Winx comes to Flemington for the first time but it's the undercard that punters will be focused on with deep races around the skinny feature.
The third race on the card is the UCI Stakes for horses on the Derby path and it's Animalia that catches our eye, coming south off an impressive win at Newcastle last time.
It was Animalia's second run at the mile and for the second time he was able to control the race on speed and pull away when it mattered. He ran smart closing splits off a slow pace at Gosford before doing it off a more even gallop last time where his overall time was similar to what was produced in the Group 3 Spring Stakes on the same Newcastle card.
The UCI Stakes looks a softer race than the Spring Stakes. There's some nice improving types in the race for sure, and the solid Cliff's Edge and Eshtiraak are at least as well performed as Animalia, but they look a touch more exposed by recent racing. We're happy to play the Godolphin runner.
For an each way play we leave Dubai and head over to Qatar. Now Or Later will carry the Qatar Racing colours in the Blazer Stakes for the mares and in a wide open race she makes as much appeal as any.
She tired late in the piece first up from a break but it was a solid race and one that can set her up to improve sharply out to 1400m now.
Her form last season in the UK is very smart for this and she might be ready to run to a level somewhere near that which would have her a terrific winning chance again a good, but certainly not great, set of mares.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Bet Of The Day: Race 3 #6 Animalia @ $4.80
Each Way Play: Race 8 #14 Now Or Later @ $14.00
