All Aged Stakes Day is the final Group 1 card of the Sydney Autumn Carnival and we are set for an outstanding afternoon of racing at Royal Randwick. All nine races on All Aged Stakes Day have drawn terrific fields and there is plenty of value to be found, from a betting perspective.
This weekend’s Highway Handicap will be contested over a sprint trip and has drawn twelve quality country horses. Ori On Fire ($3.60) has returned to racing in smart form this time and looks-to-be extremely well place in this race. The son of Benfica easily won a Bathurst sprint earlier this preparation, before finishing close-up in a pair of Country Championship qualifiers most-recent. Hugh Bowman in the saddle is an obvious plus and he will be tough to hold out, despite drawing the outside barrier. Northern River ($11) is seeking a third-consecutive win and could prove over the odds at her current quote. The Ad Valorem filly clearly faces a step up in class here, but she has dominated fields at Goulburn at her two most-recent appearances and is drawn to do no work from the rails.
Twelve horses remain in contention for Race 2 on All Aged Stakes Day following the early scratching of leading contention Star Reflection. Godolphin will launch a smart two-pronged attack in the form of Dissolute ($6) and Tessera ($9) and both have legitimate claims on winning the race. Dissolute tuned up with a tough run for second at Canterbury on February 21st, but has since dominated a pair of sprints at Kembla Grange and Rosehill respectively, and is rock-hard fit for this. Tessera has not been seen at the races since June last year, but he is a proven first-up performer and has trialled well ahead of his return. Test The World ($5.50) is another horse that will resume in this race and he has already received plenty of attention in betting, having firmed from opening odds of $6.50. The Testa Rossa mare has posted six wins and four minors through only eleven career starts and will have plenty of options from gate 1 on Saturday.
The Hallmark Stakes always draws a quality field of sprinters targeting Group 1 races in Adelaide and Brisbane, and this year’s edition of the race is no exception. Veteran Dothraki ($2.80) has returned to racing in typically good form this time and is extremely well placed here. The Mossman gelding is a multiple black type winner at the class and distance of this race and has finished second in both the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) and Group 3 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m), and won the Group 3 Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m) at his three most-recent starts. Group 1 winner Takedown ($16) is yet to show his best through three starts this time, but faces a step down in class here and is drawn ideally in barrier 3. The Stratum gelding will take up the running and will give them something to chase. Burning Passion ($4.70) was luckless in the Star Kingdom Stakes last time out, but he is another horse that has been good against similar company and can go close again in the Hall Mark Stakes.
This year’s Frank Packer Plate has drawn a quality field of three-year-olds and we are set for an exciting edition of the Group 1 race. Tangled ($5) has returned to racing in outstanding form this time and looks to have found his perfect race on Saturday. The Snitzel colt required a couple of runs to find form this time, but ran an absolute bolter to finish second in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), before repeating that effort for third in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) a fortnight ago. This is a clear step back in class and a drop in distance shouldn’t be an issue. Holy Snow ($3.50) looms as the biggest danger and at the time of publish, he is our market mover. The Fastnet Rock colt resumed for an impressive win in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes before finishing a credible fifth in the Group 1 Australian Guineas. He has since run second in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) and third in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) and is drawn ideally in barrier 6.
Thirteen horses remain in contention for the JB Carr Stakes and there is a case to be made for more than half the field. The Archie Alexander-trained So Far Sokool ($3.90) will carry winning form into this and has continued to firm on the top line of betting since markets opened on Wednesday. The Showcasing filly flew home to win the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) by more than four lengths last time out and will be extremely difficult to hold out from an ideal draw and under similar conditions this weekend. Manicure ($6) has steadily built to the task this time and is primed for a big third-up performance here. The Exceed And Excel filly resumed for a credible fourth in the Listed Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) first-up and while she was completely forgotten in the market, stormed home again to finish a close second behind Houtzen in the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) a fortnight ago. There is no Houtzen in this race and Manicure can take her first black type win to date.
The first Group 1 race of the day has drawn a classy and open field of two-year-olds and close to every runner is a live chance. Victorian raider Seabrook is the $7 favourite at the time of publish, but she is so-far friendless in betting and is continuing to drift. The daughter of Hinchinbrook arrived in Sydney for a strong win in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes and has since finished fifth in the Golden Slipper and ninth in the Group 1 Inglis Sires’. She would need to improve noticeably to win this and will need plenty of luck from barrier 12. Two horses that appeal at current odds at Encryption and Irukandji, who are both currently perched at $17 quotes. Encryption is by Lonhro, out of Guelph and is therefore bred to excel at a mile. This is his first shot at 1600m and with Hugh Bowman in the saddle, he will be given every opportunity to salute. Irukandji has produced a number of strong performances and results this time and could enjoy the run of the race from barrier 4. The Dundeel colt resumed for second in the Listed Fireball Stakes (1000m) and made his debut at the Sydney way of going for a strong win in the Group 3 The Schweppervescence (1400m) three weeks ago. I am happy to play the value here and will be taking Encryption each way. CLICK HERE for full 2018 Champagne Stakes odds and betting update
This is another great edition of the All Aged Stakes and another race on Randwick on Saturday whereby nearly every horse has claims on winning. Three-year-old Trapeze Artist is the clear $2.25 race favourite and for good reason – he is a Group 1 winner over the distance of this race and produced a career-best performance to claim his second win at the highest level in the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick a fortnight ago. The Snitzel colt will carry only 56.5kgs and from his central draw, can sit just behind the pace before calling on his big turn of foot. Two runners who look to be over the odds at their current prices are Japanese import Brave Smash ($7) and champion galloper Hartnell ($9). Brave Smash needed the run when he faded to finish fifth in the Group 2 Australia Stakes first-up, but he responded with a big run for third in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes before winning his first Group 1 crown in the Futurity Stakes. Having finished an agonizingly-close second in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap, Brave Smash was only fair to the line in the TJ last time out, but should enjoy a return to 1400m. Hartnell has been outstanding over 1400m of late and will be hard to hold out in the All Aged Stakes. The Authorized gelding resumed this year for a smart win in the CF Orr Stakes and has been freshened-up since his most-recent run in the Australia Cup. Hugh Bowman in the saddle is a big plus. CLICK HERE for full 2018 All Aged Stakes odds and betting update
Sixteen horses will contest the final black type race on All Aged Stakes Day and there is plenty of value to be taken from a betting perspective. There is a bit of a query over Arbeitsam ($4.60) with topweight in tow, but the horse has returned to outstanding form this time and is a live chance of winning the JRA Plate. The Snitzel gelding flew home to win the Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes over this trip two starts back before producing a bolter of a run to finish third behind Happy Clapper in the Doncaster Mile a fortnight ago.
The final race on All Aged Stakes Day has drawn fourteen horses, but it is looming as Osborne Bulls’ race to lose. Osborne Bulls ($2.50) has been a strong and consistent performer throughout his small but impressive racing career so far and has notched two wins and a place from his three starts this time. He will likely book a trip north for the major sprints of the Brisbane Winter Carnival if he wins again here and I am confident that he will do.