This Saturday’s Sydney meeting will be held at Royal Randwick (15th Jul). 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 top weight, The Little Pumper, looks the good in the opening event at Randwick (Sydney Race 1, 1400m). The 2YO gelding won easily first-up over 1250m at Canterbury leading from start to finish. Adam Hyeronimus is a good front running jockey and he is going to take advantage of the rail’s gate (1) and go straight to the lead. The Little Pumper could prove hard to catch.
Fresh from winning with Epicus at Canterbury on Wednesday, trainer Kristen Buchanan is posed for another metropolitan winner with Oakfield Waratah on Saturday (Sydney Race 2, 1600m). The gelding has been mighty consistent this campaign with two wins and two 3rds from four starts and the 4YO is ready to step up to the mile being fourth-up on Saturday. Tyler Schiller will sit one off one back in a prominent position and Oakfield Waratah will be ready to pounce rounding the home turn.
Zac Lloyd is looking to pick one back from Dylan Gibbons’ lead by winning the City Tattersalls Group Handicap on Hi Dubai (Sydney Race 5, 1200m). This Waterhouse-Bott trained filly has come back a more matured horse and has only been beaten narrowly in her two starts this preparation. Fitter when third-up on Saturday and stepping up to 1200m looks ideal. Lloyd’s 1.5kg claim will bring the 3YO’s weight down to 55kg. Lloyd will go forward and settle outside likely leader Time To Boogie and Hi Dubai is the one they all have to catch.
By Owens Wong
