Empire Rose Stakes 2023 Betting Tips - Value sought in an open Group 1

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: 01 Nov 2023

Alex Marsh 01 Nov 2023

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The Empire Rose Stakes is a fillies & mares feature run on the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival
This Group 1 is contested over 1600 metres at Flemington
A competitive market has been assembled with Unibet Australia
Our feature preview is included below

Expired

Will Hope In Your Heart record her first Group 1 win? (Getty)

The Empire Rose Stakes is a premier mile event for fillies and mares, with this WFA event one of three Group 1's run on the famous Derby Day program.

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Tips
2023 Empire Rose Stakes Field & Odds

Named after Empire Rose who completed the MacKinnion Stakes/Melbourne Cup double in 1988, this race gained Group 1 status in 2004, which has ensured much better fields taking to the track to compete for the $1 million prize pool.

In an open market with Unibet Australia, Alcohol Free is a $5 favourite to win the 2023 Empire Rose Stakes.

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Tips

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Best Bet - Hope In Your Heart

It's not a strong edition of the Empire Rose Stakes and from a punting perspective, this 1600m mares Group 1 is very challenging and the honest Hope In Your Heart is arguably the safest option.

While she's yet to land a Group 1 victory, she was one of the more consistent mares in Australia last season, having recorded three Group wins in that period, while she was Group 1 placed.

12 months ago, the daughter of Dundeel arguably should've won a strong Golden Eagle and she finished fourth in that feature, where the trifecta was filled by I Wish I Win, Fangirl and Gypsy Goddess.

Given he's been aboard for three of her last four wins, the engagement of Tim Clark is a positive and with even luck in transit from barrier one, Hope In Your Heart has to be in the mix.

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Value Bet - Foxy Frida

As a Group 3 winner over this trip who was arguably in career-best touch last campaign, the Andrew Noblet-trained mare deserves another Group 1 look, with the six-year-old arriving here third-up.

Her one try at this level was over winter and that resulted in a decent Tatta Tiara showing, while with three wins over this track/trip, the Flemington mile has often proved to be a sweet spot.

Before that recent autumn and winter period, Foxy Frida always appeared to be a rung below this sort of level, however, as already mentioned, this is a weak Group 1 and she did enough last prep.

Freshened up after a somewhat plain return, she improved in the Ladies Day Vase when third and if it wasn't for Our Red Morning falling in her lap, Foxy Frida would've finished closer in that Group 3.

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Roughie - Ausbred Flirt

Although Alcohol Free has runs on the board, mainly from overseas as a four-time Group 1 winner in Europe, the price discrepancy is too big between her and Ausbred Flirt from last week's clash.

That pair met inn The Invitation at Randwick and while Alcohol Free had every chance having settled outside of the leader early, Ausbred Flirt was in transit and held up until the 100m.

Despite their different fortunes, there was under a length separating them and while both are queries backing up with interstate travel, we're at least getting a price for the five-year-old.

Trainer Brad Widdup followed the same path last year when taking out this event with Icebath, with that galloper also finishing second in the 2021 Empire Rose Stakes after winning The Invitation.

2023 Empire Rose Stakes Field & Odds

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Odds
1	Alcohol Free (IRE)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Opie Bosson	5	57kg	$5
2	Princess Grace (USA)	Chris Waller	Jamie Spencer	12	57kg	$7.50
3	Hope In Your Heart	Kerry Parker	Tim Clark	1	57kg	$8
4	Atishu (NZ)	Chris Waller	James McDonald	8	57kg	$6
5	Hinged	Chris Waller	Blake Shinn	13	57kg	$23
6	Foxy Frida	Andrew Noblet	Billy Egan	6	57kg	$26
7	Renaissance Woman (NZ)	Bjorn Baker	Harry Coffey	14	57kg	$23
8	Barbie's Fox	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	Mark Zahra	16	57kg	$18
9	Wrote To Arataki (NZ)	Matthew Williams	Dean Yendall	10	57kg	$19
10	Pride Of Jenni	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Declan Bates	17	57kg	$17
11	Deny Knowledge (IRE)	Michael Kent	Jamie Kah	7	57kg	$61
12	Life Lessons (NZ)	Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman	Daniel Stackhouse	15	57kg	$17
13	Shuffle Dancer	Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman	Luke Nolen	2	57kg	$26
14	Wishlor Lass	Symon Wilde	John Allen	11	57kg	$8
15	Ausbred Flirt	Brad Widdup	Rachel King	9	57kg	$31
16	More Secrets	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Damien Oliver	4	57kg	$31
17e	Jennilala	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Jamie Spencer	3	57kg	$41