Gailo Chop has returned to racing in career-best form this time and is a dominant favourite to win Saturday’s Group 1 Tancred Stakes (formerly The BMW) at Rosehill Gardens. The son of Deportivo has been a strong and consistent performer throughout his entire racing career and won the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) in 2015 and Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) last year most notably. The seven-year-old delivered a smart field an easy defeat in the Group 3 Carlyon Cup (1600m) first-up this time, before repeating that performance and result in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) a fortnight later on February 24th. Sent off the $2.60 favourite in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) on March 10th but tiring late to finish a close second behind Harlem, Gailo Chop made a successful transition to the Sydney way of going when he won the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) by three lengths last weekend. The horse deserves his favouritism leading into the Tancred Stakes, but there is something of a question mark over his ability at a mile and a half and that could mean that his rivals are over the odds at current quotes. You can take advantage of Fat Odds on every horse in the Tancred Stakes field right here at Neds and interestingly, only two other runners are currently available at a single-figure quote. Melbourne Cup champion Almandin ($4.40) has been racing well without returning to winning form this time and is primed for a big third-up performance in the Tancred Stakes. The Monsun gelding weathered nothing of a hangover from his outstanding win in the 2016 edition of the Race That Stops a Nation; winning the Listed JRA Trophy (2500m), finishing fourth in the Group 3 Bart Cummings (2500m) and second in the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) most notably. Having stormed home to finish a close second behind stable mate Homesman in the Listed Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m) first-up on February 24th, Almandin was never fully tested in the Australian Cup last time out, but still managed to savage the line for a credible fourth. Kerrin McEvoy will likely take the horse back from the outside barrier before calling on his big turn of foot in the straight. Tough mare Single Gaze ($9.50) has been unlucky not to win a second Group 1 title this year and will be given every chance in the Tancred Stakes from the rails draw. The Not A Single Doubt mare broke through for a maiden win at the highest level in the 2016 edition of the Vinery Stud Stakes, but suffered a nasty fall in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) a fortnight later and took a while to return to her best form. Having finished second in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) most notably in spring, Single Gaze resumed this time for an agonizingly-close second behind Hartnell in the Group 2 CF Orr Stakes (1400m), before again running second in the Peter Young. The five-year-old ran a handy fifth in the Australian Cup third-up, before running second to Gailo Chop again in last weekend’s Ranvet Stakes. Auvray ($14) will carry winning form into the Tancred Stakes and looms as a live chance of posting his first Group 1 win. The son of Le Havre won the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality over course and distance in spring and mustered a huge turn of foot to easily take out the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) a fortnight ago.
Gailo Chop is favourite to win the Group 1 Tancred Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart