From Brad Widdup
Horse: Icebath
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, Queen Of The Turf Stakes) Two of Icebath’s best runs have been on a seven-day back-up – her narrow 2nd to Colette in the 2020 Golden Eagle and 2nd to Cascadian in last year’s Doncaster Mile. Icebath will again be on a seven-day turnaround in Saturday’s Queen Of The Turf Stakes after finishing 3rd in last week’s Doncaster Mile. She is a very good back-up horse. We were either going to back up into this or the Queen Elizabeth. Going to the Queen Elizabeth, she probably had to strike a win somewhere there and it didn’t happen so this was always a very good back-up race. I know her pretty well and how she has come out of that (Doncaster Mile) run, I couldn’t be happier. She thrives off this sort of quick back-up, heavy tracks, the mile at Randwick. There are a few ticks there.
From Team Snowden
Horse: Mazu
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Arrowfield 3YO Sprint) He’s got a similar profile (to Redzel), if anything he’s come around a bit quicker when we gelded him. (Redzel) took about six months to turn his form around, (Mazu) is a long way off him but there are a few similarities. We never deviated from the plan, it was all about this race. Even when he won his first start back it was a sense of relief that gelding him hadn’t taken anything away from him. Each time it’s got harder and he’s handled it well. I’m looking forward to seeing how he measures up against those better class horses. It’ll be a good measuring stick for a horse like him. He’s had a perfect preparation up until now and there’ll be no excuses from our end. He’s drawn (gate 9) not quite the soft gate that he has at his last two start. The pluses are he’s going great, he loves wet ground and he’s as fit as we can get him.
From Chris Waller
Horse: Hinged
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, Australian Oaks) She is very consistent, right from the spring where she ran 2nd in the Flight Stakes. She’s come back and gone to a new level, racing very consistently. The beauty of Hinged, she puts herself in the race, she seems to be able to handle all conditions. She is a good athlete. It’s a bit of an unknown at the distance but there’s nothing to say that she won’t run a strong 2400m. She’s a natural athlete and as three-year-olds they tend to run beyond their staying capacity. Sometimes we find out as four-year-olds and older that they’re not true stayers. But as three-year-old fillies when they are in their prime and rock-hard fit, we might get a bit further.
Horse: Verry Elleegant
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Queen Elizabeth Stakes) Montefilia beat her fair and square (in the Ranvet Stakes), I thought she would pick the winner up in the straight but she didn’t. She ran 2nd to a proper horse and it was a semi-final for this race so she has improvement in her. I think what Verry Elleegant is, is a tough competitor so a tough 2000m contest when she is at her peak is when she will start to excel. A horse of Verry Elleegant’s stature, every race could be their last run. You don’t want to see them run poorly, so the day she has an off day could well be the last day. We’ll be watching Saturday closely, who knows she might have a bit more racing left yet.
From Joseph Pride
Horse: Stockman
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, Sydney Cup) Coming off a last-start, weight-for-age 2nd to budding star Duais in the Tancred Stakes, Stockman has an eight-kilo weight drop in the Sydney Cup. It is proven all the time, weight-for-age form back to handicap races where you get significant weight drops, it always seems to work. He beats the handicapper too. I think he should be on about 54-1/2 (kilos) because since the weights have come out, he’s won that Group Three (Sky High Stakes) and placed in a weight-for-age race. His rating has gone up at least seven points since he got his handicap. He is purely a wet tracker but that’s what we’re going to need to see on Saturday.
Horse: Kaapfever
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, Sydney Cup) He flashed home and ran 2nd in the Stayer’s Cup at Rosehill last year and was very unlucky, so he has ticked the 3200-metre box and a lot of these horses haven’t.
From John Bannister
Horse: Poseidon Ruler
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 3, Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Final) I’m looking forward to the day, I just get a bit nervous hoping he runs well. He’s never put in a bad run since we’ve had him. Half of me was happy and the other half was thinking it’s a bit hard for him at the moment. It’s a bit stressful. Three weeks ago he was a Class 1 country horse and now he has to step up. He’s probably six or eight months away from being a proper horse, he’s still learning. He ran 3rd (in a qualifier on a Heavy track) and that was pretty good. I wasn’t expecting him to run top three, he was miles up in grade, but he kept stepping up. He’ll run well, I just don’t know if he has the class of Never Talk and Rustic Steel. They might be a bit better grade than him. But, if you’re not there, you’ve got to be in it. He’ll go through the heavy but he’s probably better on top of the ground.
From Edward Cummings
Horse: Duais
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Queen Elizabeth Stakes) Duais has been nominated for both the Sydney Cup and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. I think the inclement weather predicted for the rest of the week more or less forced our hand. There’s quite a bit of rain predicted and I think in terms of her wellbeing and safety it’s (sticking to the 2000m) probably the more prudent option. I’m sure there have been a number of horses in the past who have completed the (Tancred/Queen Elizabeth) double. She’s a versatile mare and we expect her to run well. I think when you get to these big races drawing in can sometimes tend to change tactics. I’m actually quite comfortable with barrier 9, it means that we fall into the same position that we would normally and she’s been pretty devastating in two runs since. All we can do is really focus on the health and wellbeing of our mare and I’m very proud and pleased to say that she’s in great nick.
From James Cummings
Horse: Honeycreeper
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, Australian Oaks) Hugh (Bowman) navigated his path very well (in the Adrian Knox), rode the patient race from the wide barrier and she proved she’s got a bit of class with the extra 3kg she was giving to her opposition. We’re happy with the way she’s pulled up so far, she’s looking likely to run. Her prospects look quite bright and the horse is moving beautifully. She’s fit and ready to go.
Horse: Anamoe
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Queen Elizabeth Stakes) He’s an alpha male, he absolutely knows he’s the best horse on this farm. The deeper into his preparation he’s got the more focused and professional he’s become, that’s what you want to see in a horse. One who can perform on grand final day and that’s Anamoe. That’s why we chose the Queen Elizabeth. We want to challenge the horse and prove not only is he the best of his age but the best in the country. I don’t want to put pressure on the horse but I have to say that I was even more pleased (with his work) than leading into the Cox Plate. It goes without saying that tactics will be instrumental, we’ve seen that in many Queen Elizabeths. It’s exciting for us to have a horse of this calibre and we’re delighted to have him in this position.
Horse: Colette
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, Queen Of The Turf Stakes) Colette, who won the Oaks two years ago at this meeting, has been runner-up in two of her three starts this autumn. To the casual observer, you might think she’s looking for 2000m this preparation but there’s a lot of rain forecast for the latter end of this week. There’s a smaller number of horses in that mares’ race who will handle those conditions. Some of them are going to have their stamina sapped by those conditions and that’s going to suit Colette. We’ve got her very fit at the culmination of her preparation.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 6 – Hinged
Sydney Race 7 – Stockman
Sydney Race 8 – Verry Elleegant
