Australia: Surprise Baby using Turnbull Stakes as springboard to Melbourne Cup

Surprise Baby was fifth in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup last November, rallying from 20th in a field of 24 to lose Australia’s most famous race by less than a length.

All signs indicate Surprise Baby is moving forward to another appearance in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Nov. 3. Saturday, Surprise Baby will have his second start of the year in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, a race with ramifications for the Melbourne Cup and the Group 1 Caulfield Cup on Oct. 17.

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Surprise Baby, a winner of 5 of 12 starts, was second in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes at a mile at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Sept. 5, closing from off the pace to miss by about a half-length as the 2-1 favorite. As of Wednesday, Surprise Baby, a 6-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, was the second choice in the future book for the Melbourne Cup behind recent stakes winner Russian Courage.

In the $358,500 Turnbull Stakes, which drew a field of 15, Surprise Baby is likely to be the second choice behind the brilliant mare Verry Elleegant, who is rated as a leading contender for the Caulfield Cup.

Verry Elleegant, a winner of 9 of 22 starts, was fourth by 1 1/2 lengths in the Group 1 George Main Stakes at Royal Randwick on Sept. 19. Earlier this year, Verry Elleegant was second in two Group 1 races at 1 1/4 miles to the English invader Addeybb.

The Turnbull field includes Vow and Declare, who won the 2019 Melbourne Cup but has lost his last four starts. Vow and Declare, who was 25-1 in early betting for the Turnbull on Wednesday, was ninth in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at a mile at Flemington on Sept. 12.

There are four Group 1 races in Australia on Saturday. The nine-race Flemington program, consisting of all stakes, begins at 10:05 p.m. Eastern, or 7:05 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

There are three Group 1 races on a nine-race program at Royal Randwick in Sydney on a program that begins at 10:25 p.m. Eastern, on Friday.

Mugatoo, a longshot in future-book betting for the Melbourne Cup, will be a strong favorite in the $537,750 Metropolitan Handicap at 1 1/2 miles. Mugatoo has won three consecutive stakes since late July following a three-month break.

Star of the Seas, second in the George Main, will be a slight choice in the $717,000 Epsom Handicap at a mile. He drew the rail in a field of 20. Rock, fifth in the 2019 Epsom and a recent stakes winner at Newcastle, looks well placed in a tricky betting race.

In the $358,500 Darley Flight Stakes at a mile for 3-year-old fillies, Dame Giselle and Hungry Heart will dominate the betting in a small field of seven.