The All Aged Stakes meeting will be held at Royal Randwick this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Soft 5 on Thursday and with overcast weather in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Randwick is likely to border on Good/Soft condition on raceday.
Top weight Strangerinparadise should enjoy a lovely run from barrier 4 in the TAB Highway Handicap (Sydney Race 1, 1200m). The Terry Fahey-trained mare has been in good form winning twice & a 2nd place finish in the last 4 starts. She was up in grade last start and was beaten by Kim Waugh-trained good gelding Harry Hotspur. Champion hoop Hugh Bowman will take over the rein on Saturday and he’ll settle the mare just behind the leaders from barrier 4. Currently at $12.00 in the fixed odds market, Strangerinparadise is at terrific value.
The up and coming 3YO Santa Ana Lane could turn out to be a terrific race horse and he looks the horse to beat in the E-Group Security Sprint (Sydney Race 2, 1200m). The Team Freedman-trained gelding won the Group 3 Zeditave Stakes over this distance 1st up this preparation. And after winning a 1200m trial earlier this month, he finished 2nd over 1400m under 59kg. Dropping back to 1200m on Saturday may suit him better as he has won twice over this trip from 3 attempts. Once again, Hugh Bowman will be on board and Santa Ana Lane will be hard to hold out.
Fresh from his five winner haul at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, James McDonald is poised to take out the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate with Old North (Sydney Race 3, 2000m). The Lonhro colt has been in top form winning 1st up over 1400m before a close 4th, beaten by less than half a length in the Phar Lap Stakes (1500m). Last start, he came from a fair way back and won the Tulloch Stakes brilliantly over Saturday’s trip. From barrier 8, McDonald will park Old North mid-field and the colt will finish the race far too strongly for this field.
There are only eight runners accepted for the All Aged Stakes (Sydney Race 7, 1400m), and I believe Press Statement can continue the good run in recent years for 3YOs in this Group 1 race. Top gallopers Flying Spur, Paratroopers, Atlantic Jewel and All Too Hard had all been successful as 3YOs in the All Aged Stakes. And Press Statement’s form line compares favourably with the above gallopers. After taken out the Caulfield Guineas last Spring, Press Statement won the Hobartville Stakes first up this prep before a close 2nd in the Randwick Guineas. Racing at WFA for the first time last start in the George Ryder Stakes, the Waller-trained colt did well by finishing 3rd behind super mare Winx. The slightly Soft condition will really suit Press Statement and so will the 1400m. Hugh Bowman will be on board and that’s another plus. Press Statement is set to emulate All Too Hard’s achievement in completing the Caulfield Guineas/All Aged Stakes double.
By Owens Wong, Editor
