The ANZAC Day meeting at Flemington is always a special and emotional day of racing. OTI has generally enjoyed great success on this day, having won with Amade, Haky, Gallic Chieftain and Martinvast over the past years. We will look to continue that tradition with a trio of runners this ANZAC Day.
Costae will start our day in The Les Carlyon over 1400m, having her second start in Australia. She got it all wrong on her Australian debut at Geelong a few weeks back, changing legs and getting herself and her jockey off balance on straightening. She’s proven herself very capable back at the trials since for Grahame Begg and heads to the expanses at Flemington in good order. She is undefeated over 1400m in her short career to date, and we expect to see great improvement from her in this event.
Costae wins at Auckland(NZ) in November 2024.
No Fuss will don the special ANZAC Day khaki silks in race 3, where he will face another OTI contender in Highland Bling over 1800m in the WGCDR Ian Bayles DFC Handicap. No Fuss has taken to Australian racing in grand style thus far, winning all three starts since his arrival for Tony & Calvin McEvoy. He has shown himself to be exceptionally versatile, winning from the back and from a more forward position. Carrying the large impost of 61.5kg makes things tougher for John Allen, however, the horse is showing black-type ability, and it would not be a surprise to see him continue his winning ways.
No Fuss wins impressively at Sandown last start.
As mentioned above, Highland Bling is one of the horses No Fuss needs to overcome in this 1800m event on Friday. He will be making his Australian debut for Phillip Stokes, having completed his career to date in Ireland for Jessie Harrington. He has won on one occasion with a handful of other positive efforts from a short career thus far. Highland Bling continues to acclimatise to Australian conditions, and his run on Friday is seen as another step in the right direction for him. With a recent trial win under his belt, but likely to need further distance and time, our only expectation of Highland Bling this Friday is to be running home strongly.
Highland Bling wins his Pakenham trial (red silks, black and white sleeves).
As we remember our war heroes this Friday, and the freedoms they fought so hard to retain, we will again enjoy this special day on the racing calendar.