The Melbourne Cup Carnival’s premier sprint race runs down the famous Flemington ‘Straight Six’ on Saturday and our insider 2017 Darley Classic tips and updated betting odds on the million dollar feature are detailed below.

Flemington straight specialist Redkirk Warrior is the Races.com.au team’s upset tip to win Saturday’s Darley Classic 2017. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Due to run as Race 7 on the nine-event Emirates Stakes Day card, a gun field of 14 class sprinters is engaged for this season’s Group 1 $1 million Darley Classic (1200m).

The latest Darley Classic odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Team Snowden’s The Everest winning champ Redzel as the deserving $3.90 favourite to continue his ace run of form.

Undefeated in his last five starts, the progressive Snitzel five-year-old beat a similar line-up in the $10 million The Everest (1200m) in Sydney on October 14 and is also proven at Flemington.

The danger and early Darley Classic betting market mover is the Lindsay Park-trained The Everest runner-up Vega Magic ($4.80), a dual Group 1 winner who was luckless in defeat.

Vega Magic raced again under the lights at The Valley in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m), but suffered a check early and ended up running fifth as the beaten favourite.

So will the top two in betting fight it out in the finish or is there value to be found tipping an upset Darley Classic result this spring from the likes of the ‘Grey Flash’ Chautauqua ($6), the winter’s Stradbroke Handicap champ Impending ($8) or the flying mare In Her Time ($8)?

1^st

#7 Redkirk Warrior ($12)

Tipping an upset, a fairly regular occurrence in the Darley Classic, and fancy a return-to-form from the Lindsay Park-trained Flemington specialist Redkirk Warrior. The lightly-raced seven-year-old is undefeated at the track / distance having won the Newmarket Handicap in the autumn and the Bobbie Lewis first-up by 2.5 lengths. Was out of the money 10^th in The Everest 4.3 lengths beaten at Randwick, but returning to the straight he looks a huge winning hope at a price.

2^nd

#6 Impending ($8)

James Cummings-trained Lonhro four-year-old has upside as he prepares to face off with his last start conqueror in the Sydney Stakes, In Her Time, second-up. The entire will be fitter for the run and gets his chance after the impressive late sectionals that day, which were slightly better than Chautauqua’s for fourth in The Everest. Untested at Flemington so how he handles the straight will be key, but has class and ability and with winning form up to 1500m should sustain a run over 1200m without a worry.

3^rd

#1 Chautauqua ($6)

Can triple TJ Smith Stakes champion Chautauqua finally return to his best? He missed out on the Manikato Stakes, a late scratching at the barriers, but gets his chance again here at Headquarters. Was great late as usual when fourth in The Everest and is a genuine Flemington horse (8:4-3-1). He’s been waiting for the 1200m here and can run a big race after finishing second as the beaten favourite in this race in both 2014 and 2015.

Whether you’re backing or sacking our Darley Classic 2017 betting tips this Emirates Stakes Day make sure you’ve got access to the best Flemington Group 1 racing odds online through Ladbrokes.com.au.