Spring racing / Steve Mcghee / 19 October 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now

Since the race rightly gained G1 status in 2004 this has been a well-sought after spring day out for the girls and is always a good betting race that just adds to the magic that is day one of Melbourne Cup week at Flemington or Derby Day for the purist.

This is the only G1 race over spring for fillies and mares, so the prestige and worth speaks for itself plus it always attracts the best on show.

It is one of four G1 races held on Derby Day, where the other races are all G2 or G3, and sees for the racing enthusiast a sampling of stamina, sprinting power, WFA power and of course girl power, all in one day.

Just to prove how keenly sought the Myer Classic is for bragging rights over the next year, the five winners since it become a G1 have gone to Victoria twice, New South Wales twice and New Zealand once.

It has been so far a sort of a Tri-State, Tri-Nations or even a State Of Origin Roller Derby for the fairer sex, where a win will guarantee that future foals get an extra zero or three on their purchase price at the major sales throughout Australasia.

The $500,000 G1 Myer Classic is contested over the mile, so barrier draws and tactical speed can be a massive weapon but then again class conquers all at this level too.

The first three G1 Myer Classic runnings saw the common thread being fence trips either in front, trailing or tucked up in behind and driving through late once out and clear.

The last two winners have been ridden cold and swept past, as sheer class prevailed from Divine Madonna in 2007 and racing wide with cover but tracking into the race around the home turn scored for Forensics in 2008.

Only one winner of the Myer Classic since it became a G1 event has started form a double-digit barrier draw and that was the backrunner Divine Madonna, which started hotter than a hot poker heated up for hours in advance!

Interestingly three of the Myer Classic winners since it became a G1 backed up one week later from contesting the Cox Plate versus all comers at WFA.

Miss Potential led throughout to win the Myer in 2004, one week after being basically outclassed in the Cox Plate but not totally disgraced.

The following year she ran second in the Myer Classic to Lotteria, which had run a brave second to the champion mare Makybe Diva one week prior in the Cox Plate hence why she was a hot favourite back to against just her own sex that day.

Lotteria raced handy throughout poised the outer and while for a split-second it looked like traffic would play a role, she unleashed hard late to run the leader Miss Potential down.

Miss Potential had herself run one week prior on Cox Plate day but in the G2 Waterford Crystal Mile (1600m) and finished third, which proved the benefit of a race fit mare backing up is a Myer Classic winning formula.

Divine Madonna was luckless both track and race pattern-wise in the 2006 Myer Classic in finishing fourth and importantly had not raced for two weeks prior.

After running a hampered seventh in the 2007 Cox Plate behind the strathayr war-horse El Segundo, it was no surprise seven days later she outclassed her own sex in the Myer Classic.

It should be noted that in 2006 the winner Lyrical Bid, which had not raced for two and a half weeks, hugged the rail behind the pace and drove though late to beat the leader Seachange, which had not raced for a month.

Last year Forensics, which kept defying trends of being able to be peaked several times a year over several seasons for G1 races of huge stakemoney and future breeding worth, won the Myer Classic with a paralyzing burst of quality from the off the pace.

She had won the richest juvenile race in the world as a juvenile, the $3.5 million G1 Golden Slipper (1200m), the $400,000 G1 Queen Of The Turf (1550m) as a three-year-old filly and now the $500,000 G1 Myer Classic as a four-year-old.

Timing is everything and one heck of a licence to print money for the right filly or mare and Forensics, which would have done Fashions in the Field organizers proud from an attitude point of view, clearly only got out of bed on raceday for hundreds of thousands of dollars!

Forensics had not raced for four weeks before her victory last year, so the preparation for this spring feature for fillies and mares depends on what type of runner a trainer has entered.

Miss Potential, Lotteria and Divine Madonna backed up one week later from racing at Moonee Valley, while Lyrical Bid and Forensics came in with a two and four week break between racing respectively.

No three-year-old filly, despite the massive weight pull they receive under WFA at this time of the year over a mile, has won the Myer Classic since it became a G1 institution on Derby Day of the Melbourne Cup carnival.

The two upset prices to have won the Myer since it became a G1 feature event on Derby Day, were Miss Potential (30-1) and Lyrical Bid (20-1), which led or sat poised on the fence behind the pace throughout respectively.

The other three winners, Lotteria, Divine Madonna (odds on) and Forensics have respectively come from a relatively handy sit, the rear group and sitting wide with cover but improving near the home turn.

Keep any eye out for fillies and mares that compete on Cox Plate Day a week prior to the Myer Classic and obviously a week before that in the G2 Tristarc (1400m) on Caulfield Cup Day, another solid form source.

The top trio all met in the Tristrarc this year, with Typhoon Tracy easily beating Hot Danish and Neroli a super fourth after a poor start.

Also consider any fillies that are not outright sprinters or stayers, so a G1 Coolmore Stud (1200m) or the G1 Crown Oaks (2500m) is not suitable during Melbourne Cup week, as they will have their grand final in the Myer Classic.

Bettors also should note any Myer Classic runners that back up a week later in the G1 Emirates (1600m) under handicap conditions versus all comers, as it is very achievable double for the right runner with the right constitution.

Backrunners that have found Caulfield or Moonee Valley too biased or turning can suddenly find conditions and open spaces to suit at roomy Flemington, so always factor in the form reversal over Melbourne Cup week.