The Spring Champion Stakes meeting will be held at Royal Randwick this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with heavy rain forecast for Friday and Saturday in Sydney, Randwick is likely to be racing on a Slow/Heavy track on race day.
The Team Snowden-trained Cosmic Force looks the horse to beat in the Roman Consul Stakes (Sydney Race 5, 1200m). This Deep Field colt has been given good grounding for his return to racing with two good trials before finishing a close 2nd to Standout when first up in the Heritage Stakes (1100m) after given that colt 2.5kg. The set weight condition on Saturday will certainly help Cosmic Force turning the table on Standout. The 3YO also has good wet track form having won the Pago Pago Stakes on a Heavy 10 track back in the autumn. With a run under his belt, Cosmic Force should be fit enough to handle the testing condition at Randwick.
The New Zealand colt Quick Thinker will have conditions to suit in the Spring Champion Stakes (Sydney Race 7, 2000m). The 3YO resumed with victory in the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Stakes coming from third last to run away from the field on a Heavy 9 track. Quick Thinker finished a good 3rd to race favourite Shadow hero last start in the Gloaming Stakes. Quick thinker can stay and there’s no doubting that he handles wet tracks. Nicely drawn in barrier 4, the in-form Nash Rawiller will settle just behind the leading bunch and if he can steal a break in the straight, Quick Thinker could be hard to catch.
It looks a race between the two mares, Mizzy and Fasika, in the Silver Eagle (Sydney Race 8, 1300m). The lightly raced Fasika has only had four career starts and she is still on the up. She was beaten by the fitter Mizzy when 1st up in the Sheraco Stakes on 14th September. Fasika will be fitter and is ready to step up to 1300m on Saturday and this Joseph Pride-trained 4YO is unbeaten on wet tracks winning 2 from 2. Rachel King will settle in the box seat from barrier 2 and keep Mizzy, who is likely to go forward and set the pace, in her sight. Fasika is going to finish strongly in the run home and is the horse they have to beat.
By Owens Wong, Editor
