This Saturday at Flemington Racecourse the Melbourne Cup Carnival comes to a close with a Group 1 double for the punters including the Emirates Stakes 2015 where Lucky Hussler carries top weight.

Lucky Hussler carries top weight in Saturday’s 2015 Emirates Stakes looking to go one better than his second in the race last spring. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Due to run as Flemington Race 7 at 4:20pm (AEST), this year’s $1 million Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) has attracted a final field of 16 milers including the Darren Weir-trained Lucky Hussler.

Winner of the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield two back carrying 58kg to victory with Glen Boss in the saddle, the in-form Husson six-year-old was last seen crossing third with 59kg in the Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) on Cox Plate Day.

He is back to the 58kg, Boss retaining the ride, and runs at Flemington where he has run second twice from three starts at the track.

One of those was behind Hucklebuck in last year’s Emirates Stakes when beaten only a neck, an effort he’ll be out to improve on 12 months on despite going up three kilos.

Lucky Hussler has drawn nicely in barrier three this year though, which only recently produced a winner in Boban (2013) two years ago.

Weir shoots for his first Emirates Stakes win and has also accepted for his five-year-old New Approach mare May’s Dream who suffered an early blow drawing the outside barrier.

An Emirates Stakes winner hasn’t jumped from a double digit gate since Tears I Cry (2007) got the job done from the outside alley as a 100/1 outsider carrying just 51kg.

Fourth last time out behind Politeness in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) at the same track and distance carrying 57kg against her own kind, May’s Dream drops to the 52.5kg minimum this weekend with a jockey still to be confirmed.

Divine Madonna (2006) was the last mare to beat home the boys in the Emirates Stakes nine years ago, but this year the girls are out in force.

The best fancied of the mares in the mix is the Robert Smerdon-trained Politeness who has won all three of her starts this time in including her upset at $17 in the Myer Classic on Derby Day.

That was her first win from eight starts at Flemington and her first over a mile, Smerdon hoping she can emulate her ace run there in the Emirates Stakes with Craig Newitt taking over in the saddle.

Politeness had 57kg in the Myer and drops to 53kg this weekend, half a kilo more than fellow last start winning mare Coronation Shallan carries on the back of her Group 3 Tesio Stakes (1600m) success over the mile on Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley.

From three Flemington runs Brett Scott’s Strategic six-year-old has run third twice, but her form over 1600m is solid with two wins, three seconds and two thirds from eight runs at the distance.

Following Lucky Hussler in the Emirates Stakes weights meanwhile are Arod (57.5kg) and Turn Me Loose (56.5kg) jumping wide from barriers 15 and 11 respectively.

English raider Arod from the UK stables of Peter Chapple Hyam debuted down under with an 11^th in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), but is set to relish a drop back to the mile here that he won the Group 2 Summer Mile over at Ascot back in July.

Turn Me Loose is the form horse heading into the Group 1, the Murray Baker-trained New Zealander coming off back-to-back wins in the Seymour Cup carrying 60kg and the Crystal Mile when he carted 58.5kg to victory.

Also coming off a win is the Lee & Anthony Freedman-trained Disposition jumping from nine with 54.5kg on Saturday, Damien Oliver shooting for his second win in the race after the success aboard Happy Trails (2012).

Former WA champion Disposition is a four-year-old son of Reset coming off ace form having run second in the Sir Rupert Clarke and Toorak Handicap in Group 1 company before his last start win at Flemington in the Group 3 Chatham Stakes (1400m) on Derby Day.

He did that with 57.5kg so with three kilos less he is a big hope of continuing his great record at Flemington where he has won two from three with a second in his third previous look at the track.

See below for the full Emirates Stakes 2015 field, barriers, jockeys and weights.

Then to lock in Best Tote or SP + 20% on all the Flemington races on Saturday head to Ladbrokes.com.au and sign-up now!

2015 Emirates Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Flemington Race 7 (4:20pm) – 07/11/2015