The Coolmore Stud Stakes will kick off a run of three straight Group 1’s at Flemington on Derby Day, where 19 three-year-olds will compete in the $2 million stallion-making race.
The top three runners in the market, Shinzo, King’s Gambit, and Cylinder, will all meet again in another 1200m Group 1, after they ran the trifecta in the Golden Slipper as two-year-olds earlier this year.
Heading the field in race book order is the Chris Waller-trained and Coolmore-owned Shinzo (+550).
Shinzo will be seeking to become the first horse since Sepoy in 2011 to complete the Golden Slipper/Coolmore Stud Stakes double.
Although the son of Snitzel hasn’t finished in the placings at his two starts back this preparation, there is no doubt that this is the target race for this colt, who has already amassed $3.7 million in prize money from six starts.
As for the owner and trainer combination, they will be attempting to win the Coolmore for the second time in three years, after Home Affairs won the race in 2021.
After claiming the Coolmore with In Secret last year, Godolphin will be seeking back-to-back victories, as their star colt Cylinder (+260) will compete in the 1200m contest down the famous Flemington straight.
The son of Exceed And Excel took out the Group 3 Vain Stakes and Group 2 Run To The Rose to begin this current campaign before finishing third in the Group 1 Golden Rose and running an impressive fifth in The Everest against the older horses.
Last start Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes winner, King’s Gambit (+650), will reconnect with Mark Zahra for the first time since his third-place finish in the Golden Slipper.
The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained colt was expected to dominate the two-year-old features after an arrogant five-length victory on debut, but his most recent win was the first since that debut success.
Philip Stokes-trained Stretan Angel (+1100)will be joined by two other fillies that will take on the boys in the Coolmore.
The daughter of Harry Angel defeated a few of her rivals that she will meet on Saturday in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes last start, and she is expected to attract a lot of market support with online bookmakers based on that win.
Veight) (+2200, Steparty (+1100), and Scheelite (+5000) will drop back in distance from the 1600m of the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, where all three of them ran credible races but couldn’t land that coveted victory at the very top level.
I Am Unstoppable (+1100) was narrowly beaten in the Danehill Stakes, and at his fourth start this preparation, he is still seeking his first win this time in.
Bjorn Baker-trained Ozzmosis (+1000) had his unbeaten start to his career broken when stepping out in Group 3 company over 1200m for the first time, which has raised some queries about whether he is up to Group 1 level.
Will the dominance of the Godolphin and Waller stables from the last three years continue, or will someone else take out the opening Group 1 of the Melbourne Cup Carnival?
The Coolmore Stud Stakes jumps at 3:40pm AEDT on Saturday at Flemington.