Australia: Fifty Stars set up for repeat bid in Australian Cup

The Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington Racecourse in March 2020 remains the career highlight of the millionaire Fifty Stars, a winner of 10 of 29 starts.

Fifty Stars had a February campaign this year geared for a return appearance in Saturday’s $1.15 million Australian Cup at 1 1/4 miles. The 6-year-old Australian-bred will be a slight favorite in a strong field of 17.

The Australian Cup is one of two Group 1 races on a nine-race program at Flemington with eight stakes. First post time is 8:20 p.m., Eastern, or 5:20 p.m., Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

Fifty Stars is trained by the partnership of Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes, who are based at Flemington. Fifty Stars finished seventh in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Feb. 13 in his 2021 debut and gave a better performance when second in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes at a mile at Flemington on Feb. 27.

Fifty Stars, who races as a closer, won the 2020 Blamey Stakes before recording a 6-1 win in the Australian Cup last year. In early betting on Thursday, Fifty Stars was 7-2, a slight choice over the accomplished 4-year-old mare Paradee and Shared Ambition. Paradee and Shared Ambition were first and second in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Caulfield on Feb. 20, separated by three-quarters of a length.

Paradee has won her last three starts and will be a threat as a stalker. She is winless in two starts at 1 1/4 miles, but was only beaten a nose at the distance in the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes at Flemington on Nov. 7.

Earlier on the Flemington program, the 3-year-old Australian-bred filly September Run will be a strong favorite to beat 17 rivals in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap on a straightaway six furlongs.

September Run, one of two 3-year-old fillies in the field, was second by a half-length to Nature Strip in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes at five furlongs at Flemington on Feb. 13, ending a three-race winning streak.

Swats That, third in the Lightning, is the other 3-year-old filly in the $965,625 Newmarket Handicap. The field includes Celebrity Queen, who finished in a dead heat for first in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at 5 1/2 furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse on Feb. 20.

Nature Strip, the Australian Horse of the Year for the 2019-20 season, will be a heavy favorite in Saturday’s Group 2 Challenge Stakes at five furlongs at Randwick, part of a nine-race, all-stakes card that begins at 8:40 p.m., Eastern, on Friday.

On the same program, Aegon, an undefeated New Zealand-bred, will have his Group 1 debut in Australia in the $772,500 Randwick Guineas at a mile. Aegon won the Group 1 New Zealand Guineas in November, and his Australian debut in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes at seven furlongs at Rosehilll Gardens on Feb. 21.

North Pacific and Peltzer, second and fourth in the Hobartville, are part of the Randwick Guineas field.

The Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Randwick on Saturday is an ideal fit for the brilliant 6-year-old Savatiano, who has won 12 of 37 starts. Savatiano, second in the 2020 Canterbury, has won her last two starts in Group 2 sprint stakes.

In the $386,250 Canterbury, Savatiano most beat Bivouac, who was fifth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths as the 6-5 favorite in the Lightning Stakes in his first start since a win in the Group 1 VRC Classic at six furlongs at Flemington in November.

Bivouac and Savatiano are owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by James Cummings, who also start the veteran gelding Kementari, the winner of the 2018 Randwick Guineas.