A Melbourne Cup ballot exemption is on offer in Saturday’s 2015 Lexus Stakes at Flemington Racecourse and insider tips for the Victoria Derby Day staying showdown are detailed below.

Bohemian Lily is the Races.com.au team’s upset 2015 Lexus Stakes tip to win on Saturday this Victoria Derby Day. Photo: Daniel Costello.

Set to run as Flemington Race 5 at 2:25pm (AEST), this year’s $300,000 Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) field features 13 hopefuls that punters can lock in at Best Tote or SP + 20% only at Ladbrokes.com.au on Saturday!

Currently leading Lexus Stakes betting at $5 and firming is the John O’Shea-trained six-year-old Havana Cooler who put in the massive run behind winning stablemate Magic Hurricane when third in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at home in Sydney on October 3.

He is three weeks between runs and set to improve over a similar distance this weekend in his Melbourne debut with the import looking for his maiden win down under at his fifth Australian start.

Also at single-figures in the latest Lexus Stakes odds are the likes of Ruling Dynasty ($6) drawn the rails and looking for back-to-back wins after taking out the Listed Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) at Randwick a fortnight back and Gai Waterhouse-trained Herbert Power runner-up Excess Knowledge ($6).

So will the first three in betting be the first three over the line in the Lexus Stakes finishing order or can a longer priced rival score the upset such as the in-form Elhaame ($7.50) debuting down under for Saeed Bin Suroor coming off back-to-back wins in Europe or Waterhouse’s other runner Bohemian Lily ($9.50) who ran third in last Saturday’s Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m)?

1^st

#8 Bohemian Lily ($9.50)

Really liked the Moonee Valley Cup run by Waterhouse’s O’Reilly mare who can still make the Melbourne Cup field next Tuesday with a win here. She was beaten four lengths at this distance last start and does see Flemington for the first time on a short back-up, but she’s running consistently well and is on the 54kg minimum from a nice barrier (5) for jockey Jim Cassidy. Some class types in the field but the mares can more than match it with the boys and think she’ll be improving now she’s had a run this way of going.

2^nd

#1 Junoob ($16)

Don’t rate a lot of the Waller runners on the card this weekend, but even with the top weight (58.5kg) this veteran eight-year-old looks to have claims at a nice price. He had a kilo more on his back at Randwick last start two weeks ago when runner-up by a neck in the Tattersall’s Cup, and is at much longer odds for the rematch that the winner of that Ruling Dynasty. Not sure if Flemington is the right track with two well beaten runs from two starts here previously, but an 18^th in last year’s Melbourne Cup was one and he’s just not up to that class. This is an easier and open race.

3^rd

#3 Excess Knowledge ($6)

Waterhouse has a great record on Derby Day and think her top fancy in this year’s Lexus is a genuine hope based on the two good lead-up runs when second in both the Harry White and Herbert Power at Caulfield. Carrying a kilo less than last time out with Dwayne Dunn in the saddle this time, and there’s plenty of room from gate nine so should drop in for a good run.  

To get in on our Lexus Stakes betting tips at the right price and enjoy an Extra 50% on your very first Fixed Odds winner in Races 1 – 5 at Flemington this Saturday, head to Ladbrokes.com.au now!