We have arrived at the headline race card of the Sydney Spring Carnival and Epsom Handicap Day will light up Royal Randwick on Saturday afternoon.
The Epsom Handicap has drawn a typically outstanding field of milers, Hartnell, Pierata and D’Argento, but there is a case to be made for nearly every horse in the market.
Some of the country’s best three-year-old fillies have been confirmed for an exciting edition of the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m), while we could see the emergence of several Cups horses when the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) is run and won.
The Gimcrack Stakes is the first opportunity we’ll get to see the new crop of two-year-old fillies and understandably, betting is wide open. The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Mayaaseh has opened as $4.40 favourite after trialled well at Randwick two weeks ago. She is a filly by Exceed And Excel, out of the Eavesdropper mare Maysoon. There has been early money for the Bjorn Baker-trained Bright Rubick, a filly by proven two-year-old Rubick. A few good horses always emerge from these races, but they are not for me from a betting perspective and I’m happy to watch.
This is the same race as the Gimcrack by for colts and geldings, and the Mark Newnham-trained Exceed The Stars has opened as a $3.50 favourite. Exceed The Stars is by Star Witness and out of the Exceed And Excel mare Exceed And Excite, and he looks ready for a successful debut after winning a pair of Randwick trials. Gai Waterhouse holds the formula to success with two-year-olds and she will saddle Fiery Red ($6) with training partner Adrian Bott. The Pierro colt worked home well to finish second behind Exceed The Stars in a recent barrier trial. It’s the same story from a betting perspective here and I’ll be leaving the cue in the rack and watching.
Nine three-year-olds have been confirmed in the field for this year’s Dulcify Quality, but it really does look like Gem Song’s race to lose. Gem Song ($2.75) has returned to racing in typically strong form this time and finishing third in a 1300m race on the Kensington course here at Randwick first-up, before flying home to win another 1300m here on the line last week. The step up to a mile looks ideal and she appears to have her rivals covered on class. Mickey Blue Eyes ($8) returned to the races for a smart win at Bendigo two weeks ago and should take plenty of improvement into what is a noticeable step up in class. He does have each-way claims at his current price, but I wouldn’t want him a lot shorter.
The Hill Stakes field is outstanding this year and there is a case to be made for more than half of the eleven confirmed horses in betting. Egg Tart is one of four for leading trainer Chris Waller in the Hill Stakes field and is the clear $2.75 favourite in betting. The multiple Group 1 winner has not quite matched the form that she showed in her three-year-old season but looks ready to peak third-up here after finishing fifth in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) and third behind Winx in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) last time out. The step up to 2000m is ideal and with regular hoop Kerrin McEvoy aboard, she can threaten. It’s Somewhat is another horse that looks ready to win third-up in the Hill Stakes. The Dynaformer gelding shook off the cobwebs with a credible run for seventh in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) first-up, before placing fifth in the George Main last time out.
The Premiere Stakes really is the final tuning point for The Everest and a total of six confirmed starters in the $13 million sprint will step out in this field of eight. Defending Everest champion Redzel has returned to the track in devastating form again and he is clearly the horse to beat. The son of Snitzel won the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) with complete ease first-up and will only improve here. Santa Ana Lane ($8.50) ran on well to finish fifth in the Group 3 The Heath (1100m) first-up and will be far-better under these conditions, while Shoals ($12) has an excellent second-up record and looks over the odds at her current price. It’s almost impossible to tip against Redzel, but I’ll be happy to have something small each-way on the other two horses mentioned above.
This is one of the strongest editions of the Flight Stakes in recent memory and some of the country’s best three-year-old fillies will be stepping out. The well-bred Miss Fabulass has been backed into clear $2.05 favouritism and there is subsequently plenty of value around horses like Oohood ($9.50), Fiesta ($7.5) and Pretty In Pink ($6).
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The Epsom Handicap always draws an excellent field and that is certainly the case for Saturday’s feature race. This is an absolute dartboard from a betting perspective and close to every horse could realistically find themselves in the winner’s stall. I’ve zeroed in on two horses that I like, and they are D’Argento ($4.50) and veteran galloper Hartnell, who looks to be massive overs at a current $21 quote. D’Argento won the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) most notably in autumn and ended his campaign fourth in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m). He’s tuned up through two impressive performances this time and is primed for a big run in the Epsom. Hartnell was unlucky not to win the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) first-up and he was last seen finishing fourth in the Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) last time out. He generally produces a big third-up run and while he has been charged with carrying topweight, he does have the notable advantage of Hugh Bowman aboard. I will be happy to have something on both D’Argento and Hartnell in Epsom Handicap betting.
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An outstanding field of stayers will step out for The Metropolitan and several Cups prospects will undoubtedly be put forward following the Group 1 race. The Metropolitan topweights in this race all look ready to fire and I particularly like the Darren Weir-trained Big Duke ($10) at his current price. The Raven’s Pass gelding went close to winning this race last year and will relish the conditions at Randwick on Saturday.
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The early scratching of Warranty means the sole emergency runner Red Currant has gained a start, but the hors would need to find a career-best performance first-up here to figure. This is a pretty tough way to end the day from a betting perspective, but I’m going to have a small each-way bet on the Godolphin runner Beau Geste ($11). The four-year-old son of Street Cry has been gelded since his most-recent run in June and will take benefit into this race after a couple of trials.