The Epsom Handicap meeting will be held at Royal Randwick this Saturday (2nd Oct). The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with overcast weather in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Randwick will be racing on a Good track on raceday.
Masked Crusader is going to prove his ‘The Everest’ credential by taking out the Premiere Stakes (Sydney Race 6, 1200m). At weight-for-age, the class of Masked Crusader is going to prevail. The 5YO almost has a perfect record at 1200m with four wins and a 2nd from five starts at the trip and he loves Royal Randwick. With plenty of pace up front, Tommy Berry will drop back in the field and bide his time. Masked Crusader will fly down the Randwick straight and run over the top of this field.
Fresh from winning the Group 1 Golden Rose last Saturday, Team Waterhouse-Bott is ready to add another Group 1 trophy to the cabinet by winning the TAB Epsom Handicap with Riodini (Sydney Race 8, 1600m). The 5YO gelding had run a blinder in his past two starts in the Chelmsford Stakes and the George Stakes, finishing 2nd in both races to top horses in Think It Over and Verry Elleegant and that’s good form. Riodini will have a massive drop in the weight from weight-for-age (59kg) to the feather weight of only 51.5kg in the Epsom. Rachel King retains the ride and she will go forward and sit just behind likely leaders Discharged and Ashman. Riodini will keep kicking in the last furlong and be hard to run past.
Entente was easing down when he took out the Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) last Saturday and he is set to repeat the dose in the Heineken Metropolitan (Sydney Race 9, 2400m). The Dundeel 5YO has come back in good form this spring finishing a close 3rd to She’s Ideel two starts back before his victory in the Colin Stephen last week. Backing up in another 2400m race this week, Entente is ready to peak in The Metropolitan. The 5YO will drop 4kg from last week and will carry only 52.5kg and form jockey Tim Clark retains the mount on Saturday. Drawn beautifully in barrier 4, Clark will settle just behind the pace and put Entente to sleep on the fence. With a cozy run in transit and together with his light weight, Entente is the one they all have to beat.
By Owens Wong, Editor
