The Randwick Guineas meeting will be held at Royal Randwick this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with mainly fine weather in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Randwick will be racing on a Good track on raceday.
Wild Ruler can give punters a winning start in the opening event on Saturday (Sydney Race 1, 1100m). This Snitzel 3YO is a class animal having won the Heritage Stakes and the Roman Consul Stakes in the Spring. And the colt is unbeaten at Randwick winning both his starts at the venue. Team Snowden has given Wild Ruler two trials in preparation for his first-up run and the 3YO has duly won both trials. From the inside gate, James McDonald will box seat on the fence and Wild Ruler is the one they have to beat.
Stepping up to 2000m will really suit the French import Mount Popa in the Randwick City Stakes (Sydney Race 4, 2000m). The Team Hawkes-trained 6YO won well in a BM78 race over Saturday’s track & trip in his first Australian preparation last June. Mount Popa had shown that he has acclimatize well when he finished a nose 2nd to Shared Ambition first-up over the Randwick Mile last month. From barrier 1, Tommy Berry will put the gelding to sleep mid-field along the fence. Mount Popa will showcase his staying prowess by running home strongly at the end of the ten furlong race.
Kiwi stayer Aegon will try to keep his unbeaten record intact by taking out the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (Sydney Race 7, 1600m). The Baker & Forsman-trained 3YO has won all his five career starts. And the gelding won both his starts over Saturday’s trip including the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas. Two weeks ago, Aegon won the Hobartville Stakes easily sprinting his last 600m in 33.76 secs on a Soft 7 track. Champion hoop Hugh Bowman will once again be on board. With likely leader Peltzer drawing wide, the pace should be pretty good and Bowman will slot Aegon in mid-field with a cushy run. Whoever beat Aegon will win the Randwick Guineas.
By Owens Wong, Editor
