2017 Flight Stakes Form Guide & Betting Preview

Plenty of top class spring fillies are set to face off at Royal Randwick on Epsom Handicap Day this Saturday in the Flight Stakes 2017, a full form guide and comprehensive betting analysis on the mile showdown detailed below.

One More Honey is one of three fillies in the 2017 Flight Stakes field on Saturday for former winning trainer John Thompson. Photo: Steve Hart.

It is an 11-starter field engaged for this year’s Group 1 $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) with the latest odds at Ladbrokes.com.au led by the firming favourite Alizee.

After opening at $3 for the win, the James Cummings-trained daughter of Sepoy has since been heavily backed into $2.80 to continue her winning form after success in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) a fortnight back.

She chases the double last achieved by First Seal (2014) and if successful will become the fourth Flight Stakes favourite in five years to get the job done.

Four of her rivals are also under $10 in the Flight Stakes betting markets including Champagne Cuddles ($4.20) drawn one on her outside in barrier 11.

The Bjorn Baker-trained Not A Single Doubt filly has been in outstanding form over the spring, but hasn’t been able to win.

She has four Group placings including three straight second place efforts and is on the quick back-up after finishing behind Trapeze Artist at Rosehill last weekend in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m).

Below we take a look at the comprehensive Flight Stakes 2017 form guide, betting history and race statistics to see if there is value to be had further down the markets on Saturday.

2017 Flight Stakes Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Flight Stakes winner was the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Global Glamour who improved on a lead-up sixth in the Tea Rose Stakes, jumped from barrier 1 (of 6) and was ridden to victory by Tim Clark
• Co-trainer Gai Waterhouse holds the record with nine previous Flight Stakes wins and is out to make it double-figures on Saturday saddling-up #8 Pandemonium ($7.50)

• The other previous Flight Stakes winning trainers with a runner on the weekend are: John Thompson with #3 One More Honey ($8), #5 Sweet Deal ($15) and #9 Smooth Landing ($34); and Clarry Conners with #7 Legal Girl ($17)
• Last year’s Flight Stakes winning jockey Tim Clark chases successive wins aboard this year’s triple figure roughie #11 College Romance ($151)
• The last jockey to ride back-to-back Flight Stakes winners was Hugh Bowman on Streama (2011) and Norzita (2012)
• Bowman boasts a title of four winning rides in the mile classic having also partnered Cheeky Choice (2006) and Samantha Miss (2008) to victory and is booked to ride #5 Sweet Deal on Saturday

• Last year’s Flight Stakes winning barrier (1) has produced three winners since 1983 and belongs this year to #9 Smooth Landing
• The most successful Flight Stakes barrier in that time producing four winners is gate is 2 drawn this year by #3 One More Honey
• Favourites in Flight Stakes betting have won six times in the past nine years including three on the trot from 2013-15
• #2 Alizee ($2.80) is the clear Flight Stakes favourite in 2017

• Since 2002 the only Flight Stakes winner to score at double-figures was Secret Admirer ($17 in 2010)
• Along with this year’s favourite #2 Alizee the other single-figure fancies in the Flight Stakes odds are: #1 Champagne Cuddles ($4.20), #4 Cellargirl ($6.50), #8 Pandemonium ($7.50) and #3 One More Honey ($8)
• The Tea Rose Stakes has produced more Flight Stakes winners than any other lead-up race including five of the past six
• The most recent fillies to complete the Tea Rose Stakes – Flight Stakes double were Guelph (2013) and First Sea (2014)
• #2 Alizee chases this year’s Tea Rose Stakes – Flight Stakes double
• The other Tea Rose Stakes graduates in the Flight Stakes field on Saturday are: Champagne Cuddles (2^nd), Cellargirl (3^rd), One More Honey (5^th), Sweet Deal (6^th), I Am Excited (7^th), Smooth Landing (8^th) and Pandemonium (9^th)
• Global Glamour (Tea Rose 6^th in 2016) was the first Flight Stakes winner since Only A Lady (Tea Rose 10^th in 1997) to finish worse than fourth in their final lead-up; this year that rules out #3 One More Honey, #5 Sweet Deal, #7 I Am Excited, #8 Pandemonium, #9 Smooth Landing and #10 Luvaluva
• Along with the Tea Rose winner #2 Alizee the other last start winner in the field is #7 Legal Girl (Class 1, 1500m, Kembla Grange, 17/09/2017)
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #4 Cellargirl (43%) followed by #1 Champagne Cuddles (33%) and #10 Luvaluva (33%)
• The highest Place Rate of the field belong to #1 Champagne Cuddles (100%) followed by #4 Cellargirl (71%)
• The fillies with the best winning record at the Randwick track are: #3 One More Honey (6-2-0-0), #1 Champagne Cuddles (4-1-2-1) and #2 Alizee (5-1-1-0)
• The fillies with previous form over the distance (1600m) are: #7 Legal Girl (1-1-0-0) and #8 Pandemonium (1-1-0-0)

Stay tuned for our insider Flight Stakes 2017 betting tips, checking out the full race form guide below in the meantime courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.