VIC Blackbookers and Horses to Follow

Looking for VIC horses to follow each Saturday? We pick out the best blackbookers each week from the metropolitan meeting in Victoria.

From winners of feature races to unlucky loses and first up gallopers outrunning expectations, we select three or four horses each week to add to your blackbook from Melbourne’s Saturday racing.

HORSES TO FOLLOW FROM FLEMINGTON ON MAY 18

Race 2 – BenchMark 84 (1800 METRES)- MIRZANN 📓

Mirzann has been knocking on the door in his two runs in Australia since coming over and a win should not be too far away. The Chris Waller import was a bit costly as a $2.90 favourite but didn’t have the best of luck in the straight when held up. He produced the fastest last 200m but fell short in his pursuit ion Ambertite. Keen on this form going forward with the winner going 10.5 lengths faster than standard benchmark, which were the best figures on the day.

Race 3 – BenchMark 78, Fillies & Mares (1200 METRES)- MOOR MUMM 📓

Nice finish to the race by Moor Mumm in Race 3 at Flemington. The four-year-old has graduated to city races in recent times and claimed two on the trot with those wins coming at Geelong and Flemington. The Dan O’Sullivan-trained galloper was stepping up to the 1200m on Saturday and settled back on a very slow tempo before unleashing the fastest last 600m, 400m and 200m of the entire meeting.

Race 9 – BenchMark 100 (1600 METRES)- VIRTUOUS CIRCLE 📓

Keen to see Virtuous Circle over further ground during the upcoming winter. Last year’s Australian Derby (2400m) runner-up wasn’t quite up to the big guns in the serious staying races in the spring, including the Melbourne Cup (3200m) but might find his class as he gets to the 2000m and beyond this prep. On Saturday, the Liam Howley-trained galloper tackled the 1600m and worked home well for 6th, producing the fastest last 200m to go down by three lengths.

HORSES TO FOLLOW FROM CAULFIELD ON MAY 11

Race 1 – Two-Year-Olds (1100 METRES)- TROPICUS 📓

Keeping an eye on this race going forward with the two-year-olds running steady time. The winner, Tropicus, went 10.7 lengths faster than standard benchmark, which were the second best of the day. He was steady in the market at the $5 quote and settled midfield before edging ahead of his rivals to score from Stormbourg. The Anthony & Sam Freedman stable will consider a Queensland trip for the son of Too Darn Hot but might save him for some of the big spring three-year-old races, with the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) mentioned after the race.

Race 3 – BenchMark 78 (1400 METRES)- ARQANA 📓

Race 3 went the way of Fancify. Arqana was the eye-catcher from back in the field. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained galloper didn’t have a lot go right in the early stages of the race and was posted last of the 10 runners at the 400m mark in a race where they crawled up in front. She recorded the fastest last 400m of the entire meeting to run on for 4th, beaten just under four lengths. The lightly raced galloper has had three runs this time in for a Maiden win when resuming at Echuca and looks like she has scope to win in town and over further ground.

Race 6 – BenchMark 78 (2000 METRES)- SAVOIR FAIRE 📓 & QUEEN TAKES KING 📓

Impressive performance by Savoir Faire to take out Race 6 on the programme. The Mark Walker-trained galloper in the Te Akau racing colours improved sharply on his previous start to make a long and sustained run to score from Quantum Cat. The son of Savabeel produced the best benchmark figures of the entire meeting to go 11 lengths faster than standard benchmark. Queen Takes King grinned into 6th position and produced the second fastest last 200m. The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper was second up and can be an improver at her next start and up further in trip.

HORSES TO FOLLOW FROM CAULFIELD ON MAY 4

Race 2 – BenchMark 78 (1100 METRES)- WAKANJEJA 📓

It was a solid first-up effort from Wakanjeja in Race 2. The Phillip Stokes mare was stepping out for the first time since a spring campaign that saw her win three races. She didn’t enjoy the best start to the race before settling back in the field of eight and they didn’t go hard early on. The daughter of Impending closed off with the fastest last 400m and 200m of the entire meeting and is one to back at her next run.

Race 4 – 3YO (1100 METRES)- ENNA’S DREAM 📓

Race 4 went the way of Title Fighter and one that may have finished a bit closer was Enna’s Dream. The Alex Rae-trained filly was stepping out for her first run of the year and settled back in the field of 10. She was working into it as they cornered but was held up from the 400m to the 200m before getting out and producing the fastest last 200m of the race and the fourth fastest of the entire meeting to go down less than a length. The daughter of Winning Rupert showed promise at her initial preparation with a couple of wins before not measuring up in the Thousand Guineas (1600m). But she looks to have come back in good order and another win should be just around the corner.

Race 5 – BenchMark 90 (1000 METRES)- VIVIANE 📓

It was a bit of a return to form for Viviane in Race 5 with the Matthew Ellerton mare missing out in narrow fashion behind Ashford Street. She was coming off a 7th placing at Flemington but liked the return to Caulfield settling handy before filling the exacts. At the same stage of her 2023 preparation, she improved to score at Sandown and won five on the trot over the winter and early spring. There should be a few options for her in the next couple of months and I suspect she can rejoin the winners list fairly soon.

Race 8 – 3YO (2000 METRES)- STEEL RUN 📓

Big performance by Steel Run in Race 8 at Caulfield. The Michael Kent-trained galloper was lining up for just his second career start and was jumping up from a debut win over the 1600m in a Caulfield Heath Maiden. He was steady in the betting at the $5.50 but did it the hard way as he was posted wide and without cover throughout. But the son of Real Steel kept coming and produced the fastest 400m-200m split before just going down late behind the race favourite, Aztec State, with those two putting a gap on the rest. He looks to have a future and we shouldn’t have to wait long for him to claim a Saturday race.

HORSES TO FOLLOW FROM CAULFIELD ON APRIL 27

Race 2 – BenchMark 70 (1800 METRES)- SMOKIN’ PRINCESS 📓

SMOKIN’ PRINCESS went down as a $4.80 favourite in Race 2 but is one of a few from the day that can bounce back next time. The Michelle Payne-trained galloper settled last in the field of 13 and had a tendency to race keenly, while she also lost ground when contacting the rail at the 1000m mark. The daughter of Fastnet Rock was too far back when the race heated up at the 600m mark but managed to produce the fastest last 400m and 200m to place 5th. She can improve as she stretches out over further ground.

Race 7 – VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200 METRES)- WHO DARES 📓

Nice win by Who Dares in the VOBIS Gold Sprint. The four-year-old had the answers in what was a strong field that tackled the $175,000 race. He looks to have developed into a very handy 1200m-1400m horse. The Pat Carey & Harris Walker-trained galloper was stepping out off a two-month break and settled handy before producing the fastest last 200m to swallow them up, going 10.4 lengths faster than standard, which were amongst the best figures of the day. He can go on with the job at his next couple of starts.

Race 10 – Handicap (1400 METRES)- BEL AIR 📓

Bel Air can improve off a first up effort that saw him run 8th behind Edison in the final race of the day. The winner enjoyed a soft time of it in front and was able to pinch it with the light weight. Bel Air settled last of the 14 runners and was given no chance due to the slow tempo. The Anthony & Sam Freedman gelding produced the fastest last 600m, 400m and 200m of the entire meeting to land four lengths away.

Race Replays