Race Preview
The Melbourne Mail: 19th of July 2025
Racing heads to Flemington this week, headlined by the Deane Lester Flemington Cup.
First run in 1849, the Flemington Cup is now named after a legend of racing media in Deane Lester.
Pre-dating both the Victoria Derby and Melbourne Cup, this year's 2800m contest is made up entirely of imports which I've never seen before.
Regardless, I think Muktamil is the horse to beat in the race, getting 5kg off Bold Soul from when they met and taking good ground off that horse late.
We'll pass over that for the best bets and instead look to Race 2 where Bayou Music has been backed into favouritism after opening $4. A few of these come through the Taj Rossi Series Final won by Buccleuch who isn't here, and I thought the run of Bayou Music was very good.
Taken back from a wide gate, he ran home in the fastest sectionals outside the winner in what was a very slowly run race. The sectional mark up is strong and makes his run clearly better than the others he meets again here.
Drawn inside now, he stalks the speed and is certainly bred to stay given his dam is by Zabeel and ran second (as favourite) in a VRC Oaks.
Into favourite now but I marked him closer to $2.50 and much better than $3 is still being bet.
Similar price for the other best on the card which comes up in Race 6 in the form of La Fracas.
He's gone bang-bang in two runs this time in, both on heavy ground, but won in very fast time figures and put up strong ratings.
Loved what he did on the clock last start, posting a new peak RAS rating of 105 in the process which is clearly the best last-start rating in this field.
Gets Shinn on which far outweighs any negative of barrier one in my opinion and the rating's edge is too strong to ignore.
The Melbourne Mail
Bet of the day: Race 2 #1 Bayou Music at $3.30
Also backing: Race 6 #8 La Fracas at $2.80
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