Live: Aloisia a raging hot favourite on Oaks Day

ALOISIA is a raging hot favourite in the group one Kennedy Oaks but there’s plenty of value elsewhere on the nine-race card.

FLEMINGTON’S spring racing carnival enters its third day with a nine-race card highlighted by the $1 million Kennedy Oaks (2500m).

This is our complete race-by-race guide with a tip for each start. We’ll update the result of each race through the day.

RACE 1 — DRINKWISE PLATE (1700m)

Result: 1. Linguist (14) — $6.60 $2.30, 2. So Splendid (10) — $2.50, 3. Winkelmann (13) — $6.20, 4. History Repeats (11)

RACE 2 — TWITTER TROPHY (1800m)

Result: 1. Mr Garcia (3) — $4.30 $1.80, 2. Carraig Aonair (7) — $3.80, 3. Hogmanay (5) — $2.20. 4. War Legend (10)

RACE 3 — OFF THE TRACK SUBZERO HANDICAP (1400m)

Result: 1. Tribal Wisdom (8) — $18.50 $5.60, 2. Harbour Grey (9) — $4.10, 3. Powerline (4) — $4.20, 4. Silvera (6)

RACE 4 — MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL COUNTRY FINAL (1600m)

Result: 1. Another Coldie (17) — $7.40 $2.70, 2. Night’s Watch (2) — $1.80, 3. I Am The Dark (1) — $7.70, 4. Emoji (3)

The country’s biggest trainer has come away with the quinella in Victoria’s biggest race for country-trained horses at Flemington.

Darren Weir has trained the winners of many Group One races including the 2015 Melbourne Cup but reckons just getting a runner in Thursday’s $200,000 Country Cup (1600m) was hard.

Weir operates stables at Ballarat and Warrnambool, qualifying Another Coldie and Night’s Watch through the last heat of the Country series at Bendigo on November 1.

Night’s Watch won that day but it was Another Coldie ($7) who improved on his third to take out the final by a length from his stablemate who started the $3 favourite.

“There have been heats for this series all over the country, and most of my horses running in it ran terribly,” Weir said.

“I couldn’t get a horse into the final until Bendigo the other day.

“It’s a great series. It gives the country trainers something to aspire towards, and having a runner at Flemington on Oaks Day is a thrill for some of the smaller stables around the state.”

One of those smaller stables belongs to Doug Whitworth who trained third placegetter I Am The Dark ($26).

Whitworth trains at the Grampians hamlet, Fyans Creek, which is listed as having a population of 36.

“I’m pretty proud of the horse,” Whitworth said.

“The race was set up for those coming behind, particularly Weiry’s horses. “But we’ve got $18,000 for third which is pretty good.”

That $18,000 is the second biggest cheque I Am The Dark has collected, bettered only by the $27,500 he won for his victory at Murtoa two starts ago which earned him a place in Thursday’s race.

— AAP

Hellova Street is a chance in race five. Picture: Tasracing

RACE 5 — TCL TV STAKES (1400m)

Result: 1. Hellova Street (5) — $4.90 $2.70, 2. Supply and Demand (2) — $2.60, 3. Fox Hall (10) — NTD, 4. Ulmann (1)

Tasmania’s reigning horse of the year Hellova Street has got into the action on Melbourne Cup week with a stakes race win at Flemington on VRC Oaks day.

The Scott Brunton-trained gelding was already a Listed winner at Flemington and added Thursday’s Group Three TCL TV Stakes (1400m), leading all the way.

“It’s fantastic to be part of the show,” Brunton said.

“It’s a huge thrill.

“He’s just a ripper. You look at the size of him and he probably looks a little bit out of place but you can’t see the V8 under the bonnet.”

Ridden by Brenton Avdulla, Hellova Street was one of three equal favourites in the seven-horse field at $5 and crossed to the front from the outside barrier. He was never headed.

The seven-year-old defeated the fast-finishing Supply And Demand by three- quarters of a length with the same margin to Fox Hall third. Hellova Street won the Listed Thomas Lyon Stakes (1400m) and Listed Mowbray Stakes (1600m) during last summer’s Tasmanian carnival and is likely to return home for some weight-for-age races.

— AAP

RACE 6 — ABSOLUT STAKES (1000m)

Result: 1. Ball of Muscle (2) — $2.30 $1.40, 2. Crystal Dreamer (5) — $1.90, 3. Palazzo Publico (9) — $3.80, 4. Dane With Fontein (11)

RACE 7 — SEPPELT WINE STAKES (1800m)

Result: 1. All Too Huiying (3) — $31.60 $6.50, 2. Black Sail (4) — $2.60, 3. Sky Boy (5) — $2.40, 4. Savaheat (1)

Aloisia is at short odds in The Oaks. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

RACE 8 — KENNEDY OAKS (2500m) — 5pm

Pinot should lead from Hiyaam and Rimraam. Aloisia should be able to get across and slot in around midfield.

Aloisia (1) couldn’t have been any more impressive winning her last couple at Caulfield and Moonee Valley. The horse she defeated in the G1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) in Shoals has since won the G1 Myer Classic (1600m), adding further merit to her win. The Purcell-trained filly stepped up to 2040m last start and gave the in-form Cliff’s Edge windburn, bolting clear in the straight to win by 3.5L with another 5.5L back to 3rd. The extra 500m is obviously some sort of query but her class should get her home and she’s priced accordingly.

Reliable Dame (8) might be the horse who is over the odds in this at $19. She worked home nicely in the Geelong Classic (2200m) last start, coming from 16th at the 400m to finish on the heels of the placegetters.

Luvuluva (2) was given a peach of a ride by Blake Shinn in Saturday’s G2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m), slicing through from well back to prevail in a driving finish. She gives the impression she’ll run this trip right out.

Pinot (4) will probably lead here for in-form hoop Stephen Baster. She bolted in over 1800m here two-back before repeating the dose up to 2000m at Caulfield. Waterhouse has her rock-hard fit and she should be in this for a long way.

Verdict: Aloisia (1) should be justifying the short quote.

RACE 9 — KENNEDY PLATE (1100m) — 5.45pm

Messy map with She’s Popular, Demerara, Jungle Queen, Shudabeen and Camila Lucinda all heading forward from wide barriers. Debonairly and Blondie also have speed.

Demerara (5) might be worth another chance coming out of a pretty fast-run race at Moonee Valley last start. She got a little lost around the tight-turning track but found the line well once Avdulla got her balanced up again. Drawn out in this straight-course race which looks suitable.

Smart Coupe (7) did enough 1st-up to suggest he can show further improvement here. There was plenty to like about his first coupe of wins at Wangaratta and Sandown Lakeside and although he’s yet to race down the straight, he is trained on-course.

Debonairly (1) has been trialling nicely (the Waterhouse/Bott runners usually do) ahead of her return from a 180-day spell. She’s had two 1st-up runs for a 4.3L win and a 3.7L victory in smart time at Newcastle.

She’s Popular (16) won impressively at Kilmore last start, her first trip to the races. She’s been kept fresh for this and Lindsay Park have booked Williams for the ride. Blondie (2) is probably silly odds at $14 given the price of Demerara — the horse she beat last start.

Wrapsody (13) won by a lazy 6L at Echuca last start and looks promising. This is a deep race to close out the meeting.

Verdict: Demerara (5) on top but this is a really tough way to finish the card.

This article first appeared on punters.com.au and was reproduced with permission.