Betting markets suggest Winter Finals Day at Flemington will be when premier trainer Darren Weir brings up the 100 metropolitan winner-milestone in Victoria for the season.
Weir heads into Saturday's meeting having prepared 98 city winners in Victoria during the 2015/16 campaign and he has a host of top chances on the nine-race card.
With seven city meetings of the season remaining, Weir is poised to join the select group of Lee Freedman, David Hayes and Peter Moody to bring up a century of Melbourne winners in a season.
Freedman achieved the feat with 115 wins during 2005/06, while Hayes reached a century the following season with a final tally of 103.
Moody prepared 103-1/2 during 2010/11.
Weir has runners in seven of the nine races at Flemington on Saturday and has the early favourite in three events. Master Of Arts is an equal favourite for his race, the Banjo Paterson Series Final.
Killarney Kid (VRC-CRV Cup Tour Trophy), Voodoo Lad (All Victorian Sprint Series Final) and Telopea (Leilani Series Final) are favourites.
Weir is also close to the Commonwealth record for winners in a season.
After a win at Pakenham on Thursday – Weir's 329th for the season – he only needs six more to eclipse John Hawkes' mark of 334, which he achieved in 2002/03.
Meanwhile, It hasn't taken long for trainer Stephen Brown to form a high opinion of recent stable recruit Lord Von Costa.
In his first race for Brown at Flemington two weeks ago, Lord Von Costa finished second to the exciting Spieth in an 1100m sprint.
It was the second time in two starts this campaign Lord Von Costa, formerly trained in Albury by part-owner Graham Hulm, has had to settle for second on his new home track.
But Brown takes confidence from the three-year-old's last start heading into Saturday's Listed A R Creswick Series Final (1200m).
"I'm super confident. I think he's probably improved a fraction from last start and I think that's good enough to win," Brown said.
- AAP
