What track guru expects at Flemington on Champions Day

Flemington track curator Liam O’Keeffe is expecting wet conditions for Champions Stakes Day.

The weather forecast from the BOM suggests there’ll be 1-8mm of rain and 15° in Melbourne on Saturday.

O’Keeffe says he’s been told to expect 11mm on race morning which could push the track into the Heavy 8 range for the final day of the Flemington Carnival.

“The forecast is for 11 millimetres set to start around early morning, breakfast time,” the VRC’s Head of Racecourse at Flemington said on SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up.

“That’s set to continue until about 1 or 2 o’clock and then easing off to scattered showers after that.

“So if we were to get 11 millimetres, and some of that during racing, on Day 5 then I think we’ll be very close to a Heavy 8.”

The track has been in great order across four race days to date this spring, which includes the Cox Plate meeting on October 24.

Generally it has played fair, but favouring the outside lanes in the sprint races.

“I think it will probably be more middle to outside, just looking for the fresher ground out there,” O’Keeffe said.

“Similar to yesterday (Oaks Day) where it was probably more across that outside half or middle to out (of the track).”

The nine-race card kicks off at 12:4pm AEDT on Saturday.

Tempted is a firm favourite for the first of three Group 1s - the Champions Sprint (1200m). Autumn Glow is expected to take out the Champions Mile (1600m), while the Cox Plate trifecta of Cosmic Crusader, Aeliana and Birdman head the market for the Champions Stakes (2000m).

Last year’s Champions Day primarily took place on a Heavy 9 after 17mm of rain across the day, with the likes of Giga Kick, Ceolwulf and Via Sistina (in her final race) relishing the conditions.