November 8 - Top Australian thoroughbred trainer Danny O'Brien has high hopes that his eight-year-old gelding Valedictum will secure his second $1,000,000 Emirates Stakes (Gr 1) victory today at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse, after winning his first in 2005 with an excellent run.

Today's race will mark Valedictum's fourth consecutive effort in the prestigious 1600m race, and O'Brien is confident that the thoroughbred will pull out all the stops to win given his recent good form this spring. In last year's Emirates Stakes Valedictum came fourth while in 2006 he managed a third.

Said O'Brien, 'Valedictum has continued to come up season after season and he is truly an asset for the stable. After winning the Emirates Stakes in 2005, he was out of racing for 10 months due to a tendon injury. After his placing in the race two years ago, he did a fine job to finish fourth last year.'

The trainer will be hoping that Valedictum crosses the line first, matching only four other double Emirates Stakes winners since the race was inaugurated in 1919. They include Seascay (1994 and 1995), Heroic Stone (1965 and 1967), Aquanita (1960 and 1961) and Amounis (1926 and 1929).

'Valedictum has run very well this spring and I strongly believe that he's still capable of winning a Gr 1 race over a mile. I am also confident that his jockey (Glen Boss) will bring out the best in him today. He drew barrier 10 but will start from nine if the four emergencies don't start,' said O'Brien.

In April this year the Umatilla gelding won the 1400m Royal Parma Stakes at Rosehill, dispatching strong contenders Master Magic and Theseo along the way. In his last outing before today's Emirates Stakes, Valedictum came eighth to Hot Danish in the 1200m Salinger Stakes (Gr 2) last weekend.

Despite his upbeat demeanor, O'Brien has had a tough week after his charge Barbaricus was beaten by a nose in the 1200m Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1), while his Melbourne Cup hopefuls Master O'Reilly and Barbaricus only managed a 4th and 19th place respectively, while Gallopin failed to finish.

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2012/04/02 06:43:44 AM