The Metropolitan Tips & Preview 2022
Flight Stakes Tips & Preview 2022
Looking for Flight Stakes tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2022 Flight Stakes at Randwick.
FLIGHT STAKES BETTING SNAPSHOT
The Flight Stakes is the first of three Group 1 races at Randwick on Saturday October 1 and it is Fireburn that heads the market with Unibet after the barrier draw at the $2.80 quote, just ahead of Zougotcha at $3.
She’s Extreme ($6) and Wolverine ($8) are others in single figure odds, while North Star Lass ($10) and Madame Pommery ($13) are other key chances in the 10-horse field. Pavrita ($41), Renaissance Woman ($41), Bryon Belle ($91) and Whisker To Whisker ($91) are the roughies in the field.
FLIGHT STAKES FORM ANALYSIS
Fireburn backs up after running 5th against the boys in the Golden Rose (1400m) last weekend at Rosehill. The Golden Slipper (1200m) and Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) winner from the autumn settled back in the Golden Rose and produced the fastest 400m-200m split and the second fastest last 200m before landing within two lengths of Jacquinot.
The Gary Portelli-trained galloper went 8.5 lengths faster than standard in the Golden Rose, which is just shy of the 9.1 lengths faster that she produced in the Golden Slipper. Those figures are better than what any runner in this race has produced.
She improved with racing in the autumn but was bought undone in the Champagne Stakes (1600m) by She’s Extreme, who was able to get away with a cheap time of it up front before winning that Group 1.
She’s Extreme also comes out of the Golden Rose and never really settled well in the run before finishing 6th. She has to be considered on the back of her Champagne Stakes win in the autumn.
Six of the field come out of the traditional pathway for the fillies, that is, having their lead up run in the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick. That came on September 17 and it was Zougotcha the backed up her Silver Shadow (1200m) victory by holding out Madame Pommery. Wolverine (3rd), North Star Lass (4th), Renaissance Woman (6th) and Byron Belle (7th) were others among the beaten brigade.
The winner, Zougotcha, went 3.8 lengths faster than standard benchmark in the Tea Rose. Madame Pommery could turn the tables on the winner out of that and was caught three wide throughout. She produced the fastest last 600m.
The two that come out of separate races are Pavitra and Whisker To Whisker. Impossible to make a case for the latter. Pavitra has won her last two and has dictated in both of those. She will need to produce a big personal best but like a number in this race, we are possibly yet to see her ceiling.
FLIGHT STAKES TIPS AND BEST BETS
Fireburn is a clear top pick. She was excellent against the boys when getting back in the Golden Rose. Not too fussed about her being defeated by She’s Extreme at the track and trip back in April. That came at the end of a huge campaign and she did not enjoy the favours in what was a slowly run race that day. Expect Brendan Avdulla to keep She’s Extreme in his sights this time around, while the bigger field should help, as will the likelihood of some degree of tempo with Pavitra and North Star Lass to take up the running.
