A look back at Flemington Finals Race Day

Jimmy Recard Reigns in Next Gen Final

 The Ciaron Maher juggernaut may have another Group class two-year-old on their hands after Jimmy Recard won the TAB Next Generation Sprinters Series Final (1200m).

The Bennet racing owned colt by I Am Invincible gave Jamie Melham a perfect return to racing after a holiday, bursting through on the $7.00 chance to score by a long neck to $2.35 favourite Bacash, that pair leaving 3-1/2 lengths back to Cloisters ($20) in third.

Stable representative Leigh Allen said there was potential to attempt black type racing over a bit more ground while still a two-year-old, highlighting the stable’s increasing use of technology.

“He's a CT gene which means he can get up over a bit of a trip,” Allen said.

“We actually had him for his first run down in Caulfield and it was a really firm track and he pulled up sore from that, had a little bit of a fracture there.

“So we sent him up to Sydney and he did a lot of work in the hyperbaric chamber, so he's been all in Sydney this whole prep, and that's why he ran at Gosford first up.

“He’s still probably got one more run in him as a two-year-old, there is a race over 1400 hundred in South Australia which we could possibly look at.”

The Group 3 SA Sires’ Produce (1400m) is in two weeks’ time on July 19 at Morphettville.

Buccleuch shows shades of Cherry Tortoni in Taj Rossi

 Patrick & Michelle Payne and Billy Egan have a strong record in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) and Buccleuch may just be the best of all.

Patrick Payne notched up his third win in the race and second in conjunction with Egan, who also rode Cherry Tortoni in the same colours to win the race in 2020.

Heavily supported into $1.45, Buccleuch settled midfield under Egan and the topweight of 59kg, clearing out to score by 3-1/4 lengths over Bermondsey ($31) with a long neck to Arcora ($4.40) in third.

Michelle Payne hinted that a light Spring may be on the cards for Buccleuch with a possible focus on the Autumn of 2026.

“He's just still learning what it's all about, he got a bit keen,” Payne said.

“But just a lovely horse. Always showed us really nice potential.

“Patrick's really keen on the autumn for him. He said he's doing it now nicely against the winter sort of class two-year-olds, but he might be a bit left behind in the early three-year-old days, but look, he's only doing what is asked of him.”

Egan compared the win favourably to Cherry Tortoni and 

“He put a bit more of a margin on them than what Cherry Tortoni did when he won, I think the horse that ran second to Cherry Tortoni was probably half-handy itself anyway,” Egan said.

“He was probably a little happier with himself going into today's race, so I just took a couple of strides to get him back under me, and then when he switched off, he just travelled like a winner the whole way.”

Marble Nine gives Riordan first Stakes win

Young jockey Liam Riordan was certainly made to earn his first Stakes win aboard the in-form Marble Nine, guiding the Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin trained gelding to victory in the Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m).

Jumping the $ favourite, Riordan and Marble Nine led clearly at the 200m but had to fend off $ chance Pereille, who loomed up strongly along the inside before Marble Nine responded to score by half a length, with ¾ of a length back to Inhibitions ($) in third.

Riordan said the special win meant more for childhood friend Will Larkin and the team at Malua Racing.

“It’s really good,” Riordan said.

“I’ve had a lot of placings in stakes races without quite getting the job done, so it was good to get one for Troy, Leon and Will. I couldn’t ride a horse when I went there and I’m still riding for them ten years later.”

“When he dropped his head, relaxed for a furlong, I knew that it'd be pretty hard to beat him. Once he's using his action, getting in a nice rhythm, he's pretty strong.”

Bridal Waltz upsets She’s An Artist

Co-trainer Peter Moody was quietly confident Bridal Waltz could turn the tables on raging favourite She’s An Artist in the Listed Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.

After finishing 4-1/4 lengths adrift of impressive winner She’s An Artist on June 21^st, Bridal Waltz was sent out a $13 chance and held off the $1.30 favourite by a fairly comfortably ¾ of a length, with 1-1/2 lengths back to Duchess Zou ($13) in third.

Moody, who trains in partnership with Katherine Coleman, said there were a few factors leading into the Creswick that he thought could help bridge the gap.

“She did very well post Adelaide so we sort of decided that she went into that (last run) probably slightly underdone,” Moody said.

“She just added very much to her value, she's been stakes placed here and now she's a stakes winner which is so very important.

“I would think a little few weeks off now, let the dust settle, and then just pick our mark carefully through the spring without trying to be too excited.

It was a case of husband against wife in the final 200m as Ben Melham held wife Jamie at bay, the pair having recently returned from honeymooning overseas.

“A fair chance of sleeping in the spare room, I would imagine,” Ben Melham joked.

“My filly dug really deep when I needed her to. She just got a lovely rhythm for me.

Maher team dominates staying ranks

 As is often the case in Victoria, the Ciaron Maher stable made the pair of staying races their own on Winter Finals Day, successful in both the Banjo Paterson Series Final (2600m) and Mahogany Challenge Final (2500m).

$3.80 favourite Goldenstatewarrior won the Banjo Paterson under Declan Bates with a sweeping run from the back to turn the tables on Bold Soul ($4.20) by a long neck, with 1-1/2 lengths back to Samuel Langhorne ($8) in third.

Stable representative Leigh Allen said the win was thoroughly deserved.

“We were going to be a bit more conservative, and Dec had really timed his run to perfection there,” Allen said.

“He didn't want to get out too wide. There's maybe a few lanes that are a little bit better than the others, so he stuck to them and timed it perfectly.

“We'll space his runs and work towards those sort of races down the spring,races such as the Bendigo Cup, the Geelong Cup.

“Really stoked for the owners. He's been very frustrating with not winning, but we should have a bit of fun with him going into the rest of the winter and into the spring.”

Later in the card it was the three-year-olds turn in the Mahogany Challenge Final and progressive filly Shockletz continued her strong run of Winter form, the daughter of Shocking getting her head down on the line to score by a short head.

Sent out the $4.20 favourite and ridden by Harry Coffey, Shockletz was wide early but forced forward before rallying late to deny Ant ($14) who snuck up the inside, with a length back to Frontline Action ($16) in third.

Coffey, who has been aboard Shockletz at every run this campaign, said the win contained plenty of merit.

“I was wide early, sort of living on living on a prayer out there on a bit of hope; then there was a position in front of me,” Coffey said.

“That sort of came up and I just had to use her, which and jockey will say is a bad thing to do mid-race, especially in a staying race-use your horse to improve to get in,

“She rested for about 400 meters and then the pace came out of the race and she was wanting to go; she was over racing and I just had to work with her, keep her in as good a rhythm as possible and then protect my ground that when it was time to go I had room.”

“She actually quickened at the top of the straight like the winner.”

“She was probably emptying out and petering on her run, and somehow she found the will to win and got her head down and got the job done when we got into a battle late.”

Jimmy gets redemption in Winter Final

 In some ways, it was a case of righting a wrong from two years’ ago for Jimmy The Bear in the Listed Winter Championship Series Final (1600m) at Flemington.

Beaten as a $2.80 favourite in 2023, Jimmy The Bear atoned two years later with a typically tough victory, with the $5.00 second elect scoring by a head over last years’ winner Munhamek ($41) who finished just a nose ahead of Forgot You ($61) in third.

Carrying 59kg and jumping from barrier 14 under Billy Egan, the Patrick & Michelle Payne trained Jimmy The Bear raced largely without cover midfield but loomed up strongly in the straight, with race favourite Oh Too Good fading to finish eighth after leading.

Michelle Payne said brother Patrick and the entire team would take plenty of satisfaction from the win of their beloved gelding.

“He's just an old marvel,” Payne said.

“It was looking a good chance all the way up the straight, but he had to fight for it and just as Jimmy does, he doesn't know how to run a bad race and he fought it out really well.

“I’m sure Patrick’s sitting at home with his arms crossed feeling very happy.”

Billy Egan was aboard Jimmy The Bear when beaten in the race two years ago and said he was very fortunate to pick up the ride again after apprentice Tom Prebble was suspended.

“Tom Prebble is here on course, shows he's in the game for all the right reasons and he's a good jockey, he's one of his favourite horses, so it's great to see him here,” Egan said.

“It was a bit like riding a group winner then actually, because just how much everyone in the stable loves this horse.”

For all Winter Race Series history, results and conditions, click here.