G1 Lightning Stakes Day - 20.02.2016

The G1 Lightning Stakes in Melbourne may only have attracted seven runners but five of them are already winners at the highest level.

It highlights yet another great day for racing fans with three G2 contests in Sydney, another two G3's in Melbourne, two $100K races in Perth, the Listed Birthday Cup in Adelaide plus a couple of G2's from Ellerslie in N.Z.

T.V. remote control at the ready!

Who's Hot? 

In the last 12 days Bjorn Baker has had 19 runners for six winners and four placegetters.

He has two runners at Rosehill tomorrow - To Be Sure (Race 1 No. 5) and  Coolring (Race 9 No. 4).

FLEMINGTON

*** At time of publication the track was rated a Good 4. The forecast was for a sunny afternoon.***

Lightning Stakes (Group 1, 1000m, w-f-a)

Current Sportsbet market

*** Kinglike is an early scratching ***

Exosphere won as he liked (below) in the G2 Roman Consul Stakes last October and that was his fifth win from seven starts including a G1 Golden Rose.  I can overlook his next start failure in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington because he was in the wrong part of the track. Hoop James McDonald could have had some decent rides in Sydney but you couldn't get him off this bloke with a crowbar.

Chautauqua has had six starts at Flemington for three wins and three seconds. His fresh record is outstanding too with five starts for four wins and a second on debut. His one start at 1000m resulted in a comfortable one and a half length win in the G2 McEwen Stakes first-up last September. He's had six starts at G1 level for two wins, three seconds and a third. He is the proven horse and the one they have to beat.

Delectation beat an all-star field (below) including Chautauqua and Terravista when capturing the G1 Darley Classic here at his last start before a spell. His first-up record and his form at this track reads OK with a win and two placings from five starts and his three runs down the Flemington straight last Spring were all full of merit but only one winner in the last 12 years has paid more than $5.50.

Terravista has outstanding fresh form with six starts for five wins and a third in last year's G1 Newmarket Handicap. Two of those wins came at 1000m but it's his first go at the trip in two and a half years. On the plus side he's had three tries down the Flemington straight for a win and two thirds and all of those were in G1's. He wasn't far off Delectation and Chautauqua (above) in the G1 Darley Classic before he went for a spell.

Japonisme is first-up from his victory down the straight here (below) in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day. He beat Exosphere on that occasion although he did have the advantage of that superior inside section of track. He's won five of his last seven going back to July last year and the three kilo pull in the weights is in his favour but no 3-y-o has won this race since Fastnet Rock in 2005.

There is only one other runner and he will start at huge odds and rightly so. Va Pensiero has four top two finishes from five first-up runs but he hasn't won since claiming the G3 Run To The Rose two and a half years ago. Granted he's only had eight runs in that time due to injury but he's managed just the two placings. No.

Locky's Selections

BEST        

1. Chautauqua 

DANGER  

5. Exosphere

FOR EXOTICS

2. Terravista 
3. Delectation 

OTHER BETS

Palentino (Flemington Race 5 No. 2) deserves a bit of luck this week because he had none whatsoever last start in the G3 Manfred Stakes where he was climbing over horses all the way down the straight. He won like a good horse during Cup Week last year over this course and distance and stepping up to the 1400m is in his favour. He opened $3.80 but that was quickly snapped up and he'll start a warm favourite.

Catkins (Rosehill Race 5 No. 2) revels in these G2 set weights plus penalties contests for the fillies and mares. Her fresh record speaks for itself with seven wins and a second from nine starts. The last time we saw her first-up (below) she won the G2 Sheraco Stakes (for the second year in a row) and she won this race fresh last year. She's a 16 time winner overall with nine of them coming here at Rosehill including two from two at 1300m.

Hasselhoof (Rosehill Race 8 No. 3) is getting one more chance. He disappointed last time out but the jockey reported he was a bit above himself and needed the run and as a result he's going to be a backable price here unlike the other day when he (thankfully) wasn't really a betting proposition. Stepping out to 2000m appeals because he is by Tavistock (sire of G1 VRC Derby winner Tarzino) out of a Zabeel mare so he should stay all day.

Good punting!