Racing: Embellish and Melody Belle tackle Aussies

Embellish runs in the A$150,000 CS Hayes Stakes at Flemington today. Photo / Race Images

In a crazy week in Australia when sex was banned in Canberra, should we be taking anything seriously from across the Tasman.

Well, the Te Akau operation and its co-trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards certainly will be with stable stars Embellish and Melody Belle in Group 3 and Group 2 races respectively in Melbourne and Sydney.

Australians seem to be judging Embellish for today's A$150,000 CS Hayes Stakes at Flemington based on the Melbourne form of former stablemate Xtravagant, who failed to fire on his transtasman campaign and have him at $10. The comparison is a mistake.

So what chance Embellish? Well, a better chance than legislating against sex as the Australian PM did on Thursday. Much better. The opposition is strong, but Embellish will be suited by this race.

For starters he has drawn barrier No1. If Flemington's 1400m barrier is not Australia's worst to draw wide at, it's in the trifecta, with the first bend roughly twice the length of your car from the barriers. It will allow Opie Bosson to position the colt reasonably handy and follow the right horse into the race.

In recent starts, the most recent in the Karaka 3YO Classic at Ellerslie, Embellish got back and when Bosson decided to move forward at the 600m he was caught wide and had no horse to take him into the race.

Consequently he was left in front and exposed very early in the home straight and was eclipsed late by Scott Base's phenomenal finishing burst from the pack.

The long Flemington home straight allows jockeys to take their time and lodge their challenge when it suits and, luck assisting, Bosson will be able to do exactly that and time Embellish's very smart 200m sprint to perfection. If all that evolves, the Kiwi can prove a tough opponent.

The joint favourites at $5, Cliff's Edge and Peaceful State are stablemates in Darren Weir's barn. Cliff's Edge was devastating winning fresh from a break, but has to come out of barrier No 13 and he could have issues with that carrying 58.5kg topweight.

If you judge this heavily on barrier draws, Peaceful State from gate No 3 looks the better chance on paper, but either could win with the right passage and that is what New Zealanders will be relying on with Embellish.

Difficult to see how Melody Belle can thrive from gate No 12 in the A$200,000 Light Fingers Stakes at Randwick.

Autridge and Richards have determined Melody Belle is a much better filly when sprinting out of cover over the closing stages of her races, as she showed making the opposition look to be in another class when winning the opener on Karaka Million night at Ellerslie.

This is a classy field of fillies - Alizee is rated top class by everyone that's ridden her - and how she and Rory Hutchings can get cover from the outside barrier but two will only be resolved with time. It would be pointless going out there with a rigid plan, rather with ideas of let's see what happens.

Melody Belle is good enough to be right in the act with the right run, even though Alizee from gate No 4 has all the favours and it will come down to the run she receives.

Australian punters have given Melody Belle respect because even though Alizee is at $1.85 across the Tasman, the New Zealander is second favourite at $5. Part of that will because they saw her astonishing 2-year-old victory at the Queensland winter carnival.

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