The two three-year-olds dominating the Australian Guineas 2012 odds are also ruling the Flemington betting markets for this Saturday’s Lightning Stakes Day, Helmet and Mosheen to start odds-on in their respective races giving punters an early guide next month’s Group 1 showdown.
Helmet is set to jump one of the shortest-priced favourites on the 2012 Lightning Stakes Day card this Saturday
Kicking off the Group racing action at Flemington on Saturday will be Race 4 – the $150,000 Group 3 The Vanity (1410m) where Robert Smerdon’s leading filly Mosheen will face a moderate field of seven rivals.
Last year The Vanity winner Southern Speed may have finished five lengths away seventh behind Shamrocker in the Australian Guineas, but she went on to perform at the highest level over the next 12 months including her Caulfield Cup victory in the spring.
An emphatic nine-length winner of the Crown Oaks last Melbourne Cup Carnival, Fastnet Rock filly Mosheen showed she had lost none of her gleam over a three month spell when she scored a tidy one and three quarter length win first-up in the Listed Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 4.
She is the firming $1.70 favourite in the 2012 The Vanity odds to make it two-from-two for 2012, the only notable challengers being Greg Eurell’s lightly-raced Great Dame ($6 Luxbet) coming off back-to-back wins in January, and the Danny O’Brien-trained Pins filly Shopaholic ($7 Luxbet) who like Mosheen won at Caulfield first-up a fortnight ago.
2012 Australian Guineas Odds
It is a very similar tale in the next, Peter Snowden’s triple Group 1 hero Helmet at the same short price to take out Flemington Race 5 – the $150,000 Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1410m).
The CS Hayes Stakes has been a useful guide for Australian Guineas punters in the past including last year when the winner Bullbars going on to run a brave second to Shamrocker.
Racing at the same track over the same distance just 40-minutes after Mosheen on Saturday, the overseas-bound colt will be looking to secure his spot at the top of the Luxbet odds for the $750,000 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 3.
Currently Helmet, last seen finishing a credible eighth as the beaten favourite in the Cox Plate (2040m) at the Valley last October, is the clear-cup Australian Guineas pick at $2.50 through Luxbet.
Mosheen follows on $7, but if she salutes and Helmet goes down on Saturday, it could paint a very different Australian Guineas betting picture come Sunday morning.
Helmet, drawn ideally in barrier four with Kerrin McEvoy engaged, goes up against 10 rivals in the 2012 CS Hayes Stakes field.
Three of his competitors are at single-figures to score an upset with That’s The One ($5.50 Luxbet) fresh off a second to Mosheen at Caulfield, the promising Danny O’Brien-trained Decircles ($8.50 Luxbet) and Mick Price’s Zeditave Stakes winner Instinction ($9 Luxbet).
Mosheen and Helmet are the shortest-priced favourites in the Lightning Stakes Day markets bar the one and only Black Caviar.
Moody’s unparalleled champion is set to defend her title in the $750,000 Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) just seven days after winning her first 1400-metre test with a commanding victory in the CF Orr Stakes.
Odds-on at $1.10 in the Lightning Stakes odds at Luxbet, there are sure to be plenty of punters jumping on this price that would seem disgustingly short for any other galloper but our turf queen.
To check out all the Flemington race odds and betting markets for Saturday and back you selections at the hottest prices, head to our No. 1 recommended online bookmaker Luxbet now.
New to sign-up and bet with Luxbet? Take advantage of their exclusive $400 bonus bet offer by depositing and quoting the codeword BONUSBET when prompted!
2012 The Vanity Odds
Flemington Race 4 – 2:50pm – 18/02/2012
| # | Horse (Barrier) | Odds* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MOSHEEN (8) | 1.70 Luxbet |
| 2 | SHOPAHOLIC (1) | 7.00 Luxbet |
| 3 | GREAT DAME (3) | 6.00 Luxbet |
| 4 | ANGEL OF MERCY (7) | 10.00 Luxbet |
| 5 | CALINE (6) | 10.00 Luxbet |
| 6 | NOTICE RECEIVED (5) | 18.00 Luxbet |
| 7 | THE GOOD WIFE (4) | 17.00 Luxbet |
| 8 | SERAPHEE (2) | 151.00 Luxbet |
2012 CS Hayes Stakes Odds
Flemington Race 5 – 3:30pm – 18/02/2012
| # | Horse (Barrier) | Odds* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HELMET (4) | 1.70 Luxbet |
| 2 | INSTINCTION (10) | 9.00 Luxbet |
| 3 | SABRAGE (8) | 26.00 Luxbet |
| 4 | HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (1) | 11.00 Luxbet |
| 5 | DECIRCLES (7) | 8.50 Luxbet |
| 6 | THAT’S THE ONE (5) | 5.50 Luxbet |
| 7 | ALPHA MAN (2) | 41.00 Luxbet |
| 8 | TONED (11) | 35.00 Luxbet |
| 9 | TAXI DRIVER (3) | 18.00 Luxbet |
| 10 | BAQLZEUS (6) | 251.00 Luxbet |
| 11 | BIG BUDDIE (9) | 201.00 Luxbet |
*Odds are Fixed Win and subject to change – see Luxbet for updates and to bet now!
