Rising Stars set to shine tomorrow in Flemington finale

With up to four young riders still in with a chance of being crowned the winner of the 2024-25 RMBL Investments Rising Stars Series, there is plenty at stake in the final of the prestigious apprentices-only series at Flemington tomorrow (Saturday, 19 July).

Given that he sits on 42 points and carries a three-point buffer over his nearest rival Sarah Field into the grand final, Tom Prebble is in the box-seat to claim the title – particularly as the son of a gun has picked up the plum ride on the Chris Waller-trained mare Sound It Out, an impressive last-start Sandown winner for the powerful Yulong operation.

But with 12 points on offer to the winner of the final, Field – who has battled back from a series of injuries to find form just in time for her Flemington debut – has not given up hope of chasing Prebble down, and her cause was aided when Sound It Out was assigned the outside alley in Saturday’s $80,000 contest over the mile.   

Field, who will partner Matriarch Rose for her master Dan O’Sullivan in her first Melbourne metropolitan ride, has her sights set on the $4,000 retail voucher awarded to the apprentice who accumulates the highest points tally across 23 heats and the Flemington finale. 

The same applies to the in-form pair of Logan Bates (fourth on 34 points) and Luke Cartwright (fifth on 32), whose elder brother Matt was a two-time Rising Stars Series winner. Cartwright will steer Busuttin-Young’s last-start runner-up Pariah Pearl on Saturday while Bates, who rode a metro double at Caulfield last Saturday, gets the leg-up on the 2024 Leilani Series Final (1400m) heroine Cindy Falls.

Steph Hateley, who is sandwiched between Bates and Field in third place on 37 points, is without a ride in the final returning from an injury layoff but provided she can maintain her position in the top three the English ex-pat will still collect a $1,000 retail voucher, with the series runner-up awarded a $2,000 voucher.

Field, who has a trio of wins to her name in the series so far, has never sat on Matriarch Rose on raceday but has regularly partnered the mare in recent track gallops. 

The 27-year-old, who has eight wins and 12 minor placings from her last 50 rides, is confident her mount can turn the tables on Sound It Out, especially as Matriarch Rose was unsuited by the Heavy Sandown surface when she finished just under four lengths behind her rival last start.

“I was strapping Matriarch Rose that day and when Jaylah [Kennedy] got off her, she said the mare hated the ground,” said Field.

“So hopefully we get more suitable conditions at Flemington on Saturday, which would bring us right into the race. I’m obviously super excited to be heading to Flemington for the first time, I’m usually pretty calm so I probably won’t feel any nerves but it’s a nice milestone in my career to ride in my first metro race.

“I know the mare well so that will definitely help, and she’s been working really well at home. I’ll be concentrating on riding my own race rather than worrying what Tom is doing, but it obviously hasn’t hurt our chance that he’s drawn wide. We’ve drawn wide ourselves in barrier 10 which isn’t ideal, but they tend to go pretty quickly in these apprentice races which would suit my mare, because she appreciates a solid tempo.  

“I feel like I’m riding well at the minute, I’m on a bit of a roll and my confidence is really high, so hopefully we can keep it going on Saturday. It would mean a lot to me to win the series, especially as I’m only in my second full season of riding.” 

Provided he can overcome the wide draw, victory would cap a breakout season in the saddle for Prebble, who also leads Jaylah Kennedy by one win in the race for the Victorian metropolitan apprentices’ premiership.

The son of champion jockey Brett has registered 24 city winners so far this season and is confident of holding off his rivals to claim the Rising Stars trophy and accompanying bragging rights.

“I don’t see any reason why the mare can’t win again, especially the way she finished off last time,” said Prebble. 

“She’s in great form, loves the mile and is in one of the best stables in the country, so she ticks a lot of boxes.”

With six points on offer to the runner-up, four for the third placegetter, two for fourth and one for fifth, nothing less than victory is required for Bates or Cartwright to overhaul Prebble. 

The Rising Stars Final is set to jump at 2.25pm tomorrow, with the Deane Lester Flemington Cup 1849 (2800m) – named in honour of the popular late form analyst – also set to headline an action-packed winter raceday at Flemington.