Flemington Blackbookers and Horses to Follow from Victoria Derby Day

We have identified five runners worth adding to your Blackbook following Saturday's meeting, including a pair of exciting three-year-olds from the Chris Waller stable and several unlucky runners who can make their presence felt next time.

Chris Waller has made the Carbine Club Stakes his own in recent years, claiming his sixth victory in the Group 3 with The Roaring Sun, who looks destined for bigger things. The champion trainer has used the race as a launching pad for some of his better gallopers, with previous winners including Kermadec, Comin' Through, Fangirl, Aeliana and Panova, all of whom have gone on to Group 1 success. The Roaring Sun was having just his third career start and overcame an awkward beginning, where he was crowded for room, before settling midfield in a race run at a moderate tempo. The son of The Autumn Sun was held up from the 500m to the 300m before Damian Lane found clear running, with the colt producing an impressive turn of foot to overhaul stablemate Unhinged and score by a length. The runner-up was also luckless, with James McDonald held up behind the leaders from the 400m until securing a narrow opening near the 250m. Unhinged had won his previous two starts and lost no admirers with the performance. Both gallopers look to have bright futures, and Waller has another exciting pair of three-year-olds to work with heading into 2027.

Affari produced one of the more eye-catching performances of the afternoon when finishing third behind Regal Ambition in The Vanity. The Chris Waller-trained filly was stepping up from a Maiden victory over the 1200m at Rosehill and attracted some support in betting before starting as a $9 chance. The daughter of Home Affairs drew the outside barrier in the field of 13 and began awkwardly, forcing Craig Williams to settle further back than anticipated. She was held up from the 500m until near the 250m, having been disappointed for a run earlier in the straight, before finally getting into the clear and charging home to finish just 1.77 lengths from the winner. Affari recorded the fastest final 200m of the entire meeting, with the lack of early tempo counting against her. She has now placed in seven of her eight career starts and looks more than capable of measuring up in Saturday company. She is getting deep into her current preparation, but looks a filly worth following into 2027.

Concord Connie faced the toughest assignment of her short career in the Empire Rose Stakes and produced a performance full of merit when finishing runner-up behind the outstanding Lady Shenandoah. The Charlotte Littlefield-trained mare created plenty of excitement during the autumn with three consecutive victories, including a dominant six-length win at Flemington, but was beaten as a $1.30 favourite in Benchmark 78 company when resuming at Mornington. She has since shown that performance was well below her best, placing in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield before stepping up to Group 1 company on Derby Day. The four-year-old was slow to begin before working forward to settle just behind the leading division and travelled strongly into the straight. She was no match for Lady Shenandoah, who claimed her fifth Group 1 victory, but finished a length and a half from the winner and comfortably ahead of the likes of Idle Flyer, Sass Appeal and Surfin' Bird. With just seven career starts behind her, Concord Connie has a stack of upside and looks capable of picking up a feature race of her own.

Photograph was one of the hard-luck stories of Derby Day when finishing fifth behind Flying For Fun in the final race of the afternoon. The Team Hayes-trained mare was having her third run of the preparation and was held up from the 500m until the 200m, with Damian Lane forced to duck and weave in search of clear running. Once a gap finally appeared, the Godolphin-owned galloper finished strongly to be beaten just 2.16 lengths, recording the fastest 600m-to-100m sectional of the entire meeting. The daughter of Blue Point has been consistent throughout her career and looks to have a handy race in her this preparation. With three runs under her belt and better luck in running, she can make amends next time.