Group 1 racing returns to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday and we are set for an exciting nine race card on 2018 Coolmore Classic Day.
Continued rain in the greater Sydney metropolitan region means that we are set to race on a ‘Soft 6’ on Coolmore Classic Day and the rail will be in the true position around the entire course.
Twelve quality horses will step out in Race 1 on Ladies Day, but All Too Soon ($5) looks like she’ll be extremely difficult to beat. The daughter of All Too Hard is yet to taste anything but success this time and will appreciate a good tempo in transit, before calling on her big turn of foot late. This is a step up from the mid-week races that she has been running in this time, but all signs suggest she’ll be tough to beat again.
Tamarack opened the $4.20 favourite on Wednesday, but has continued to ease in betting to a current $4.60 quote. The Redwood gelding is rock-hard fit and will be stepping out for the seventh time this campaign on Saturday, and won over the 1900m course at Randwick two starts back, before placing second amongst quality company in a 2000m race a fortnight ago.
An impressive field of stayers will contest this year’s Sky High Stakes and there is a case to be made for nearly every horse.
More Energy ($15) flew home to win the Listed Parramatta Cup (1900m) three weeks ago and represents terrific value to repeat that effort and result here. The son of Fastnet Rock received an ideal run in transit before sprinting well and there is nothing to say he can’t replicate that on Saturday.
Libran ($4) savaged the line for fourth behind Winx in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) first-up and will relish a step up in distance and obvious step back in class. Other than the champion mare, the Lawman gelding was the most eye-catching run in the Chipping Norton and he can emulate that performance from gate 2 here.
Stampede ($3) has been racing fairly amongst strong company this time and finally gets out to a better trip in the Sky High Stakes. The High Chaparral gelding posted consecutive black type wins in winter last year and was last seen finishing fifth in the Chipping Norton after leading.
Thirteen fillies will step out in the Magic Night Stakes, but it really is Sunlight’s race to lose and that is mirrored in her current $1.48 quote. The daughter of Zoustar flew home to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) and returned from a freshen-up to beat Estijaab in the Group 2 Silver Slipper (1100m). Estijaab has since franked that form by winning the Group 2 Reisling Stakes and Sunlight simply appears to be a class above anything else in this field.
Setsuna ($14/$3.20) was tough to the line when fourth in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) first-up and will take plenty of improvement into this. She is worth consideration to place at her current quote.
There is just no value for Sunlight in this race I am happy to watch, with a view towards next weekend’s Golden Slipper.
The Pago Pago Stakes looks-to-be a far more open race than the Magic Night and there is plenty of value to be taken from a betting perspective.
Blue Diamond Stakes winner Written By is a clear $2.05 favourite in betting, but this is the first time that we’ll see the talented colt at the right-handed way of going and he could be vulnerable at his first attempt. The son of Written Tycoon has yet to taste anything but success and he’ll give them something to chase from barrier 4.
Irukandji ($21) was strides away from winning down the straight at Flemington last time out and if he has taken improvement from that run, he will be hard to hold out here. The Dundeel colt will need to do a bit of work early from a wide draw, but if he finds a position close to the pace with relative ease, he could be over the odds at his current quote.
Spin has so far received the most interest in our Pago Pago Stakes market and has firmed $6 into $5.50 second-favouritism. The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained colt ran on well to finish second in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) first-up and will be hard to hold out second-up.
Twelve sprinters will step out in the Maurice McCarten Stakes and it is the resuming Nieta that is set to jump race favourite, having firmed $3.60 into $3.20 after markets opened. The Nicconi mare has not been seen at the races since November, but she was a strong and consistent performer amongst black type company last time in and will carry only 54kgs in this race.
Topweight Dothraki ($7.50) gives 5kgs or more to every horse in this field, but this is arguably the weakest company he has faced for quite a while and he may never be offered a better opportunity to return to winning form. The son of Mossman is a multiple winner at the class and distance of this race and has finished second in both the Listed Christmas Classic (1200m) and Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) most notably this time. He will put himself into this race and his fitness could prove key in success.
Twelve three-year-olds will step out in the Phar Lap Stakes and we are set for an intriguing race from a betting perspective.
Three horses to consider here at race favourite Shumookh ($2.70), consistent performer Holy Snow ($7) and the resuming Calculated ($9).
Shumookh faded in the dying stages of the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) to finish third a fortnight ago, but she is rock-hard fit for this race which will be her fifth point of call this time. Jockey Tim Clark will be able to take a positive position in transit from an ideal draw and she’ll be tough to get past late.
Holy Snow resumed this time for a strong win in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) on February 10th before a smart performance for fifth in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) last time out. He got too far back in his most-recent effort, but made up plenty of ground late and won’t be faced with as big a wall of horses in this. The step back in class is also ideal.
Calculated will resume from a nine-week break in the Phar Lap Stakes and has reportedly relished his time away from racing. The So You Think colt ended a strong summer campaign third behind Pierata in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) in early January.
The Coolmore Classic is always one of the most open Group 1 races from a betting perspective in autumn and Saturday’s edition is no exception.
At the time of publish, Dixie Blossoms is the $7.50 Coolmore Classic in our lucrative Fat Odds market. The daughter of Street Boss resumed for an impressive win in the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) two weeks ago and with improvement, will be tough to beat on Saturday. Dixie Blossoms finished third in this race with 57kgs in tow last year and could enjoy the run of the race from barrier 4.
Stable mate Daysee Doom ($14) doesn’t know how to run a bad race and can be right in the finish of the Coolmore Classic at great odds. The Domesday mare will also take winning form into this race after beating a quality field to the line in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) first-up.
Egg Tart has continued to firm in betting and is $7.50 into $6 two days out form jump. The multiple Group 1 winner did not find her best form in spring, but is sure to take plenty of benefit from her first-up run for fourth in the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) into this race, in which she produced her best work late.
There is a case to be made for nearly every horse in this field. CLICK HERE for full 2018 Coolmore Classic betting update.
The Ajax Stakes is generally a good form indicator for the Doncaster Mile and was won by It’s Somewhat on his way to success in the feature race on Day 1 of The Championships last year.
Comin’ Through ($4) resumed for third in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) and should take plenty of benefit into his second-up target here. The Fastnet Rock gelding is a multiple black type winner in races similar to this and is drawn to do no work in barrier 2.
Chris Waller will launch an impressive attack in the Ajax Stakes after also accepting with Cellarman ($9), McCreery ($26), Life Less Ordinary ($11) and Tom Melbourne ($4.40). Tom Melbourne gained a cult follow through his strong performances for second in spring, but can go one better in what looks like a good first-up task for the horse in the Ajax Stakes.
Prized Icon ($6) has been racing extremely well this time in and is primed for a return to winning form in the Ajax Stakes. The multiple Group 1 winner flew home to finish second at $31 odds in the Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m) first-up before finishing fourth in the Apollo Stakes. His most impressive performance so far, however came when he ran on to finish second to Winx in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) a fortnight ago. There obviously isn’t a Winx in this race and I am confident he will go close.
Fourteen horses will step out in the final race on Coolmore Classic Day and it looms as an open betting affair.
Up ‘N’ Rolling ($4.80) was perhaps unlucky not to win his first-up run in protest and has opened favourite for his second-up task here. The Castledale gelding has finished outside the first three only three times through twelve career starts and has a terrific second-up record.
This is another race whereby Godolphin will saddle three live chances in Etymology ($9), Philosophy ($5.50) and Peacock ($14).