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2018 Futurity Stakes Field & Odds: Three for Weir
Victoria’s leading trainer Darren Weir is in with a three-strong contingent of weight-for-age hopefuls in the Futurity Stakes 2018 field at Caulfield Racecourse on the weekend.
Brave Smash is one of three Darren Weir-trained Futurity Stakes 2018 horses and heads betting on the Caulfield feature this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Attracting a typically small field, this season’s Group 1 $500,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) features 11 final acceptors facing off in Race 6 at 3:25pm (AEDT) on a bumper nine-race Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day card.
The first three highest-rated Futurity Stakes horses are all Weir trained as he chases back-to-back wins after success with Black Heart Bart (2017).
The best fancied of the Weir contingent and current favourite in Futurity Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au is Brave Smash ($3.60) out in gate nine with the race’s two-time winning hoop Craig Williams booked for the ride.
Williams rode the David Hayes-trained dual Futurity Stakes winner Niconero (2008-09) to victory and chases a third trophy on Tosen Phantom five-year-old Brave Smash this Saturday.
Brave Smash is best known for the races he has placed in not won since arriving down under, the former Japanese galloper third to Redzel in the spring’s The Everest and third second-up to Hartnell in the Group 1 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) a fortnight back.
The CF Orr Stakes is the key Futurity Stakes form race from the last 20 years including producing four of the past five winners.
Weir’s other chances of enjoying another Futurity Stakes win are Tosen Stardom and last year’s Australian Cup winner Humidor drawn in barriers five and two respectively.
Tosen Stardom occupies the second line of betting at $5.50, the multiple Group 1 winner desperate to atone for the forgivable 11th in the CF Orr Stakes from a wide barrier (13 of 13) when only beaten two and a quarter lengths.
Fitter for the run, Tosen Stardom gets the chance to improve notably in a smaller field from a better barrier second-up on Saturday.
Humidor at $7 is the longest-priced of the Weir stablemates, Damian Lane booked to ride the returning Cox Plate runner-up who races for the first time since his Melbourne Cup flop (19th) over the two miles last November.
The other best fancied in Futurity Stakes betting post-final acceptances and the early market mover is Mighty Boss ($5.50) for Mick Price.
The Not A Single Doubt colt is having his final lead-up into the Group 1 $1 million Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington Saturday week where he will be on the short seven day turnaround back against his own age.
In the spring the three-year-old scored a big upset at huge odds in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) before returning to finish under a length away seventh in the CF Orr Stakes without any luck in the run.
He takes on a similar field at the same track / distance second-up and gets a chance to improve ahead of his third-up target over a mile.
See below for the full Futurity Stakes 2018 field and latest odds available now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2018 Futurity Stakes Field & Odds
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