Flemington Finals Day is fast becoming a highlight of Melbourne’s winter racing program and the nominations for Saturday’s meeting point to another quality card, reports Racing Victoria.

 

The eight events at Flemington on Saturday will see the culmination of a series of races run throughout Victoria during the winter months.

Of the eight “finals”, each worth at least $100,000, they range from a series for sprinters to the middle distance Winter Championship tradition and a colder weather crown for stayers.

First run in 1980, the Listed TROA/Luxbet Winter Championship Final (1600m) has provided a rich off season alternative for trainers and connections.

This edition sees the Michael O’Leary-trained Glaneuse return for an attempt at a third straight win in the $150,000 race. Interestingly this race has provided the seven-year-old gelding’s only two victories in as many years.

Blackie, trained by Jarrod McLean, broke 27-month drought with it’s win over the mile at Moonee Valley last Saturday and the OTI Racing team will be hoping for a quick-fire follow up at Flemington.

The Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m) sees David Hayes’ Group 1 bound gelding Pago Rock nominated. Hayes said after Pago Rock’s Flemington win on 22 June that he is looking towards a Group 1 Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) run at Caulfield in September with the son of Rock Of Gibraltar.

Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) winner Sea Lord is nominated for the $120,000 contest for his second-up run this preparation for trainer Stephen Brown.

“He missed out on a couple of jump outs and a couple of runs because of the wet weather last time. He was a little underdone and the wetter track at Moonee Valley (15 June) found him out,” Brown said of the Spring Carnival bound five-year-old.

“For a Listed race this is very winnable one for him.”

The third black-type event of the day, the Listed Taj Rossi Final for two-year-olds sees the Brideoake/Feek training combination shoot for four wins-on-the-trot with Lady Lakshmi.

The Mick Price-prepared Resistant, runner-up to that filly at Flemington over 1410-metres ten days ago, could also line-up alongside the David Hayes-trained trio of Honey's Steel Gold, Tawjeeh and Street Battel, all last-start winners. 

Of the other races, the Banjo Paterson Series Final (2600m) will be highlighted by Robert Smerdon’s Cooldini not only looking to make it a quartet of victories but also pave the way to the beginnings of a possible career over the jumps.

The nominations for Saturday's Flemington meeting are available here.