The first of the two elite level Flemington features on Saturday’s Emirates Stakes Day program sees the sprinters face off in the Darley Classic 2015, a detailed form guide analysis and betting preview for which is detailed below.

Chautauqua is odds-on favourite to salute for the punters at Flemington on Saturday in the 2015 Darley Classic. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Set to run as Flemington Race 6 at 3:40pm (AEST), this year’s $1 million Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) has attracted a final field of just 10 hopefuls, all of which can be locked in at Best Tote or SP + 20% only at Ladbrokes.com.au on Saturday!

Red hot favourite at an odds-on price in Darley Classic betting paying $1.55 for the win is the Team Hawkes-trained Chautauqua looking to salute for the punters for the first time since Black Caviar saluted at a similar price back-to-back in 2010-11.

Second in the Darley Classic last Melbourne Cup Carnival, Encosta De Lago gelding Chautauqua has won two Group 1 sprints since in Sydney and Melbourne including the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) last start, a race that has produced the past three Darley Classic winners.

He is the class horse in the race and the one to beat for sure, but if he has a luckless run the next best fancied is the reigning Darley Classic champion Terravista ($7.50) drawn the rails and out to beat Chautauqua in the race for a second time.

That’s the top two in the bookies’ eyes but does the Darley Classic form guide, betting history and statistics reveal any value further down the markets from the likes of the second placed mare in the Moir Stakes Srikandi ($10) drawn a treat in barrier two or the always-honest $5 million earner Buffering ($13)?

2015 Darley Classic Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Darley Classic winner was the Joe Pride-trained Terravista (2014) who came off a fifth in the Manikato Stakes and jumped from barrier 6 (of 13) with Hugh Bowman in the saddle
• #4 Terravista ($7.50) is back looking for another win in 2015 for the first time since Black Caviar (2010-11) coming off a seventh in the Moir Stakes and drawl barrier one with Bowman back on board
• The other previous winner in the race is #1 Buffering ($15) who won in 2013 and was fourth last year
• Along with Hugh Bowman (5-1-0-0) the other previous Darley Classic winning jockeys with a ride on Saturday are: Damian Browne (2-1-0-0) on #1 Buffering, Craig Newitt (5-1-0-2) on #5 Tiger Tees and Kerrin McEvoy (9-1-2-1) on #8 Srikandi
• As well as the defending champion #4 Terravista trainer Joe Pride also has the $101 outsider in betting #5 Tiger Tees in the mix this year looking to win at the same price as this year’s Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance
• Along with Pride (3-1-0-0) the other previous Darley Classic winning trainers with a runner this year are: Robert Heathcote (4-1-1-0) with #1 Buffering, John Hawkes (20-1-2-1) who trains #2 Chautauqua in partnership with his sons Michael and Wayne, and Peter Moody (14-3-1-2) with #6 Flamberge and #9 Bring Me The Maid

• Last year’s winning barrier (6) has produced four Darley Classic winners (since 1983) and belongs this year to #6 Flamberge ($26)
• That is one of the three most successful Darley Classic winning barriers in that time with 4 victories along 7 and 11 – only 7 available this year and drawn by #1 Buffering
• In the past 10 years the Darley Classic favourite has won four times but two of those were by Black Caviar
• This year’s favourite at a Black Caviar-like price is #2 Chautauqua ($1.55)
• The Manikato Stakes has produced the past three Darley Classic winners with Buffering (2013) the last to do the double
• Chautauqua won this year’s Manikato Stakes and the other runners on Saturday coming out of the lead-up at Moonee Valley are Srikandi (2^nd), Buffering (5^th), Tiger Tees (6^th) and Terravista (7^th)
• Five-year-olds have the best record over the past decade with four wins including Terravista last year; the 5YOs in the race this year are: #2 Chautauqua and #8 Srikandi

• There are three last start winners in the line-up with #2 Chautauqua (Group 1 Manikato Stakes, 1200m, Moonee Valley, 23/10/2015), #6 Flamberge (Listed Durbridge Stakes, 1200m, Morphettville, 17/10/2015) and #10 Lumosty (Group 2 Caulfield Sprint, 1000m, Caulfield, 17/10/2015)
• Mares have won four times in the past 10 years and there are three in the field this year with #8 Srikandi ($9), #9 Bring Me The Maid ($41) and #10 Lumosty ($11)
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #8 Srikandi (64%) followed by #4 Terravista (56%) and #2 Chautauqua (53%)
• #2 Chautauqua (88%) has the highest Place Rate followed by #8 Srikandi (86%) and #10 Lumosty (75%)
• Over the distance the horses with the best record are: #1 Buffering (32-11-6-5), #2 Chautauqua (11-5-5-0), #4 Terravista (9-5-0-2), #5 Tiger Tees (14-4-0-1), #6 Flamberge (12-5-1-1) and #8 Srikandi (7-5-1-0)

• At the Flemington track those with the most wins are: #2 Chautauqua (5-3-2-0), #6 Flamberge (10-3-1-1) and #10 Lumosty (4-2-1-0)

Stay tuned for our insider Darley Classic 2015 betting tips and in the meantime head to Ladbrokes.com.au to sign-up and have access on Saturday to Best Tote or SP + 20% on every single Flemington race!

2015 Darley Classic Form Guide