 Brett Davis | |
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| Brett Davis was introduced to Australian Racing by his father back in the early 1980’s when his family became involved in formulating “Thoroughbred Racing Syndications”. Brett worked from 1995 as a Professional Form Analysts and Race Broadcaster with an array of companies throughout most parts of the Australia Racing industry. He currently resides in Adelaide, his hometown in Australia, where he is Chief Thoroughbred Race Caller and Form Analyst for Tabcorp / SkyChannel / RadioTAB. Brett Davis also spent 2 years with the Singapore Turf Club and 13 Racing Seasons with the Hong Kong Jockey Club between 2006 to 2019 as a leading Form Analyst / Race Caller and was the HKJC Chief Race Caller from 2014, calling the last 5 Hong Kong International (Turf World Championships) race meetings and over 50 G1 races. Brett has immense passion for Australian Racing both personally and professionally. With his diverse knowledge and long standing industry relations he’s a valuable asset to racing and it’s enthusiasts. | |
Flemington Racecourse – Track Analysis (Melbourne Cup Day):
Flemington Racecourse is the headquarters for racing in the city of Melbourne and is located approximately six kilometres from the city’s CBD. As a racecourse, it’s renowned for its vast expanses and long home straight, by Australian racing standards, which in theory means that every horse gets their opportunity to win there. Racing anti-clockwise on turf, the main course at Flemington has a circumference of 2312m and a home straight of 450m in length. It also has a 1200m straight course, starting from the left grandstand, re-joins the course proper at the top of the home straight, on which all sprint races are run on.
The Melbourne Cup is the most famous race on the Australian racing calendar and has been part of the fabric of Australian sport and culture for more than 160 years. It is run over 3200m and attracts the best local and international stayers. The Melbourne Cup starts at the 800m of the straight track. The field of 24 will race for 1000m – and fly by the grandstand for the first time – before they get to the turn out of the straight and enter the Maribyrnong River side of the course. Once they negotiate that turn, they will race for another 800m before they get to the 1200m mark, where they navigate the long and gradual turn that will eventually bring them into the home straight.
Last year’s Melbourne Cup was won by champion mare VERRY ELLEEGANT, who settled midfield and built into the race from the 1200m before drawing away for a dominant victory. Runner up and race favourite INCENTIVISE had to work in the early stages of the race and eventually got over to settle second, while third placegetter SPANISH MISSION settled better than midfield.
Although the field has a long run to the first turn from the 3200m start, inside to middle barrier draws are useful given the large field. In the last twenty years, the majority of winners have come from the inside 15 stalls.
Both 1800m Batman Stakes and Furphy Plate (Melbourne Cup Day Plate) begin from one of the fairest starting points at Flemington because the horses have a straight run of 600m and then only have to negotiate a gradual turn, so barriers are of less significance.
The BM90 Handicap and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (Maybe Mahal Stakes) are over 1400m. The race begins from a chute and then the horses quickly gallop on to a turn, therefore, there isn’t as much time for riders to find a position and barrier draws are more significant, with inside draws favourable.
The 1000m Schweppervescence Plate and the 1200m MSS Security Sprint (Always Welcome Stakes) are running on the straight course at Flemington. Predicting the pattern for the straight course is difficult. However, the field used the middle part of the track in the MSS Security Sprint (Always Welcome Stakes) last year. It could be worth looking at the races run on the Melbourne Cup Day prior to the simulcast though to gain a greater understanding of how the straight course is playing on the day.
Melbourne has experienced wet conditions throughout the spring, so while Flemington is one of the best draining tracks in Australia, it looks likely at this stage that the Melbourne Cup program will be run on a rain affected track.
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