Saturday will be a grand days racing in Sydney with many really nice horses competing on what will be a good surface at Randwick. Hopefully every horse can get its chance whether it be a leader or a swooper.
Race 2. The Tea Rose 1400m Group Two
This race in the past has been won by the very best fillies, many of which have gone on to become excellent mares and multiple Group One winners. More Joyous, Samantha Miss, Sunline and Emancipation are the best fillies to have ever won this race while last year the Group Two affair was taken out by Longport who won the race on protest from Norzita. The 2013 edition has just six runners with the favourite being the multiple Group One winner Guelph. Guelph was a victim of the track bias at her first start this preparation and she will be very hard to beat in this race. The interesting runner is Shahad. This mare’s parents Fastnet Rock and Shamekha in 2005 ran the quniella in the T.J. Smith sprint and they have clearly passed on some of their wonderful ability to their daughter. Arabian Gold is a filly with a tonne of ability as demonstrated by her already very impressive record of 4 wins from 6 starts. This is a big step up in grade but she appears to be up to it.
To win – No.3. Arabian Gold. Her trainer David Vandyke has an unbelievable strike rate at Randwick. $2.75
Hardest to beat – No.1. Guelph. Already a Group One winner at this track and trip. $2.00
Best longshot – No.5. Shahad. Well-bred, has been tearing up trackwork and was impressive first up. $12
Race 5. The George Main Stakes 1600m Group One
The last two winners of the George Main being Shoot Out and Sincero are both in the race this year and both have undisputed chances. Over the years, this major WFA race has been won by really good horses like More Joyous, Lonhro, Emancipation and Vo Rouge as well as immortals Winona Girl and Shannon. Hawkspur is all the rage as he should be after a dominant win last time; outside of this Waller trained Cups hopeful, we can get really juicy odds about some nice horses. Six of the nine runners are Group One winners; Sacred Falls beat Pierro this track and trip in the Doncaster, while Streama and Royal Decent are too Group One winners at Randwick. The only three-year-old in the race Dissident ran second last week in the Golden Rose and Victorian visitor Fawkner was nice first up when the track bias played against him.
To win – No.7. Streama. She seems to have comeback bigger and better than ever as was displayed in her ‘tough as nails’ first up second in the Warwick Stakes. $8
Hardest to beat – No.6. Hawkspur. A very talented staying type, but he is very short considering this is a mile WFA race. $2.70
Best longshot – A tie between No.2. Sincero and No.4. Fawkner. Both are talented horses who have improvement left in them. Sincero $19, Fawkner $13.
Race 6. The Bill Ritchie Handicap 1400m Group Three
Sizzling is a Group One winner in Brisbane and he has looked ok in his two races in Sydney this time in. Last preparation the future stallion took a few runs to find his best, but when he did he looked magnificent. He will also appreciate a big track. Boban has caused a bit of a stir in the industry as he has risen through the grades. He has a great turn of foot and last start he sat on the speed and gave nothing else a chance. This is a harder race especially considering the amount of hard and fit horses that are engaged, but Boban is an untapped talent that will take a huge amount of beating. Then there are the usual suspects like Bello and Malavio who always bob up and run well in these types of races. We have seen the best of those kinds of horses, whereas Boban and Sizzling still have plenty to give. Ashokan is an entire with a heap of ability that might pop up down on the minimum.
To win – No.3. Sizzling. His best is dynamic and if the track plays fair you can just see him wind up from the back and blow these away. $5
Hardest to beat – No.9. Boban. This boy can weave through the field without losing momentum and that trait is rare among younger horses. $2.60
Best longshot – No.12. Ashokan. Two good trials and was good first up. He still has lots of improvement in him and it would not be surprising if he held on for a place. $17
Race 7. The Hill Stakes 2000m Group Two
This is a wonderful race and it has been since its inception in the ‘1920s. Gloaming, Beauford, Phar Lap, Peter Pan, Bernborough, Redcraze, Sky High, Gunsynd, Super Impose, Saintly and most recently Desert War have all won this race. All these horses would fit comfortable in the top 100 to ever run in Australia. The 2013 edition has been knocked about by scratchings with the original race favourite Beaten Up succumbing to injury in the last few hours. That leaves the race full of horses that are ok at 2000m but much better at 2400m. It is a battle of the stayers which can make it very hard to find a winner considering it is a middle distance WFA race and there is only a 1kg spread over the field. Glencadam Gold has been a bit hard to catch since he took Australia by storm this time last year. Having said that, he was great first up after missing the start and if he jumps well it is hard to see some of these dour types getting past him. Moriarty is always thereabouts and is very consistent and the import Bayrir looks to have settled in well at the Waller yard.
To win – No.5. Glencadam Gold. When allowed to role he is very very hard to get past. From barrier 4 he will no doubt be right on the speed. $7
Hardest to beat – No.6. Bayrir. This French import has won a Group One and a Group Two overseas over the 2000m. If he brings that form here he is unbeatable, but he still has to do it in Australia. He will eventually so it is best to include him rather than miss out. $4.50
Best longshot – No.12. Kingdoms. This improving type is no longer a longshot due to the scratching of Beaten Up but he will take a power of holding out if he gets the right run. $5.00
Race 8. The Shorts 1100m Group Two
Apart from the E.I. wrecked spring of 2007, this sprint race has been run every year since 1867. This year’s race has a dominant favourite in Sessions and behind him, each and every runner has at least some claims to win this race. Hay List was good first up from his latest near death experience and he will be right there as long as he has come on, which all reports suggest he has. Diamond Earth is a flying machine that mixes her form a bit, but her best is really good. Manawanui is back from another injury and will probably need the run, while Tiger Tees is bullet proof first up. Session last start conqueror Decision Time is back again as is the continent travelling Spirit Of Boom. Newmarket placegetter Aeronautical and recent ‘return to form’ horse Mic Mac are two of the other big chances.
To win – No.11. Session. He was another who was disadvantaged by the leader bias at his last start. This week he has no weight and will be fitter for that hard first up run. $2.60
Hardest to beat – No.1. Hay List. The wildcard. If he runs up to his best he will win, but can he still do that? There are a million question marks around this grand old warrior, but he definitely has to be respected. $13
Best longshot – No.13. Diamond Earth. If the track is playing leaderish, she may be able to hold on for a place. At her best she is very very fast and the 1100m is her best distance. $34
Good luck. It will be a wonderful day.
By Zeb Armstrong
