Today at Flemington will feature the first heat of the VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series for milers, the Leilani Series for mares, the Silver Bowl Series for three-year-old milers and the Next Generation Sprinters Series for two-year-olds. The meeting will also feature the second heats of the Mahogany Challenge Series for staying three-year-olds, named for versatile Flemington favourite Mahogany, and the Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series, which is being dedicated for the first time to superstar Flemington-trained sprinter Santa Ana Lane. The first heats were held at Caulfield last Saturday with the classy Elzamee and progressive The Amazonian earning ballot- exempt spots in the Mahogany Challenge Final (2500m), while improving four-year-olds Ranting and Ocean Beyond received their express pass into the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m). Last weekend also saw the first heat of the Banjo Paterson Series for older stayers with stakes winners Milford and Flash Aah earning a place in the 2600-metre final. Recent years have seen Group 1 winners like Nature Strip, Santa Ana Lane, Eduardo, Gytrash, Zoutori, I’m Thunderstruck, Streets Of Avalon, Despatch, Miami Bound, Begood Toya Mother and Johnny Get Angry emerge from the Flemington Winter Series, with Nature Strip going on to be named Australian Horse of the Year. Meanwhile, the last three winners of the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m) – Surprise Baby, Persan and Grand Promenade – have either run in The Lexus Andrew Ramsden or the Flemington Winter Series before going on to take their place in the Lexus Melbourne Cup.
Who will emerge from the Flemington Winter Series in 2022?
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