The huge Epsom Handicap meeting will be held this Saturday at Royal Randwick. The course proper was rated a Soft 5 on Thursday and with fine weather in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Randwick could be racing on a Good 4 surface on raceday.
There will be three Group 1 races on show at Randwick on Saturday and let’s look at each of them in detail.
This year’s Epsom Handicap field seem to fall away a bit as there are only three Group 1 winners in the race (Sydney Race 7, 1600m). And the weight scale is extremely compressed with only 2kg spread from top to bottom after weights were raised by 4kg to meet the minimum 58kg top weight. Nonetheless the Epsom is still a very open race. Rosehill trainer Chris Waller has a strong hand in the race with three runners including race favourite Winx. I do however like his other runner Sadler’s Lake. This lightly raced 4YO is an up and comer and he has been unbeaten so far this preparation winning 2 from 2 over 1400m. He is definitely looking for 1600m 3rd up. Sadler’s Lake loves Randwick having won 3 times and finished 2nd once from 5 starts at the venue, with a good record over the mile with 2 wins and a 2nd from 3 attempts at the trip. From the lovely gate (3), the in-form hoop Jim Cassidy will settle the gelding just behind the pace and he will let down strongly in the straight. Currently at $9.00 fixed odds, Sadler’s Lake is pretty good value in an open race.
The Waterhouse-trained Speak Fondly looks the horse to beat in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (Sydney Race 8, 1600m). The Northern Meteor filly started off her Spring campaign with a bang winning successive races in the Silver Shadow Stakes and the Furious Stakes before a mighty 2nd to the giant colt Exoshpere in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes. Speak Fondly enjoys racing at Randwick having won twice from three starts at the venue and she can handle any track condition. From barrier 5, Tommy Berry could share the lead on the filly with Lauren’s Magic and Speak Fondly could prove hard to catch in the run home.
Magic Hurricane has been the most consistent runner in the field and is the deserved favourite in The Metropolitan (Sydney Race 9, 2400m). This Godolphin-owned English import won the Premier Cup 2nd up over 1800 before a close 2nd in the Hill Stakes (2000m). He will appreciate the step up to 2400m on Saturday as will the likely ‘give’ in the ground. From barrier 1, James McDonald can put Magic Hurricane to sleep mid-field along the fence. The 6YO will surely receive a cushy run in transit with plenty of petrol up his sleeves in the run home, and I believe that would be enough to win him the Group 1 ‘The Metropolitan’.
By Owens Wong, Editor
