There’s a real West Australian theme to Laurie Sainsbury’s Flemington tips on Saturday.
CIRCOMO (Flemington Race 3 No 13)
Liked the way this horse got home at Benalla when narrowly beaten by Valac over 1600m. Valac is an Irish import from the Lindsay Park team that had placed five from eight starts in Ireland when trained by Pat Smullen. I did hear a stable representative give this horse a wrap prior to the race so the form may be better than it reads and they beat the third horse by five lengths. Circomo had two starts on the Geelong Synthetic for two seconds prior to the run at Benalla. In every start he has been strong late and the step out to 1800m suits perfectly and the stable are inform. Keep an eye on Into Rio at big odds, may improve in a truly run race.
BET: EACH-WAY
ODDS $15 @ Bet365
PURE SCOT (Flemington Race 6 No 1)
Sticking with this filly after two runs this time in. We may have been a bit premature in selecting her last start but the sectionals were convincing. However, last start she confirmed her ability with the fastest last 400 and 200m figures of the race and is now crying out for this 1600m assignment. The winner of her last run was Leather‘n’lace and she got all the favours. Different scenario here, she’s drawn out and will need to do a bit of work to lead. Happy to be with Pure Scot this time with the addition of blinkers for the first time.
BET: EACH-WAY
ODDS $14 @ CrownBet, Bet365
ELLICAZOOM (Flemington Race 8 No 10)
Former Western Australian mare that has performed well in Victoria. Her two 1400m runs on Melbourne in the Angus Armanasco at Caulfield when second to Savanna Amour and her second in the Kewney Stakes here at Flemington to I Am A Star were sound enough to suggest she will be hard to beat in this. Had little luck first-up at Caulfield behind Savanna Amour and her second-up form record reads (3:1-1-0). She maps well in this from the rails draw and provided she has trained on from that first-up run she will be a major player.
BET: EACH-WAY
ODDS $12 @ Bet365
GOOD PROJECT (Flemington Race 9 No 2)
He’s had the two runs in this time, moderate efforts to say the least but they were in Group II races. His overall record reads (31:5-9-4) but when you analyse the anti-clockwise runs it’s (5:1-2-0) with a fourth at Caulfield to Voodoo Lad and a three length seventh behind Le Romain on his resume. He won the Group I Railway Stakes in 2015 and ran second in that race last year to Scales Of Justice. He appears to be ready to show his best now and Hugh Bowman from a good draw should have him in a challenging position when they get to the business end.
BET: EACH-WAY
ODDS $16 @ Bet365