A superstar stud prospect could be uncovered at Flemington this Saturday when the Coolmore Stud Stakes 2015 runs as part of the Victoria Derby Day line-up, betting tips for the sprint classic found below.

Odds-on favourite Exosphere looks very hard to beat in his first run at Flemington in Saturday’s 2015 Coolmore Stud Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.

There are a dozen three-year-olds in the mix for this weekend’s $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), the set weights clash due to jump as Flemington Race 4 at 1:40pm (AEST).

Of the 12 hopefuls in betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, where punters can lock in Best Tote or SP + 20% on all races at Flemington on Saturday, the red hot favourite and Sydney raider to beat is John O’Shea’s Exosphere ($1.45).

He’ll get his first look at the famous Flemington straight from a gun gate two draw, the Golden Rose champ looking to continue to frank the form of Randwick’s Roman Consul Stakes.

He won the race last time out as did the past two Chris Waller-trained Coolmore Stud Stakes winners – Zoustar (2013) and Brazen Beau (2014) – form the bookies are tipping to stack up again this Melbourne Cup Carnival.

What beats Exosphere if he doesn’t like the straight?

There are no rivals under double figures in the latest Coolmore Stud Stakes betting markets but the next best fancied paying $12 a piece are the stablemate Mogador and the horse that beat it home in the Blue Sapphire Stakes last time out Keen Array drawn in barriers seven and five respectively.

So can Exosphere continue the ace run of Coolmore Stud Stakes favourites and salute for the punters in his Melbourne debut or is there a huge boilover on the agenda from a roughie shot such as the former Singapore-trained Super One ($21)?

1^st

#1 Exosphere ($1.45)

He is short, really short, but deservingly so and is going to take a hell of a lot of beating even at his first Flemington run. Just needs to handle straight racing and he’ll be bolting away to his fourth win from as many runs this time in. Is a Group 1 champion and comes off the big 3.3 length Roman Consul success at the start of the month, now looking to complete the double for the third time in as many years. Jockey James McDonald is in top form and stays aboard from an ideal barrier two draw so this top fancy looks in a class of his own.

2^nd

#4 Keen Array ($12)

Think the Blue Sapphire form will stack up and the winner shoots for a third straight win. He is undefeated over 1200m with two wins so far and is four-from-seven in his career overall. Handled the black-type field last timeout, and while this is another big test, the Lindsay Park stable are on fire. This son of Bel Esprit is drawn to perfection in gate five and won’t be far away in the finish.

3^rd

#6 Counterattack ($15)

Waller is the season’s top trainer and comes off the Cox Plate victory last weekend, plus he has prepared the past two Coolmore Stud Stakes winners. He has two in the mix in 2015 shooting for the hat-trick, Counterattack drawn wide in gate 11 but the market mover having won two of his past three starts. Last time out was in the Listed Brian Crowley over the 1200m at Randwick on the back of a Roman Consul fifth, and the Listed race’s form has stacked up in a Coolmore top three run previously.

Get behind our Coolmore Stud Stakes selections or back your own tips in the first of the four Derby Day Group 1s online through Ladbrokes.com.au who are also offering an Extra 50% on your very first Fixed Odds winner in Flemington Races 1 – 5 on Saturday!