The Queen Elizabeth Stakes & the Sydney Cup will be the main features for Day 2 of ‘The Championships’.
Royal Randwick was rated a Heavy 9 on Thursday but with fine & sunny weather forecast for the next few days, it is hopeful that Randwick will end up in the Slow range on raceday.
In the opening event at Randwick (Sydney Race 1, 1600m), the top weight Veuvelicious is the horse to beat. This Northern Meteor filly finished 3rd in the Baillieu Stakes last start on a Heavy track so obviously the condition on Saturday wouldn’t worry her. She settled a long way off the lead last start but with the inside barrier on Saturday, she will settle a lot closer to the lead. Champion jockey Damien Oliver decides to stick with the filly which is a good sign.
The Royal Sovereign Stakes (Sydney Race 4, 1200m) sees the clash between Sydney & New Zealand 3YOs in Sidestep & Bounding. With the help of ‘winkers’ last start, Sidestep was racing a lot more tracktable in the straight resulting in his victory in the Darby Munor Stakes. However I am not sure if he can give a start to the kiwi filly Bounding and beat her. Bounding will be racing on the speed sitting probably just off the leader one off the fence. She has won 7 races from 10 starts and she has a great record over 1200m having won four & placed twice from 6 starts. Though she has never seen a Heavy track, I expect her to handle the anticipated wet condition being by Lonhro & out of an Exceed And Excel mare. Currently at $4.80 in the fixed odds market, I believe Bounding is pretty good value.
I’ll be tipping Sertorius to win the Sydney Cup (Sydney Race 7, 3200m) if the race is run on a dry track. But Randwick is likely to be in the Slow/Heavy range on Staurday, and I have to go with the mudlark The Offer. The Waterhouse-trained 5YO is shooting for his third straight win after claiming the Manion Cup & the Chairman’s Handicap on Heavy track in his past two starts. He has won 4 times & a 2nd placing from 5 starts on Heavy track and he’ll get conditions to suit on Saturday. The Offer will once again ‘swim’ his way to victory in the Sydney Cup.
The $4 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Sydney Race 8, 2000m) is the premier event of ‘The Championships’. I believe the triple crown winner It’s A Dundeel will stand tall in this big occasion. Two starts back, the Ranvet was run on a leader biased track and the first two horses in transit ran the quinella with It’s A Dundeel 3rd. And he ran on well to finish 2nd in the BMW last start on a bog track behind Silent Achiever, a rival in the Queen Elizabeth. The drying track on Saturday will suit It’s A Dundeel better and barrier 1 from the Randwick 2000m start will also help. This race will be It’s A Dundeel’s final race start before he begins his stud career so let’s hope he can finish his racing career as a winner.
By Owens Wong, Editor
