The Apollo Stakes meeting will be held at Royal Randwick this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Heavy 8 on Thursday and with light showers forecast for Sydney leading up to the weekend, Randwick is likely to border on Soft/Heavy range on raceday.
Dame Giselle looks the standout in the Lonhro Plate (Sydney Race 4, 1000m). This Team Snowden-trained filly has created huge impression from her two career starts having finished 2nd on debut before she annihilated the field by almost 4 length in the Golden Gift, showing a good turn of foot sprinting the last 600m in 33.90secs. The Snowdens have put Dame Giselle through a 900m trial on a Soft 6 track on 28th Jan in which she won easily. That shows the filly should have no problem handling the rain-affected track on Saturday. Tommy Berry will settle somewhere mid-field and Dame Giselle will showcase her acceleration in the straight to run over the top of this field.
Last start winner Sangria seems to have conditions to suit in the Light Fingers Stakes (Sydney Race 7, 1200m). This I Am Invincible filly has come through the rank showing lots of potential. She won a Hawkesbury maiden last September before taking out a Benchmark race at Canterbury on a Soft 5 track. Sangria has developed further after a spell winning first-up over 1000m ten days ago. Jason Collett will take over the rein on Saturday and from barrier 6, Collett will go forward and sit outside likely leader Kiamichi and Sangria could simply kick away in the run home. Currently at $9.00 in the fixed odds market, Sangria represents terrific value for punters.
John Thompson-trained Dreamforce is resuming in the Apollo Stakes and the gelding has a great 1st up record having won 4 times with a further 3 placings from 9 starts (Sydney Race 8, 1400m). The 7YO also has a fantastic record over 1400m having only missed a place once from 10 attempts at the trip with 6 wins and 3 placings. He is very effective at Randwick having won 5 times at this venue. Thompson has given Dreamforce two trials to get him ready for his first-up run and Dreamforce won both trials effortlessly. Nash Rawiller will go straight to the lead and Dreamforce will be hard to catch.
By Owens Wong, Editor
