The All Aged Stakes meeting will be held at Royal Randwick this Saturday (24th April). The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with fine weather in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Randwick will be racing on a Good track on raceday.
The Frank Packer Plate is a good horse race with previous winners including Juggler, Might And Power, Dodge, Clangalang and The Chosen One, and Lion’s Roar is striving to join that list (Sydney Race 3, 2000m). Lion’s Roar has come of age this campaign having taken out the Group 1 Randwick Guineas beating the eventual Rosehill Guineas winner Mo’unga. And last start in the ATC Derby, the gelding was beaten less than half a length by Explosive Jack. Lion’s Roar is rock hard fit and he loves Randwick as he never missed a place from three starts at the venue. Lion’s Roar is head and shoulder above the Frank Packer field and he should win accordingly.
Team Waterhouse-trained Entente looks the horse to beat in the JRA Plate (Sydney Race 4, 2000m). This Dundeel 4YO has been racing very consistently with five wins and five placings from fifteen career starts. And the gelding has kept up with his strike rate this campaign winning the Albury Cup with a further two placings.Entente has a good record over the 2000m with two wins and two placings from five attempts at the trip. In a slowly run race, Tim Clark will go forward and set the tempo and Entente could prove hard to catch.
The Godolphin-owned Savatiano can make it four wins on the trot by taking out the All Aged Stakes (Sydney Race 7, 1400m). The winning streak for the 6YO mare started with victory in the Hot Danish Stakes, then the Expressway Stakes, culminating to Group 1 success in the Canterbury Stakes. James Cummings has deliberately spaced her runs as Savatiano races best while fresh, hence the 7 weeks between runs would certainly suit her. The mare has a great record over 1400m with four wins and six placings from thirteen attempts and she also has a good record at Randwick. Champion hoop Hugh Bowman will once again be on board. Nicely drawn in barrier 6, Bowman will just sit behind the good pace set by Dreamforce and Savatiano will give punters a good sight at the finish.
By Owens Wong, Editor
