Aurie’s Star Handicap – 9 August 2008

The feature event at Flemington on Saturday is the Listed $150,000 Aurie’s Star Handicap over 1200 metres. There is a field of 11, ranging from 4 to 8 year olds, and the topweight is eight-year-old Valedictum with his earnings of over 1 million dollars.

The early favourite is highly regarded sprinter Stavka, who is the only horse in the field to have actually raced in the last 2 months. Stavka is a seven-year-old gelding who has only had 8 career starts but has won 6 of them, including the last three over 1000 and 1200 metres.

This will be his toughest test yet but both of his last two wins were by more than two lengths in bigger fields than this. David Hayes is the only trainer with more than one starter and will start both Translate and Glory Hunter who are both former Perth gallopers. Glory Hunter is having his first run for Hayes and has had 19 starts for 9 wins and 7 seconds. Two starts ago he won the Group 2 Winterbottom Stakes over 1200 metres at Ascot.

Translate is a classy mare who was had 4 wins over the 1200 metre distance. She will be ridden by Craig Williams. Second favourite in the early market is Newmarket placegetter Grand Duels who has only won over distances of 1000 to 1100 metres, and third favourite is Playwright. Playwright has been nominated for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups as well as the Cox Plate, but is expected to run well at his first start in five months.

by Jo Jackson

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