DARLEY SPRINT CLASSIC 2020 PREVIEW
FLEMINGTON RACE 6 – 15:35 AEDT
OPEN
1200m
$1,500,000
GOOD 4
Rail OUT 7m entire
| # | Form | Horse | Trainer | Jockey (barrier) | Weight (kg) | Current Price |
| 1 | 66x66 | SANTA ANA LANE | A & S FREEDMAN | B MELHAM (7) | 58.5 | $9 |
| 2 | 1x247 | NATURE STRIP | C WALLER | H BOWMAN (9) | 58.5 | $3.90 |
| 3 | 65x32 | BIVOUAC | JAMES CUMMINGS | G BOSS (6) | 58.5 | $3.60 |
| 4 | 9x841 | HEY DOC | T & C MCEVOY | L CURRIE (3) | 58.5 | $10 |
| 5 | 450x1 | GRAFF | D O'BRIEN | J ALLEN (1) | 58.5 | $19 |
| 6 | 00x11 | ZOUTORI | MATHEW ELLERTON & SIMON ZAHRA | JAMIE KAH (4) | 58.5 | $11 |
| 7 | 0x552 | STANDOUT | G RYAN & S ALEXIOU | C WILLIAMS (8) | 58.5 | $34 |
| 8 | 1x359 | TOFANE | M MORONEY | J M NEIL (2) | 56.5 | $16 |
| 9 | 49x18 | LIBERTINI | A CUMMINGS | D OLIVER (5) | 56.5 | $6.50 |
| 10 | x1x02 | FABERGINO | T ROBERTSON | JORDAN CHILDS (10) | 56.5 | $16 |
OVERVIEW
The Flemington Carnival is almost complete for 2020, but as always, a top day of racing including two Group 1s ensure the punters will be salivating. The Darley Sprint is the first Group 1 of the day and hosts a small field, but that doesn’t make it much easier for punters as the field is wide open. Bivouac heads the early betting from Nature Strip and nearly every horse has a chance to win.
SPEED MAP
They should be burning up the Flemington straight here, with a hot tempo set to be engaged from Nature Strip & Fabergino. Hey Doc shouldn’t be far away either. Bivouac and Libertini should get cover behind them. Graff & Tofane draw towards the inside, and Santa Ana Lane will be the backmarker here.
KEY RUNNERS
- SANTA ANA LANE ($9)
Santa Ana Lane hasn’t quite looked like himself in recent times, and hasn’t scored a win since the TJ Smith Stakes in 2019. He’s been racing in high quality races and has performed reasonably well, but just hasn’t been able to land a win. His best is certainly good enough to win this.
- NATURE STRIP ($4)
Nature Strip hasn’t looked like the same horse this prep. He was purely dominant last prep aside from a first up hiccup but hasn’t been able to bring that same form this time around. In saying that, he’s been up against the best each run and hasn’t finished all that far away. If he can wind back the clock, he’s certainly the one to beat here.
- BIVOUAC ($3.60)
Bivouac has been up near his best this prep and was particularly good last start in The Everest, finishing second behind the supremely talented Classique Legend. The third placed horse there, Gytrash, has since gone on to win again. That looks like the best form to bring into the race and he should prove extremely tough to beat again.
BLUEY’S PICK
- SANTA ANA LANE ($9)
Santa Ana Lane here for mine. He may well be past his best, but I think his recent finish positions have been more to do with his racing pattern than lack of ability. He’s simply been too far back in both runs this prep and hasn’t had a chance at them. He gets a hot tempo here which should suit and he can finish over the top of them.
