Saturday’s Lexus Stakes 2016 offers stayers one final chance to make the Melbourne Cup field on the first Tuesday of November and nominations for the Derby Day feature have been extended.
Recent JRA Cup winner Real Love is favourite to take out Saturday’s 2016 Lexus Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
On Monday Racing Victoria received just 13 early entries for the $300,000 Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m).
Nominations for the Flemington showdown, one of nine Group status races on the Victoria Derby Day card, were subsequently extended until 10am (AEDT) on Tuesday.
Futures Lexus Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au pre-field are dominated by the Darren Weir-trained mare Real Love ($2.50).
Two back at Moonee Valley she won the Group 3 JRA Cup (2040m) before her last start fifth to Jameka in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 15.
Real Love is currently rated $31 in early markets for the $6 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 1, a race Weir won 12 months ago in an upset with triple-figure roughie Prince Of Penzance (2015).
She is already assured of a run in the Melbourne Cup field this season sitting 16th on the Melbourne Cup ballot, as is fellow Lexus Stakes entry Tally (12th).
The John O’Shea-trained four-year-old Street Cry colt is out to atone for his 12th in the Caulfield Cup, which followed a third to subsequent Cox Plate runner-up Hartnell at Flemington in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).
Along with Real Love Weir has two other early Lexus entries with 42-start veteran Honorius and perennial placegetter Black Tomahawk who has run second or third in his six latest runs.
The Lexus Stakes nominees that need to win on Saturday to get into the Melbourne Cup with the ballot free ride on offer to the winner include John Wheeler’s Moonee Valley Cup third placegetter last Saturday Pentathlon (26th) and Auckland Cup runner-up over the two miles in the autumn Rose Of Virginia (27th).
Two of the early entries for Saturday are yet to the first ballot clause for the ‘race that stops a nation’ – Tom Melbourne and De Little Engine.
Lee & Anthony Freedman’s imported six-year-old Tom Melbourne was last seen running a half-length second to Vanbrugh in the Group 3 Coongy Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.
He pays $4 as the second elect in pre-final acceptance Lexus Stakes markets to handle his first run over further than 2100m on Saturday.
De Little Engine is the $6 third favourite currently just ahead of Tally ($7).
Local Flemington horseman Danny O’Brien trains the son of Encosta De Lago who has winning form at the track and distance.
His latest run was a ninth in the Caulfield Cup as a $51 roughie.
The bookies are also taking no early chances with Junoob ($8) for the Lexus Stakes win.
He is not Melbourne Cup-bound for the Chris Waller stable, but is still chasing a Group Melbourne Cup Carnival win following the nine-year-olds’ 2400m Black-Type victory at Randwick last time out.
See below for the original Lexus Stakes 2016 nominations before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au to place your pre-field bets on it and the Melbourne Cup!
2016 Lexus Stakes Nominations
Flemington Racecourse – 29/10/2016
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0508322223 | BLACK TOMAHAWK | G | 7 | Darren Weir | 88 |
| 2 | x7733x8679 | DE LITTLE ENGINE | G | 6 | Danny O’Brien | 93 |
| 3 | 33191×6032 | DREADED (NZ) | G | 4 | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 66 |
| 4 | 7x46130x08 | HIPPOPUS (NZ) | G | 7 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 94 |
| 5 | 560x90x075 | HONORIUS | H | 7 | Darren Weir | 87 |
| 6 | 6382353261 | JUNOOB (GB) | G | 9 | Chris Waller | 106 |
| 7 | 13254×0673 | PENTATHLON (NZ) | G | 5 | John Wheeler | 98 |
| 8 | 32114×2715 | REAL LOVE | M | 6 | Darren Weir | 109 |
| 9 | 462102×094 | ROSE OF VIRGINIA (NZ) | M | 7 | Lee & Shannon Hope | 88 |
| 10 | 11113×0230 | TALLY | H | 4 | John O’Shea | 104 |
| 11 | 81642×4756 | THE BANDIT (JPN) | H | 5 | John Sadler | 78 |
| 12 | 1x110x2662 | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | G | 6 | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 97 |
| 13 | 57029×9623 | TRANSFER ALLOWANCE | G | 7 | Peter Roche | 75 |
