 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 (Makybe Diva Stakes 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.
Flemington is the home of Australia’s most famous race, the Melbourne Cup, while in the earlier part of the year it holds major races like the Lightning Stakes, the Australian Guineas, the Newmarket Handicap and the Australian Cup.
The Makybe Diva Stakes is one of the feature races in the early part of the Spring Racing Carnival. Run over 1600m, the race is often used by weight for age horses as a steppingstone towards the Cox Plate, or stayers building up towards the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
Races over 1600m at Flemington begin from a chute by the Maribyrnong River. From the chute start, the field has a brief run before they link up with the course proper. Once they get to the 1400m mark, the field is constantly turning, albeit gradually, until they enter the long home straight with 450m to run.
Last year’s Makybe Diva Stakes was won by outstanding galloper MR BRIGHTSIDE, who settled off the pace and one away from the fence before quickening up strongly over the last 300m to score decisively. ALLIGATOR BLOOD led the small field up at a sedate pace and boxed on well to finish second, while OSIPENKO settled on the inside of the winner and was held up at a vital stage in the straight, before he ran on well for third once he got clear.
Given that the 1600m start at Flemington is tricky, inside to middle barriers are at a clear advantage in the Makybe Diva Stakes. Only four horses this century have won the race from a double figure barrier.
Like the 1600m starting point, the 1400m starting point is a chute start for the Let’s Elope Stakes where the field is constantly turning until they enter the home straight. Therefore, horses drawn inside to middle stalls are favoured.
Flemington’s sprint races, like the HKJC World Pool Bobbie Lewis Quality over 1200m, are held on its straight course, where race shape, weather conditions and track patterns on the day have more of a bearing on desirable positions in running compared to races on the circle track.
Mild conditions with the possibility of showers are forecast in the lead up to Makybe Diva Stakes Day and on race day itself, so it looks like the meeting will be run on a slightly soft track.
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