Australia: Back-to-back Group 1s on Flemington card

Spanish Mission was third in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles at Flemington Racecourse in Australia last November, and a return appearance in that race at the end of this year is a long-term goal.

There is unlikely to be a race at that extended distance for Spanish Mission until November, but there are plenty of distance opportunities that fit the 6-year-old Kentucky-bred, notably Saturday’s Group 1 Australian Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Flemington.

Spanish Mission will have his second start of the year in the Australian Cup, having finished third of eight in the Group 3 Clyon Cup at a mile at Caulfield on Feb. 12, a warm-up race at a distance shorter than his best trip. Spanish Mission has been best in marathon races throughout his 21-race career, which includes four stakes wins in England as well as the Jockey Club Derby at Belmont Park in 2019 when trained by Andrew Balding.

Spanish Mission is winless in three starts in Australia, the first being the Melbourne Cup when he was beaten 4 1/2 lengths by the popular mare Verry Elleegant.

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The $1.1 million Australian Cup drew a field of 12, including Think It Over, the winner of the three stakes at 1 1/4 miles last October, and Cascadian, who was second in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Flemington last November.

Think It Over has had a good start to 2022, winning the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Feb. 12, with Verry Elleegant in seventh, and finishing fourth by a little more than 1 1/4 lengths to that rival in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at a mile at Randwick on Feb. 26.

Cascadian was third in the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield on Feb. 12 in his first start since the Mackinnon and followed with a win as the even-money favorite in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Caulfield on Feb. 26.

Flemington has a nine-race program beginning at 8:35 p.m. Eastern or 5:35 p.m. Pacific on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The race preceding the Australian Cup is the equally as valuable $1.1 million Newmarket Handicap at six furlongs, which drew a field of 17. The race is run on a straightaway course.

Home Affairs, the outstanding Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old, was the 5-2 favorite in early betting on Thursday on the basis of his win in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at five furlongs at Flemington against an outstanding field on Feb. 19. Home Affairs won the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at six furlongs at Flemington last October in his final start of 2021.

The main rival for Home Affairs is Lost and Running, who won the $733,500 The Hunter Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Newcastle Racecourse in November in his final start of 2021, and the Group 3 Southcross Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick on Feb. 12 in his 2022 debut.

* At Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Saturday, Lighthouse, the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare, is rated among the leading runners for the Group 1 Coolmore Classic for fillies and mares at 7 1/2 furlongs.

Lighthouse was a stakes winner at Kentucky Downs in 2020 and won her first four starts in Australia from early November to Jan. 1 in minor handicaps and the Chester Manifold Stakes. Since late January, Lighthouse has been second in three consecutive races, including two Group 1 sprints against males.

The $441,600 Coolmore Classic drew a field of 14 led by Espiona, a Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old who was a close second and third in two group 1 stakes in February.

Rosehill Gardens has 10 races beginning at 8:20 p.m. Eastern on Friday.