The Chelmsford Stakes typically draws a strong field, rich with top-line talent and Saturday’s edition at Royal Randwick is certainly no exception to that rule.
A capacity list of sixteen horses has been confirmed, including several Group 1 winners and enough Chris Waller runners to take nearly every pay cheque that is on offer. There’s bloody eight of them.
It’s pretty hard to look past saddlecloth number one and spoiler warning: I have not. My 2019 Chelmsford Stakes tips can be found below.
Suggested Bets
- 4 Units straight out #1 Avilius
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections below
By this point, this tip well and truly speaks for itself. Avilius is a dead set star, has won several tougher races that this one and will only improve on a solid first-up effort for third in the Group 1 Winx Stakes a fortnight ago. Toss in the rise in trip, toss in a rain-affected track and toss Kerrin McEvoy back into the saddle, and it is extremely difficult imagining this bloke being rolled in the Chelmsford. He’ll just about be my best of the weekend.
I thought that Unforgotten’s first-up round in the Winx Stakes was sound and she is another horse that will improve off her previous effort and getting further out in trip. The former Oaks winner was a strong and consistent performer without winning in autumn, which included placings in two Group 1 features; one of which was a Winx race, that also boasted Happy Clapper. I like her from Gate 6 and I like her with Brenton Avdulla aboard.
Girl Tuesday faces a rise in class, but she’s returned to the track in terrific form this year and is drawn on the inside of this field with favourable conditions. The daughter of Street Cry hasn’t missed a place at her last four starts, which have included two wins and she resumed from a very short break to win a decent 1400m race on the Kenso course a couple of weeks ago. She’ll improve into this and will be ridden by J Mac.
There is no denying that Angel Of Truth was the revelation of the Autumn Carnival and boy, am I excited to see what he does this time in. Gwenda Markwell’s stable star won a Class 2 plate at Kembla in February; very un-heralding but experienced a meteoric rise to prominence which peaked with consecutive wins in the Group 2 Tulloch and Group 1 Australia Derby. He’s a horse that will improve greatly off whatever he does here, and as he progresses in trip, but he should be able to navigate to a positive position and might give them something to chase.