Eight year old Rhythm To Spare will need a change of luck if he is going to win the Listed $150,000 VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday at his third attempt.

Rhythm To Spare, above, will be lining up for his third attempt to win the Winter Championship Series Final at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Mike Maroney trained Rhythm To Spare has finished fifth in the last two runnings of the Winter Championship Series Final but the stable’s racing manager Anthony Feroce said that he had been racing without luck at his recent outings.

Rhythm To Spare has missed a place at his last two starts with a luckless fifth in the Group 3 $250,000 Robert & Fay Gerard R A Lee Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on May 19 followed by a fourth behind one of his main rivals on Saturday, Magic Consol, in a 1600m Handicap at The Valley on June 16.

“We think he’s going as good as ever. It’s just unfortunate he’s had no luck in his last two runs in Adelaide and at Moonee Valley,” Feroce told AAP.

“We’re just hoping for a bit better luck on Saturday and I think he can be in the finish.”

“We got held up and Magic Consol had the momentum out wide.”

“The race was all over by the time he got out.”

Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au opened Rhythm To Spare at $26 in the betting for the Winter Championship Series Final before shortening him up to $21 on Thursday afternoon while the Darren Weir trained Ozi Choice sits at the top of the market order at $4.60.

Damien Oliver has had a winning association in the past with Rhythm To Spare for three wins and teams up again with the eight year old who drew barrier eleven in the original draw of sixteen plus four emergencies but could move in two spots if all the reserves fail to gain a start.

Ozi Choice is one of three Weir runners in the Winter Championship Series Final and the five year old has some good recent form with a win two starts back in a 1400m Handicap at Flemington on June 9 followed by a second in a similar race on June 23.