The Championships Day 1 will be held at Royal Randwick this Saturday (1st Apr). The course proper was rated a Soft 6 on Thursday and with further showers in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Randwick will remain in the Soft range on raceday.
Golden Slipper runner-up Cylinder maps very well in the Inglis Sires’ (Sydney Race 6, 1400m). Earlier in the autumn, the Godolphin-owned 2YO took out the Silver Slipper and Todman Stakes before finishing 2nd to Shinzo (aided by a sensational ride by Ryan Moore) in the Golden Slipper. This Exceed And Excel colt handles any track conditions and James McDonald knows the horse well. Beautifully drawn in barrier 4, Cylinder will occupy the coveted one off one back position and he’s the one they all have to beat.
The very consistent In Secret is a high class horse and she has the weight advantage as a 3YO filly in the T.J. Smith (Sydney Race 7, 1200m). In Secret won the Light Finger Stakes first-up this campaign before beaten a nose in the Surround Stakes. She did make amend last start by taking out the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington. The 3YO has an almost unblemished record at 1200m having won four times with a 2nd from five attempts at the trip. Ben Melham will slide forward and sit just behind the leading bunch and In Secret will run over the top of this field in the last furlong.
Fangirl has finished in the placing behind Anamoe in all three starts this autumn and there’s no better form than the Anamoe form (Sydney Race 8, 1600m). The 4YO mare stormed home for 3rd when first-up in the Apollo Stakes before finishing 2nd to the champion in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes and George Ryder Stakes. Fangirl is ready to peak being fourth-up in the Doncaster. Champion hoop Joao Moreira will be on board and that’s another plus. Moreira will drop back in the field from a wide gate and watch Fangirl unleashing a devastating sprint down the Randwick straight.
By Owens Wong
