Flemington Review: Berkeley Square To Attack Spring Features

EXCITING three-year-old gelding Berkeley Square is Caulfield Guineas bound after his impressive win in the opening event at Flemington.

His Ballarat-based trainer Dan O’Sullivan said the style of that victory warranted Berkeley Square being set for the Group One feature at Caulfield over 1600 metres on October 9.

In a change of tactics, his jockey Craig Williams made sure he jumped well and he sat outside the leader Palaggio in the early stages.

Then in the final 200 metres, Williams shook Berkeley Square up and he sprinted away to win by a length and three-quarters.

The main race of the day was won by Sirius Suspect’s who dominated the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200 metres) leading from the start to the finish unchallenged.

Jockey Ethan Brown dictated the tempo and the strong sprinter didn’t look like losing.

Trainer Saab Hasan said Sirius Suspect had kept his operation above water during the past year as he developed a country training property at Tabilk, near Seymour, in the past year.

Hasan said he took a risk and admitted to having faced some hard times.

Melbourne’s most under-rated jockey Jamie Mott doesn’t get a lot of opportunities in the city due to being a heavyweight jockey and again he showed his ability with his winning ride on Lyrical Lad.

Mott has ridden six winners from his past 15 rides from Thursday to Saturday.

HORSES TO FOLLOW

BERKELEY SQUARE

Strong type who could be a player in higher level races. Craig Williams managed to get him to jump well and then flipped around his race positioning by settling him outside the leader. He took a little while to respond to Williams riding in the early part of the straight and momentarily looked vulnerable but then he switched into gear and raced away over the last 200 metres.

VERANSKOVA

She looks on track to fulfil the potential she showed early in her career. She recorded the fastest last 400 metres for the day of 22.63 seconds to go and win eased up by two and three-quarters lengths.

STAGEMAN

Danny O’Brien has the former smart West Australian galloper ready for a big campaign based on his nice run-on effort to finish second to Sirius Suspect in the Aurie’s Star Handicap after being slow to begin. View PLAYUP Racing Markets Here

BORN A KING

Should be ready to win his next start over 2000 metres based on his second to Lyrical Lad over 1620 metres. He settled second last and made ground on the inside. The son of Frankel is proving to be a consistent conveyance.

CHAIN OF LIGHTNING

She is meeting every challenge taking her record to four starts for four wins. Peter Moody as he is apt to do is placing her to perfection. He is likely to step her up to a mares’ stakes race for her next start. The four-year-old mare ran the fastest last 200 metres of the day getting home in 11.84 seconds. Join Our Championships Competition

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