Flemington Preview: Ramsden A Golden Race

The decision by the VRC five years ago to make the Andrew Ramsden Stakes a golden ticket race into the Melbourne Cup has paid off in spades for them as the event gets stronger every year.

Underlying the strength of the Andrew Ramsden Stakes is the prices of the horses who ran the placings in the Adelaide Cup.

The winner of the Adelaide Cup, Rebel Racer is a $101 chance with TopSport, the runner-up Aurora’s Symphony is $71 and third placegetter Amade is $51

The race in terms of betting is dominated by the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott imported stayer White Marlin who suffered the first defeat of his career at his seventh start when he finished second to D’Aguilar over 2000m at Pakenham.

Before that race White Marlin was favourite for the Melbourne Cup.

Waterhouse said he wasn’t suited by the change in venue from Flemington to Pakenham for her galloper.

She expects him to be much better suited over the 2800m at Flemington. He won on Melbourne Cup Day over the same track and distance in a Benchmark 96 by five and a half lengths.

The danger to White Marlin is from the in-form Grahame Begg stable (six winners from past 12 runners) who finished third behind him at her last start in the Easter Cup.

White Marlin is a $2.25 favourite with TopSport and Lunar Flare is $7.50.

She won the Group 3 The Bart Cummings last spring over 2510 metres.

BEST BET FLEMINGTON

• D’JUMBUCK (Race 6, No.4) @ $2.60 With TopSport