Australia: Three stakes will provide clues for Melbourne Cup

Hoo Ya Mal, 12th of 22 in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup last November, will be favored to win the Group 2 Petaluma Hill Stakes at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney, Australia, on Friday evening, a prep for an expected start in this year’s Melbourne Cup on Nov. 7.

The $1.27 million Petaluma Hill Stakes, the richest race in Australia this weekend, is one of three stakes on Friday evening with ramifications for the $4.97 million Melbourne Cup.

At Flemington Racecourse, the winner of the Group 3 Bart Cummings Stakes at 1 9/16 miles will receive an automatic berth to the Melbourne Cup, which is run at Flemington. The Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Flemington on Friday evening features Gold Trip, the winner of the 2022 Melbourne Cup.

Hoo Ya Mal was fifth and seventh in stakes at a mile in September, and should be better suited to the slightly longer distance of the Petaluma Hill Stakes. Hoo Ya Mal is winless in four starts since the Group 3 March Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles at Goodwood Racecourse in Britain in August 2022.

Hoo Ya Mal, trained by Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse, had his Australian debut in the Melbourne Cup last year.

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The 6-year-old mare Montefilia, a four-time Group 1 winner from 2020 to 2022, is rated as a leading contender in the Petaluma Hill Stakes, which drew a field of 14. Montefilia, 16th in the 2022 Melbourne Cup, was third behind current Melbourne Cup hopeful Just Fine in the Group 3 King Town Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Sept. 16.

The Rosehill Gardens program includes the newly created $955,600 Alan Brown Stakes, a handicap at seven furlongs that drew a field of 18 led by Cepheus, the winner of the Group 2 Shannon Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on Sept. 18.

Cepheus is being pointed for the $1.91 million Big Dance Stakes at Randwick on Nov. 7.

Rosehill Gardens has a 10-race program beginning at 9:40 p.m. Eastern or 6:40 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The $318,500 Bart Cummings Stakes is vital for the Melbourne Cup chances of First Immortal, Athabascan, and Serpentine. They are currently ranked outside of the 24 qualifiers for the Melbourne Cup.

First Immortal was stuck on the also-eligible list as of Thursday for the Bart Cummings, which could be his group stakes debut. First Immortal has won 7 of 13 starts.

Serpentine, winner of the Group 1 English Derby in 2020 for trainer Aidan O’Brien, was 20th in the 2022 Melbourne Cup. He was transferred to the Bott-Waterhouse stable after that race.

Athabascan has won his last two starts in stakes at 1 1/2 miles, both in September, and will start in the longest race of his career in the Cummings Stakes.

The Hong Kong shipper Romantic Warrior, a winner of 10 of 14 starts, will be a heavy favorite in the $477,800 Turnbull Stakes on the strength of a win in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Sha Tin in Hong Kong in April in his last start at the distance.

The Turnbull Stakes will be Romantic Warrior’s first start since a second in the Group 1 Champions and Chater Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Sha Tin in May.

Gold Trip, winless in five starts since the Melbourne Cup, was a 9-1 outsider in early betting on Thursday for the Turnbull Stakes.

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