SEASON 2024-25 Billy Egan and Dom Sutton each secured their first Flemington Group 1 win when Feroce surged clear to win the 2025 Group 1 Howden Australian Guineas. (Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) Ciaron Maher’s French import Light Infantry Man ensured it was indeed a spectacular end to the Flemington summer when bolting to a comfortable win in the Group 1 TAB Australian Cup (2000m) under the guidance of rising star jockey Ethan Brown following on from a brave third in the All-Star Mile. Kiwi speedball Alabama Lass showed why she could be a future candidate for the Black Caviar Lightning or Yulong Newmarket Handicap with a brilliant victory in the Listed HKJC World Pool Sprint Classic (1100m) before European import Deakin raced his way into the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup when securing a golden ticket to Australia’s greatest race in the Listed Lexus Roy Higgins (2600m) for trainer Phillip Stokes. Kiwi-expats Emma-Lee and David Browne were also dreaming of Lexus Melbourne Cup Day after their 2023 Crown Oaks placed mare Basilinna ploughed through the mud to win the Listed Lexus Andrew Ramsden (2800m) for jockey Dean Yendall. WINTER RACING Undoubtedly, the highlight of the winter racing season is the ever-popular Flemington Finals Race Day, with the $200,000 Listed VRC-CRV Winter Championship Final (1600m) being the feature race on a super competitive card. Before the main event, the undercard provided more than its share of excitement. Progressive two-year-old Buccleuch emerged as a spring carnival player with a dominant win in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) for the brother and sister training partnership of Patrick and Michelle Payne. Brave sprinter Marble Nine completed a hat-trick of Flemington victories when winning the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m), a memorable moment for the Flemingtonbased training partnership of Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin. Emerging stayer Shockletz recalled memories of her 2009 Melbourne Cup winning sire Shocking when she outstayed all comers to win the Mahogany Challenge Final (2800m) before the remarkably consistent Jimmy The Bear took out the Winter Championship Final a fortnight after he won the David Bourke Plate (1620m). Trained by Michelle and Patrick Payne and bred and owned by former Racing Victoria Chairman and Board member Mike Hirst, the win took Jimmy The Bear’s career earnings to over $1 million.
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