The final Group 1 feature of the Adelaide Autumn Carnival headlines eight races at Morphettville on The Goodwood Day.
All but one race on The Goodwood Day boast black type status and there is subsequently plenty of value to be taken from a betting perspective!
Its been a fine week in Adelaide and the Morphettville track will be in the ‘Good’ range for The Goodwood Day, while the rail will be set out four metres around the entire course.
Only six horses have been confirmed in the final field for this year’s Port Adelaide Cup, but there is a case to be made for every runner.
The Darren Weir-trained Yogi ($1.90) has returned to racing in smart form this time and will be extremely difficult to beat. Yogi shook off the cobwebs with a couple of credible performances for fourth at Caulfield and Terang upon resuming this time and was unlucky to finish second when savaging the line in the Listed Warrnambool Cup last time out. The rise in trip looks ideal and he’ll carry only 54kgs. I wouldn’t want him much shorter, but he’s the one to beat.
Classy local Mail It In ($4.80) will also carry winning form into this race and should find himself right in the finish. The Reset gelding took up the running last time out and never appeared in doubt; extending in the straight to finish two lengths in the clear of closest rival Silent Warrior. The rise in trip shouldn’t be an issue and he’s worth consideration.
Eleven two-year-olds will step out in the National Stakes, but it looks like a race in two between favourite Tequila Time ($2.60) and the undefeated Heaven’s Deal ($9).
Tequila Time has produced four impressive efforts for as many wins this time, including both the Group 3 Breeders’ Stakes and Group 3 SA Sires’ Produce Stakes most-recently. The slight drop in trip shouldn’t be a concern and he can stalk the pace from a wide draw, before calling on his turn of foot in the straight.
Out of the first crop of exciting sire Spirit Of Boom, Heaven’s Deal debuted for a dominant win over 1000m at Murray Bridge in April before making a successful transition to black type company by winning the Listed Queen Adelaide Stakes (1050m) a fortnight ago. She’ll take a position on pace and while yet to be tested at 1200m, looks tough and is sure to fight on to the line.
The SA Fillies Classic always draws a quality field of three-year-olds and this year’s edition of the race is no exception.
Miss Admiration ($2.80) continued a meteoric rise to prominence when she flew home to finish third in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks a fortnight ago and she is subsequently the filly to beat here. The daughter of Sebring worked through the grades well upon resuming in March and hit the line well to finish third in the Group 1 Australian Oaks, as a $101 shot. A rise in trip is ideal and the wide barrier isn’t a concern, as she’d settle off pace regardless.
A filly that is worth consideration at her current price is the Darren Weir-trained Teodora ($14). Teodora enjoyed a step up to 2200m at Bendigo a fortnight ago and while she clearly does face a rise in class here, she is bred to stay all day and Weir knows how to prepare his horses for their major targets.
An open field of fillies and mares has been taken for the Centaurea Stakes and we are set for an exciting race from a spectator’s perspective.
Savapinksi failed to justify her favouritism when she finished fourth in the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes a fortnight ago, but she’s a short favourite again this weekend. The Savabeel mare is ready to peak third-up and the rise in trip should suit, but she’s been charged with lugging topweight again and will need plenty of luck.
Lipstick Lover has found career-best form since transferring to the care of Darren Weir and represents terrific value at her current $7 quote. The former Queenslander won consecutive races over a mile and 1800m in March and early April and completed an ideal lead-in to this race with a comfortable win at Flemington, over 2000m a fortnight ago. She can find a position close to the pace from gat 3 and takes 4kgs from Savapinski.
There’s plenty of quality milers set to step out in the RA Lee Stakes and the in-form Land Of Plenty ($3.70) is a leading contender. Land Of Plenty ran a credible fifth in the Listed Abel Stakes first-up in March and has won two of his three subsequent starts, including a dominant performance over 1400m at Flemington a fortnight ago. A step up in trip looks ideal at this point of his preparation and he’ll carry only 55kgs.
Seaburge looked set to claim a Group 1 title earlier in his career and while he failed to come up in 2017, has returned to competitive form this time and could salute here at double-figure odds. The Sebring entire took a couple of runs to find condition this time in, but has placed in both the Listed March Stakes (1400m) and Listed Golden Mile (1600m) most recently and is rock-hard fit.
I’m happy to play the value here and will be taking Seaburge each way.
A capacity field of fillies and mares will contest the Proud Miss Stakes, including She’s So High ($3.80). She’s So High resumed for a dominant win in the Listed Incognitus Stakes and has since finished fifth in the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes and second in the Group 2 Euclase Stakes over this course and distance. She’s drawn and weighted well, and is the filly to beat.
Perth raider Dainty Tess ($7.50) failed to fire in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes a fortnight ago, but she’ll appreciate the step back in class into this race and is drawn perfectly in gate 4. The War Chant mare flew home to beat the likes of Viddora in the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes a fortnight prior to the Sangster and if she emulates that performance, she will just win here.
The final Group 1 race of the Adelaide Autumn Carnival will see an outstanding field of sprinters come together for the $1 million The Goodwood.
Vega Magic ($2.70) has not been seen at the races in 2018, but he’s one of the country’s best sprinters and is a clear favourite to defend the Group 1 crown he won in 2017. The Lope De Vega gelding has won the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and finished second in The Everest since his last appearance in Adelaide, and has trialled extremely well in the lead-up to this race.
A horse that is worth consideration at double-figure odds is the resuming Voodoo Lad ($10), who will also be having his first start of the year in The Goodwood. Voodoo Lad resumed last autumn for an impressive second behind Redkirk Warrior in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap and was a smart first-up winner of the Group 3 The Heath in spring. He has plenty of options from the rails draw and is up to the class of this field.
This is historically a hard race to defend and I am happy to bet around Vega Magic this time around.
It’s $6 the field for the last on The Goodwood Day and there is subsequently plenty of value around a number of horses.
Artie Dee Two ($6) returned to winning form second-up at Ballarat last weekend and is primed for another big performance on Saturday. The son of Artie Schiller will be able to navigate to a position close to the pace from gate 6 and can be right in the finish again.