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Previously a Cups kick off was the Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington on Saturday.
That has changed of late with more quality sprinters to the fore. That looks the way again in the 2019 Aurie's Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
2019 Aurie's Star Handicap: Nominations
2019 AURIE'S STAR HANDICAP - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Aurie's Star Handicap is a Group 3 race run under handicap conditions for open sprinters at Flemington conducted by the Victoria Racing Club.
The Aurie's Star Handicap is run over 1200m up the Flemington straight.
The Aurie's Star Handicap was first run under that name in the 1970s but achieved black type in 2005 and was a Group 3 from 2010 and beyond.
They ran the 2007 Aurie's Star Handicap at Moonee Valley due to Flemington being renovated.
Recent runnings of the Aurie's Star Handicap have been basically sprinting types whereas middle distance horses were more prevalent 15 years ago and beyond.
This was a race Bart Cummings often used to give his Cups horses a first up run in to get the preparations moving.
Fields Of Omagh won the Aurie's Star then later won a Feehan and placed in the Turnbull and Caulfield Cup behind the champion Northerly. He would win two Cox Plates in later seasons.
The 2019 Aurie's Star Handicap will be run for prizemoney of $160,000.
Notable winners of the Aurie's Star Handicap include Voodoo Lad (2018), Hey Doc (2017), Tiger Tees (2014), Temple Of Boom (2011), Mic Mac (2009), Niconero (2005), Sports (2003), Fields Of Omagh (2002), Hula Wonder (1999) and Penghulu (1997).
The 2018 Aurie's Star Handicap was won by Voodoo Lad from Home Of The Brave and Brave Song.
