Memsie Stakes Tips - Brightside back for more Group 1 success

The $750,000 feature and traditional Group 1 opener to Victoria’s spring carnival, has drawn together a field of 11, including Another Wil, who is favourite after the barrier draw as well as the likes of Mr Brightside, Fangirl, Antino and last season’s outstanding three-year-old Treasurethe Moment. 

They are joined by last year’s winner Pinstriped, and high-profile gallopers such as Tom Kitten and Here To Shock. 

Fangirl shapes as one of the headline acts after bypassing last weekend’s Winx Stakes on heavy ground in Sydney, with Mark Zahra booked to ride. Trainer Chris Waller has given the mare a strong preparation and believes a drying Melbourne track will play into her favour. 

Queensland’s Antino resumes off a stellar Doomben Cup campaign and has settled in well at Cranbourne, while trainer Matt Laurie is excited to see his Oaks heroine Treasurethe Moment tested against older rivals for the first time. All three loom as genuine threats to the established weight-for-age stars.

One big question surrounds Mr Brightside, who returns from a flat Hong Kong campaign earlier this year. While some experts believe the eight-year-old’s best may be behind him, his formidable record at 1400m makes him a major player if he can recapture his old spark. 

With multiple Group 1 winners scattered throughout the field, a mix of seasoned champions and spring hopefuls, and a race tempo that could favour on-speed runners, Saturday’s Memsie is shaping as a beauty. 

Showers are forecast in the lead up to and on raceday and we are likely to be racing somewhere on the Soft range but there is a chance the track will remain as a Good, depending how much rain arrives. 

Here To Shock is a strong chance to take up the running, while Treasurethe Moment draws barrier 1 and will either sit leaders back or potentially hold the lead. Another Wil is likely to settle handy from barrier 3 and it will be interesting to see if Mr Brightside pushes across from barrier 9. He did just that from similar position’s early on when winning the Futurity Stakes and finishing runner-up in the Orr Stakes at the track and trip earlier this year. Zardozi, Tom Kitten and Buckaroo are expected to be in a midfield spot, while the likes of Fangirl and Antino will get back. Expect the tempo to be even 

This is a very even race and he is getting on in age but Mr Brightside is the proven performer in the field, particularly over the 1400m at Caulfield and it is hard to see the veteran not featuring in this. The Team Hayes galloper has won six of eight at the track and trip and finished runner-up in two, including a first-up effort last autumn when run down late by Another Wil. He had to do a bit of the dirty work in that race, going for home a long way out before being picked off in narrow fashion, putting a huge gap on the rest of them. He was then brave second up when claiming the Futurity ahead of Tom Kitten before the tables were turned in the All-Star Mile. But at Caulfield and on a Soft track, the son of Bullbars gets conditions to suit. No concern about his last start failure in Hong Kong and he should be primed to produce a big performance. 

The market is compressed with six of the 11 contenders all below double figures. The best roughie in the race might be Is It Me. He was a bit plain at Morphettville when resuming in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m) when 4th but will be much better suited over the 1400m and he does have the benefit of a run under his belt, which a the bigger named rivals do not. Race at Morphettville was not run to suit and he was posted wide no cover. He will enjoy a better tempo in this race and the last three runs that he produced in the autumn were exceptional, going more than 13 lengths faster than standard benchmark in all of those when landing a hat-trick of wins. He should enjoy a cushy run from barrier 2 and anything like what he produced earlier this year will see him right in this at a price.