There is no Winx in the field of the feature race, but 2018 Apollo Stakes Day at Royal Randwick on Saturday is shaping as a competitive card and a terrific day for betting. The rail will be in the True position around the entire Randwick course on Apollo Stakes Day and at the time of publish, the track is rated a Good 4. To add a little more interest to an already great day, Winx will gallop between races at Randwick on Apollo Stakes Day.
Nine country horses will step out in Saturday’s Highway Handicap, which will be contested over the middle distance of 1800m. Mate Story ($1.75) returned to winning form with a smart win over 1500m at Rosehill on February 3rd and is set to jump the clear favourite here. The son of Wanted will look to take up the running from barrier 3, but is yet to be tested at the distance and could be vulnerable late. One horse that warrants interest in this race is So It Is ($6.50) who has already started to attract some interest in our market. The Bernardini mare performed well on less-than-ideal conditions at Rosehill last start and will relish a return to Good going. Blake McDougall has plenty of options from the rails draw and So It Is is weighted for success again.
Eleven two-year-olds will contest the Pierro Plate and four of those juveniles will be having their first competitive start. Irish Bet ($8) made an impressive debut to the track at Randwick and will take plenty of benefit from the experience into this race. The son of Smart Missile was settled just behind the pace in the Inglis Nursery (1000m) by Brenton Avdulla before producing a nice turn of foot to comfortably win the race. The horse has further sharpened up with a trial at Rosehill on February 5th and appears to be over the odds at his current price. Legend Of Condor ($2.90) was also impressive on debut and is set to start favourite here. The Not A Single Doubt colt was taken to the lead by Josh Parr in the Nielsen Sports Victory Vein (1000m) on October 14th and struck the line well to beat Spin by a head. Plenty could happen in this race, but on exposed form I am happy to take the each-way odds on offer for Irish Bet.
The field for Race 3 is an open one and there is a case to be made for more than half the field finding winning form on Saturday. Vaucluse Bay’s ($6.50) inconsistency has again been his biggest issue this time in, but at his best he is up to the class of this race. The Al Maher gelding has finished a close second in two of six starts this time and probably won’t be offered a better chance of returning to the winner’s stall than he will from barrier 3 this weekend. High Opinion ($3.60) was rewarded for his smart run of form with a classy win at Rosehill last start and he can go on with the job here. The son of Lord Jim will take a position off the pace from barrier 9 and will prove extremely difficult to hold out in the final throws of this race.
The first black type race of the day will see nine sprinters step out in the Southern Cross Stakes. Some of the Autumn Carnival’s most exciting Sydney-based sprinters will contest this race, including Deploy ($3). The Fastnet Rock gelding absolutely flew over this course and distance in spring and won the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) before heading to Rosehill for a dominant win in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m). He was outclassed in The Everest, but typically comes to hand quickly and has an edge over everything else in this group. Dothraki ($5.50), Oxford Port ($18) and Supreme Effort ($19) all have a fitness edge and are capable of competing.
Eleven horses remain in contention for the fifth following the early scratching of Ready For Success. The Pinnacle ($4) resumed for a close second in #TheRaces BM80 (1350m) at Rosehill in late January and will go close again with natural improvement. The So You Think mare will relish a return to her pet trip here and will carry 4kgs less than her first-up run. Malaise ($6.50) failed to fire last start, but was in terrific form prior to that run and can atone in this company. The Godolphin runner win a pair of 1400m at Randwick and Flemington respectively in January and can take a forward position from barrier 3 this weekend. Nat King Cu ($11) has been racing out of his skin again this time in and will be tough to run down again on Saturday. I will be backing The Pinnacle to win this race, but I am also happy to have an each-way bet on Nat King Cu at his current price.
Winx will not launch her Autumn Carnival campaign in the Apollo Stakes and subsequently, the feature race is an open betting affair. Three-year-old Addictive Nature is the $3.70 favourite at the time of publish, but he is yet to herald much interest. The Savabeel colt was fair to the line when third as the favourite in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) first-up and will enjoy a step up in distance second-up here. Global Glamour ($6.50) attracted all the attention in early Apollo Stakes betting, but has since eased, while Prized Icon ($5.50) and Endless Drama ($5.50) will both be far-better second-up. One horse that is worth consideration at odds is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Stampede, who opened at $14 but has firmed into $9.50 at the time of publish. The horse will undoubtedly be better when he gets out to a longer trip, but he is capable of a sharp fresh run and has never missed a place first-up. CLICK HERE for a full Apollo Stakes betting update
A smart field of fillies and mares has been taken for the Triscay Stakes and it is probably the most open race on the Apollo Stakes card. Faraway Town ($6.50) saluted for us first-up at Randwick on January 20th and will only improve into this race. The Not A Single Doubt mare has been a strong and consistent performer for Matt Smith throughout her entire career so far and is drawn to settle back off the pace, before producing her smart turn of foot. Smith elected to scratch Faraway Town from the field of last weekend’s Group 2 Breeders’ Classic and this is terrific placement from the Warwick Farm trainer. Raiment ($4.20) won the both the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) and the Group 3 JB Carr Stakes (1400m) in autumn last year, but she has trialled only fairly leading into this and may need the run. Eckstein ($5.50), Just Dreaming ($8.50) and Miss Gunpowder ($8) all command serious thought in this Triscay Stakes market.
Several outstanding three-year-old fillies will step out in this year’s Light Fingers Stakes and we are set for an exciting edition of the Group 2 feature. Kiwi raider Melody Belle ($5) only arrived in Sydney this week, but she is an above-average performer and can go close in the Light Fingers Stakes. The daughter of Commands won the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in her homeland last autumn and easily repeated that effort and result in the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on May 27th. She is rock-hard fit leading into this race and was last seen winning the Group 3 Mongolian Khan Trophy (1200m) by nearly four lengths at Ellerslie on January 27th. Godolphin filly Alizee ($1.75) found career-best form during the Spring Carnival and is set to jump and odds-on favourite on Saturday. The Sepoy filly won the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) in succession and was last seen finishing third in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m). She has trialled well leading into this first-up target and is drawn ideally in gate 4. Frolic ($12) has not been seen at the races as a three-year-old, but she was simply terrific as a two-year-old and may be over the odds here. The Husson filly won both the Inglis Classic and Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) before finishing second to She Will Reign in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m).
Three horses have been early scratching, but there is still fifteen remaining in the field for the final race on 2018 Apollo Stakes Day. Godolphin entrant Osborne Bulls ($3.70) has not been seen at the races since October, but he was simply outstanding throughout his debut preparation and secure four wins and a second through five starts. The Street Cry gelding will be ridden by Brenton Avdulla from a central draw. Suncraze ($4.20) was outstanding throughout his spring preparation and can make an impact first-up in this race. The Henrythenavigator gelding has posted three wins and seven second placings through ten career starts and was last seen placing a nose second to After All That in the Anniversary Highway Handicap (1400m) on The Everest Day. Star Of Monsoon ($7.50) has posted two wins and a second through his three starts this time and appears to be over the odds at his current quote. The Lonhro gelding drops 3kgs in the weights here and has a fitness edge on the race favourites.