Course ranger Mick Goodie didn’t rule out a track upgrade after the Flemington track was rated a soft 5 this morning for Makybe Diva Stales Race Day.
Black Heart Bart, above, is the favourite for the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Flemington track has received 13.8mm of rain over the last seven days with 13.2mm falling in the last twenty-four hours and even though a possible shower is forecast for Melbourne today, Goodie said a track upgrade later in the day was on the cards.
“We should get through most of the day, we might get the odd shower. A soft 5 overall,” Goodie said.
“I think the track will race fair but there is a little bit of wear there from the seven metre position last month but all in all it is in pretty good nick.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it got ungraded. We will just see how it goes through the first couple of races.”
Goodie is expecting the middle to the outside of the course is where the jockeys will be heading in the two races down the straight later in the day, race 5 the Group 2 $200,000 Danehill Stakes (1200m) and race 6 the Group 2 $200,000 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m).
“They will definitely use the middle to the outside in races five and six and wouldn’t be surprised if they could win there,” Goodie said.
Trainer Darren Weir will be happy if the track is upgraded before the running of the Group 1 $500,000 PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) as he will saddle up the favourite Black Heart Bart.
Black Heart Bart is the winner of thirteen of his thirty-two starts with all of them being on good rated tracks while his only run on a soft track resulted in a second in the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Black Heart Bart is holding his spot as the clear favourite at $2.35 for the Makybe Diva Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of stablemate Palentino at $6 and Lindsay Park’s Rising Romance at $8.50.
Market order for the Makybe Diva Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.35 Black Heart Bart, $6 Palentino, $8.50 Rising Romance, $10 Our Ivanhowe, $11 Tarzino, $14 Alpine Eagle, $16 Entirely Platinum, $19 He Or She, $26 Jacquinot Bay, $31 Sofia Rosa, $41 Happy Trails, $51 Prince Of Penzance, $151 Ayres Rock.
