The Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival continues at Flemington Racecourse with the Group 1 Australian Guineas Day 2017 – scratchings from the meeting, the updated Flemington track report and a full preview of the races detailed below.

It is sunny skies in Melbourne today with a hot day ahead, temperatures reaching into the high 20s and no chance of rain meaning the current Good (4) Flemington track rating is set to stay or even improve across the afternoon.

Flemington Track Report – 04/03/2017

• Rail: True Entire Curcuit
• Weather: Fine
• Track Type: Turf
• Track Rating: Good (4)
• Irrigation: 4mm last 24hrs; 27mm last 7 days
• Rainfall: 0.4mm last 24hrs and week

Melbourne racing kicks off at 12:45pm (AEDT) and the bumper nine race program continues through until the card closer scheduled for 5:45pm (AEDT).

The key race on the card is set to jump at 4:30pm (AEDT) this afternoon with a capacity line-up of 16 three-year-olds taking to the track in Flemington Race 7 for the 2017 Australian Guineas.

The three emergencies have come out of the Australian Guineas field now and leading the latest markets on the feature at Ladbrokes.com.au is the Tony McEvoy-trained CS Hayes Stakes winner Hey Doc ($3.50).

The other two Group status races on the program are the 2017 Frances Tressady Stakes (Race 5) for the fillies and mares and the 2017 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (Race 6).

See below for the complete Flemington race scratchings and full 2017 Australian Guineas Day Preview before checking out the top betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Flemington Preview & Race Scratchings – 04/03/2017

Total Scratchings: 13

Race 1 (12:45pm) – $100,000 Mrs Mac’s Family Bakery Sprint (1100m)

• #5 Miss Gidget (2)

Fillies and mares face off in the first with just seven left in the mix. Wide open race but like Missrock ($3.90) first-up after a delay. Group 1 targets were pending and so you’d think she’d be right up to this far easier class. Pink Perfection ($8) with Craig Williams aboard is the improver.

Race 2 (1:20pm) – $120,000 Listed ATA/Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m)

• No current scratchings

Short distance black-type sprint that features just seven runners. Heatherly ($1.75) came out of the Sydney Group 2 worth half-a-million over the same metres and this is easier. She gets the rails run and is deserving of the short price second-up.

Race 3 (1:55pm) – $120,000 3AW is Football Stakes (1000m)

• #7 Spoils (8)
• #8 Something Violet (2)
• #10 Hot Girl Wanted (3)

Set weights plus penalties sprint for two-year-olds with the Lindsay Park-trained filly Madeenaty ($1.80) first-up after her Magic Millions Classic third in January. Best in the race by far with a possible Sydney Golden Slipper run pending.

Race 4 (2:30pm) – $100,000 Mitty’s Handicap (1600m)

• No current scratchings

Benchmark 84 has attracted a small field of eight milers and the flying Chris Waller-trained Liapari ($5) coming off back-to-back wins with D. Oliver aboard looks the value. Watch for Jerilderie Letter ($4.80) in a nice barrier four draw who at one stage was talked about in Melbourne Cup chatter.

Race 5 (3:10pm) – $150,000 Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m)

• No current scratchings

The fillies and mares looking at a possible The Championships run in Sydney’s Queen Of The Turf Stakes this April face off in the fifth and bookies are tipping a return-to-form of Rising Romance ($4.80). It’s been a long time between wins but and more eager to find an in-form runner like I Love It ($9) third-up off back-to-back thirds in Group 3 company in Tasmania.

Race 6 (3:50pm) – $150,000 TAB Rewards Stakes (1400m)

• No current scratchings

Group 3 event has so many winning hopes making it a tough go for the punters. Zebrinz ($5.50) gets in on the minimum and comes off a win at the track and distance, while Kenjorwood ($7) was flying for Darren Weir enjoying the black-type 1700m win at Caulfield on Boxing Day under more weight.

Race 7 (4:30pm) – $750,000 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m)

• #17e Theanswermyfriend (9)
• #18e Redouble (13)
• #19e Hardham (1)

The big one features a full field of 16 and Hey Doc ($3.50) is well-fancied to complete the CS Hayes Stakes – Australian Guineas double. Leaning towards the value in a second-up improver like Seaburge ($12) if he can stay out of trouble from the gate and the Crown Oaks runner-up Harlow Gold ($17) looks top value of the fillies.

Read the full 2017 Australian Guineas Betting Tips

Race 8 (5:10pm) – $120,000 Listed 3AW Roy Higgins Quality (2600m)

• #10 Darabad (6)
• # 13 Sir Laszlo (2)
• #15 Spur On Gold (4)

Handicap for the stayers that could be eyeing a Sydney Cup run over two miles later in the autumn. Gai Waterhouse-trained three-year-old Northwest Passage ($3.70) is in outstanding form coming off a trio of wins including the Hobart Guineas – Tas Derby double in the Apple Isle and then the Moonee Valley Torney Cup over 2500m. Well weighted and winning hope again.

Race 9 (5:45pm) – $100,000 Saintly Handicap (1400m)

• #7 Navagio (2)
• #8 Clockwork Orange (11)
• #11 Think Babe (9)

Theanswermyfriend ($2.70) didn’t make it into the Australian Guineas field as the first emergency and instead gets a run in the last over 1400m off a win by 3.25 lengths over the same distance in mid-February. Probably looking for the mile, but even with weights raised is a big chance.

*All times quoted are AEDT and odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au – subject to change