Flemington Blackbookers September 12 – Horses to Follow from Makybe Diva Stakes Day

Here are our blackbookers and horses to follow from the action.

Jett Smash looks ready to make the jump to stakes company after an impressive return in the opener. The small field allowed him to jog through the early stages before Damian Lane asked him to accelerate, but the way he put the race away was impossible to miss. Jett Smash produced the fastest final 400m and 200m of the entire meeting, ripping home his last 400m in a slick 21.54 seconds to win by nearly three lengths with plenty in hand. The Danny O’Brien-trained four-year-old has now won five of his seven starts, and with O’Brien indicating stakes races are on the agenda this campaign, there should be considerably more to come.

Buggsy didn't look out of place stepping up to Group company at just his fourth career start. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt was second-up after winning fresh at Sandown and settled towards the rear of the field of 10 before producing the fastest final 400m and 200m of the race to finish fourth behind Paradoxium. There is still plenty of improvement to come as he gains experience, while the strength of his work late suggests he may eventually appreciate a step up towards 1400m. However, with the stable identifying the Coolmore Stud Stakes over 1200m at Flemington as a potential spring target, Buggsy could be a value prospect for the Group 1 later in the carnival, particularly given how well he handled his first serious test in stakes company.

Where do you start. 

It is hard to know where to start out of the Makybe Diva Stakes, with Sheza Alibi (🥇 1st), Autumn Boy (🥈 2nd), Sir Delius (👀 4th), She’s A Hustler (👀 5th) and Half Yours (👀 6th) all producing runs worth following. Sheza Alibi was simply outstanding, putting a high-class field away with ease and confirming herself as one of the stars of the spring, with the Golden Eagle (1500m) still her most likely major target. Autumn Boy followed her everywhere and stuck on strongly for second, which was a significant improvement on his Memsie Stakes (1400m) return and keeps his Cox Plate (2040m) aspirations well and truly alive. Much will depend on where Sheza Alibi heads from here, particularly for Autumn Boy, who has also been nominated for the Golden Eagle, but Chris Waller has made no secret of his desire to test him as a Cox Plate horse.

Sir Delius might be the standout blackbook run outside the winner. The race changed complexion after being genuinely run early before they backed off and turned it into a sit-and-sprint, while Sir Delius was also carried wider passing the 1000m. That was hardly his ideal scenario, yet he continued to build through the line for fourth and should have enormous scope for improvement second-up and as he gets beyond the mile. He is much better suited when races become a genuinely run dogfight, and the Cox Plate remains the major target. 

She’s A Hustler was another excellent return, producing the fastest final 200m of the race when ridden quietly into fifth. She isn't simply a miler either, with Grahame Begg stretching her towards the major staying races and nominations for the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup. Half Yours was similarly encouraging in sixth over a trip well short of his best, with Jamie Melham suggesting he is already forward enough to take another significant step next start. The defending Melbourne Cup winner is being prepared to peak back at Flemington, with the Cox Plate and another Melbourne Cup his major spring goals.

Salty Pearl produced another honest performance when fourth in the Let’s Elope Stakes, sticking on well despite the race being set up for those coming from back in the field. She was a touch one-paced when the pressure went on but certainly didn’t shirk the issue, and there should be plenty of improvement to come from the second-up run. Her best form has generally arrived with a couple of runs under the belt and once she gets to 1600m, which makes her one to get on next time. Third-up last spring she finished fourth in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas over the mile before proving too good in the Moonee Valley Classic on Cox Plate Day, while her third-up run in the autumn produced a dominant three-length victory in the $500,000 VOBIS Sires Guineas over 1600m at Caulfield. She looks right on track for another strong spring.