Trainer Luke Oliver would like nothing more than to give former fellow Cranbourne-based trainer Udyta Clarke another victory at Flemington.
Oliver prepares the Clarke-owned Megamea who runs in the Leilani Series Final (1400m) on Saturday.
It is hard to forget the scenes of Clarke celebrating the victory of Rich Charm when he won the Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes (1200m) at Flemington during the 2017 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Clarke was forced to give training away after suffering a bleed on the brain in November 2020 but has been getting back to races in recent months to watch her horses.
“It’s all about Mrs Clarke,” Oliver said.
“This race is at Flemington, its headquarters, it’s where Rich Charm won a lot of races, and it feels like it will be a full circle if she (Megamea) can go there and get the job done.”
Rich Charm was successful at Flemington in three of his nine wins.
Oliver said he had picked out the Leilani Series Final for Megamea after the filly finished third over 1400m at Caulfield in February.
Megamea started her current campaign with a win over 1200m on heavy ground at Sandown on June 1 before finishing third over 1420m at Flemington on June 18.
“The soft tracks are her go and I thought 1400 metres at Flemington would suit her,” Oliver said.
“That was the plan that we went with, and everything has so far worked out so far. She was great first-up and good the other day.
“Last time she just maybe ran out of fitness second-up, just peaked on her run, but she’s definitely fitter going into this run than she was last time.
She’s got a great barrier and she meets a lot of the horses that she ran around last time at Flemington better at the weights.”
