and another four at $3 or below. 

The shortest of those is in the opener where two-year-old Observer looks to stake his claim for the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) off the back of a dominant win at Sandown last time out.

A son of an elite middle-distance horse in Ghaiyyath, who ran to a Racing & Sports rating of 130+ on five occasions (Via Sistina has done so once) in Europe, Observer is already at a Taj Rossi winning level.

A RAS rating of 100 at Sandown in fast time would win all bar three of the past 10 editions of the Taj Rossi Series Final, with this particular 1420-metre TAB We’re On Handicap easily proving the best leadup for two weeks’ time.

Royal Symphony is the best Taj Rossi Series Final winner in history according to Racing & Sports, running to a rating of 108 in the 1400m lead up, improving to 110 in the Final, while Cherry Tortoni went 97-103, also completing the double.

Last year, Jenni’s Meadow was the eyecatcher in the lead up, running to 95 behind Sneaky Sunrise before taking the Taj Rossi with a rating of 101.

For Observer to already be rated within a length of that level is ominous for his rivals, not just on Saturday, but on Finals Day and into the Spring.

Bookending the card is a deep 1100m three-year-old handicap, the Shop Flemington Handicap, which looks the ideal lead in to the Listed A.R Creswick Stakes (1200m) on July 5.

The Creswick has proven time and time again to produce a good winner and the honour roll is outstanding: Nature Strip, Gytrash, Front Page, Passive Aggressive and Right To Party just to name a few in recent years. 

Saturday’s lead in runs deep. A full field headlined by two off booming Bendigo wins, with Toby Lake and Fieldelo vs Ciaron Maher and She’s An Artist.

It’s the same race used by the two highest rated A.R Creswick Stakes winner in history; Nature Strip and Passive Aggressive, who both did the double.

Nature Strip won this 1100m handicap in blistering fashion. He won by 4.5 lengths in obscenely fast time and post a Racing & Sports rating of 116, only needing to hit 112 to then win the Creswick.

Passive Aggressive won this race at her third start, going into it rated 93, coming out 102, and then taking the Creswick in 110. 

This year, Fieldelo has done little wrong. He toyed with a benchmark 58 field at Bendigo last time, scoring by seven lengths, and this will be a good test of the 90 rating (with upside to come) against a deep field, where 15 of the 16 entered can claim to be rated 85 or better, and half the field 95 or better. 

It sets up for a cracking contest down the straight and may just start to scratch the surface of another star that could be unearthed on Flemington Finals Race Day on July 5.