Flemington Racing Tips for November 4 - Each-way all day on Melbourne Cup day with some value picks to shine

We have the best bets picked from across the meeting with a Best Bet and other value selections for Flemington racetrack.

Bold Secret shapes as a value player in Race 4 on Melbourne Cup day. The Philip Stokes filly has had just the two career starts and showed some promising signs on debut at the track and trip back in July when flashing home for 3rd behind Shining Smile. That horse was then competitive in harder grade behind the likes of Jimmy Recard and Legacy Bound. Bold Secret resumed at the Cox Plate carnival and was posted three wide when making some late ground for 5th behind Sisstainable. She will take improvement from that and might prefer the straight track, while the daughter of the former Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) winner, Brazen Beau, draws perfectly with Craig Williams to ride. 

Going with Athanatos in Race 6. Another for the Stokes/Williams combination, the four-year-old comes out of some strong races behind Transatlantic and Evaporate where the form from those has held up. He last stepped out in the Toorak Handicap (1600m) and sat in the box seat but just lacked the killer finish when 4th, beaten two lengths. This is easier and he performed well at the distance range at a similar stage of his last preparation with a Listed runner-up over the 1800m before a win over the 2000m in Adelaide. The son of I Am Immortal didn't look out of place on a Soft track when resuming with a big weight earlier this prep so he should handle the ground. Look for the field to string out a bit with Major Beel to go forward, allowing Williams to slot in from the gate. Expect to see the pair fighting out the finish. 

Keen on Burma Star at the each-way quote in Race 8. The Godolphin colt claimed his maiden at Warwick Farm on a Heavy deck two starts ago before tacking a BenchMark 72 at Rosehill and finishing runner-up behind Golden Strand. That horse has since gone on to win again, while the 3rd placegetter has also scored. He was midfield in that race on a crawling tempo and produced the fastest 400m-200m split before the lack of early speed counted against late in the piece. The son of Exceed And Excel rises in grade but will take improvement out of that and looks suited by the step to the 1400m, while he gets in on the minimum weight with the ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira to ride. 

She can be a bit of a frustrating specimen but Pondalowie looks set to get plenty to suit in Race 9 and is definitely worth something at the price. The five-year-old has not won in over a year but has been around the mark at this level without much luck in recent times. She unlucky when going a very healthy 14.2 lengths faster than standard at the track and trip three starts ago when 5th in the Tonttonan Stakes (1400m). The subsequent Group 1 winner, Transatlantic, was runner-up. She has since closed off with the fastest last 200m at Group 2 level at the track and trip and had a stack of excuses when again doing her best work late last time at Caulfield. Tempo looks rock solid for her with Fancify and Surfin’ Bird among a few that like to roll along and that will suit, as will the likelihood of a Soft deck, while she draws perfectly.