Turnbull Stakes Day & Epsom Day wrap: Melham fined for ride on Skybird

Turnbull Stakes Day appears to be a cracker in the wet at Flemington Racecourse, while Randwick Racecourse hosts Epsom Day, highlighted by two Group 1s.

Join us here throughout the day for all the crucial moments!

Melham fined for ride on Skybird

Jockey Ben Melham has been fined $2,000 for not riding Skybird out in the Gilgai Stakes at Flemington.

Racing Victoria Stewards issued a charge under AR 131(b) - Failed to ride mount out to the end of race.

Ben Melham pleaded guilty and a resulting fine of $2,000 was issued.

Tempted dominates Premiere; top three horse in Aus?

Tempted dominated in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes, proving why the market right as she jumped as the $1.60 favourite with Sportsbet.

It was a victory so impressive that caused Campbell Brown to declare Tempted as one of Australia’s best three horses on SENTrack’s Saturday Trackside.

“With ease… Absolute freak,” Brown exclaimed.

“Top three horse in Australia, easily.

“Autumn Glow, Sheza Alibi and Tempted, then daylight.”

Can Tempted knock off Ka Ying Rising in The Everest?

Cox Plate market set for change after Sir Delius Turnbull loss

Cox Plate favourite Sir Delius has gone under in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington (2000m) despite jumping as the $3.10 favourite with Sportsbet.

The import ended up running fourth, outside of placings, while WA horse, Cosmic Crusader took out the Group 1.

Speaking on Cosmic Crusader’s victory, Cam Luke, David Taggart and Josh Jenkins broke down the movements in the Cox Plate market on SENTrack’s Saturday Trackside.

Luke: “Sir Delius, that Cox Plate market is going to change.”

“Sir Delius got conditions today to suit and couldn’t beat Light Infantry Man home. This Cox Plate market is going to be extremely interesting on the back of that.”

Taggart: “Has Sir Delius popped, you reckon?”

Luke: “Well, I think he is here for one thing only, it’s a Cox Plate.”

Jenkins: “$4.50 Sir Delius, Birdman $5, Cosmic Crusader $21 into $6.”

Luke: “That it is a little dramatic, but there's no doubt 2040m, (Cosmic Crusader) still would have won the race.”

Grima stuns in debut G1 ride

Siena Grima has marked herself as a jockey who will enter “another stratosphere” after her stellar victory aboard God’s Window in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick.

Reflecting on the victory aboard the roughie, David Taggart is adamant her career will take off now.

“This is Siena Grima, God's Window, no way! Bang,” Taggart screamed on SENTrack’s Saturday Trackside.

“This will get her career off and rolling. This will just send her on to another stratosphere with her career.

“She won the apprentice title last year… She's taken every opportunity and grabbed it, wowee.

“First Group 1 ride, first Group 1 winner. She will remember her first Group 1 ride.”

Mr Monaco locked into Melbourne Cup

Mr Monaco has won himself a Golden Ticket into the Melbourne Cup after taking out the Group 3 Bart Cummings at Flemington.

The Bart Cummings is a Golden Ticket race, which guarantees the winner entry into the Melbourne Cup.

Ridden by apprentice Jabez Johnstone for Ciaron Maher, David Taggart suspects that the apprentice will now have a ride booked for the two-mile Group 1.

“You won't believe it, I said to Ciaron, ‘Is your little kid (Jabez Johnstone) going to get a lightweight chance in a Melbourne Cup?” Taggart said on SENTrack’s Saturday Trackside.

“He goes, ‘Yeah.’ Well this will be it.

“This is his biggest win… That's his first Group victory, congratulations Jabez.

“He will now go on and ride him in the Melbourne Cup, I will suspect.”

Flemington track cops another "extraordinary" upgrade

The Flemington track has received a SECOND track upgrade!

Initially being rated as a Heavy 10, and queries around whether the meeting would go ahead, the track is now rated a Heavy 8.

“We've had a track upgrade at Flemington – Heavy 8,” Cam Luke said on SENTrack’s Saturday Trackside.

“We spent most of yesterday worried, and understandably so, that we might lose the meeting here.

“We may end up on a soft. Insane!”

“Yeah, quite extraordinary,” agreed Campbell Brown.

“I mean we know that it drains so well… Now we've had two upgrades. It's good stuff.”

Can Global Goal win the Oaks after G1 triumph?

Global Goal has taken out the Group 1 Flight Stakes, exclusively for three-year-old fillies at Randwick Racecourse.

Reflecting on the victory on SENTrack's Saturday Trackside, Cam Luke and David Taggart debated whether the filly will come down to Victoria to run in the prestigious Crown Oaks.

Taggart: “Does she come down to Victoria now for the Oaks?”

Luke: “I think she's too brilliant for the Oaks. I don’t know what she'll do.”

Taggart: “But don’t forget, you can win an Oaks on just sheer brilliance.”

“We saw the Tommy Berry do it on not so long ago on She’s Extreme.”

The Chris Waller-trained Striking Alibi failed to finish inside the first four, despite jumping as the favourite.

Campbell Brown exclaimed that she didn’t show a turn of foot in the 1600m Group 1, before Luke explained that the talented filly just simply doesn’t like the mile.

Brown: “Jeez, it just didn't show a turn of foot at all, did it?”

Taggart: “No, the wet track, it probably didn’t like it.”

Luke: “It doesn’t run a mile, I tried to tell you, it’s not a miler.”

Taggart: “You’re right Cam, it probably didn't run the mile, Bangkok (Hottie) didn't run it either.”

Flemington track upgraded to Heavy 9

Who would have thought?

After Racing Victoria confirmed that the Flemington Turnbull Stakes meeting was going to go ahead despite the mass downpour of rain, there were still queries surrounding the track conditions.

But now, the Flemington track has actually received an upgrade, going from a Heavy 10 into a Heavy 9!

It seems the full Turnbull meeting will absolutely go ahead now.

Flemington meeting to go ahead despite heavy rain

Racing Victoria has confirmed that the Flemington Turnbull Stakes meeting will go ahead, despite the heavy rainfall which has hit the track.

Stewards rated the track a Heavy 10, and considered it currently “safe” to proceed with the meeting.

Gunbower and Murtoa have been abandoned, though.

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