Highlights from Flemington’s sunbathed New Year’s Day racing

Grand Pierro makes amends in Bagot 

Having conquered the 2800-metre of the Bagot Handicap trip at Flemington, trainer Jason Warren wants to see if Grand Pierro can ramp it up again over the two miles of the Adelaide Cup in March.

After missing the win by a narrow margin last start in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m), this win in the traditional listed New Year’s Day staying feature saw the five-year-old notch a first victory since the Ararat Cup (2200m) in November 2023.

“I thought the horse had put the score on the board last start at Pakenham,” Warren said.

‘He was exposed at the top of the straight and I thought the effort was very good.

“Halfway up the straight I thought ‘geez he (Zac Spain) hasn’t released the breaks yet’

Consistent Miraval Rose salutes in Kensington Stakes

It was nearly three years ago to the day that Grahame Begg purchased Miraval Rose and on New Year’s Day 2025 the mare claimed her second stakes win in the Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m).

A winless 2024 ended with some hope of that drought being broken with two third placings at Caulfield last month, and this victory in the listed event over 1400-metres saw that consistency rewarded.

Ridden by Craig Williams who earned his 38^th winner of the season, Miraval Rose ($4) held off the challenge from the Charlotte Littlefield-trained Modown ($12) by a short-neck margin with Roll On High ($11) in third.

“She was incredibly unlucky last start to sit three-deep and tough it out and she really improved off it,” said Rebecca Shanks representing Begg while was away inspecting yearlings towards next week’s Magic Millions sale.

It was a second winner of the day for Williams after taking the third event aboard Redoute’s Night.

Local win opens 2025 racing

Simon Zahra notched one for the Flemington trainers when Xarpo, ridden by Liam Riordan, staved off a gallant effort from the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Seindeel to win the opening race for 2025 at Flemington.

Xarpo’s victory in the TAB We’re On over 1400-metres delivered a second win in the three-year-old’s four start career.

Described post-race as a filly on-the-up, the daughter of former star three-year-old The Autumn Sun gave Zahra the perfect opening to the new year.

More than meets the eye with Dream All Day

Blake Shinn had now hesitation in commenting that the win of Dream All Day in the Henry Byron Moore Handicap (1600m) has more merit than it looked.

Dream All Day, the $2 favourite had the race under her control into the Flemington straight and co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr is leaning to the science to show that the four-year-old mare has more to come over longer trips.

“It was a very soft win,” Kent Jnr said.

“She had been giving away big starts at her first to runs but not by plan.

“She has led before but she was jumping up rather than jumping out.

“We have done a speed gene DNA test on her and she comes up as a stayer on breeding.

“Getting up to 2000-metres and 2400, she might be a nice mare for the stable.”

Paynes land first Flemington win as a training pair

Brother-sister training combination Patrick and Michelle Payne celebrated their first winner at Flemington when Zambezi Khan won the Australian Trainers’ Association Plate (1700m).

Patrick, a five-time Group 1 winning jockey at Flemington, and Michelle with her famous Melbourne Cup winning ride on Prince Of Penzance in 2015, the name is no stranger to the Flemington winners’ list.

“To her credit she kept picking up and that was a good win,” Michelle said.

“She’s a lovely mare and she showed it through her three-year-old days and has come back great.”

Michelle said that feature racing in Tasmania over their summer carnival beckons for the four-year-old mare.

Smerdon also achieves first Flemington winner

Mathew Smerdon has only had 80 starters and Layeruponlayer delivered his tenth career win as a trainer and most significantly his first at Flemington.

“It’s unreal and I have to pinch myself,” Smerdon said.

Jockey Daniel Stackhouse did not think the six-year-old former Hong Kong galloper had snapped the win in a driving finish to the line with the Tom Dabernig-trained Boonie.