The Metropolitan is what it’s all about for the staying contingent during the Sydney spring and Group 1 glory will be the target for seventeen starters on Saturday.
Super Saturday has never been a more appropriate name for what is set to take place at Royal Randwick on Saturday. I was absolutely thrilled to run my eyes over the Epsom for the first time and realise that it was $6 the field, so you can imagine what might have happened when I then clicked through to the Metrop market and found the exact same thing!
Two winners on Super Saturday will just about be enough to retire on, and you can find my 2019 The Metropolitan tips below.
Suggested Bets
- 1 Unit E/W #3 Grey Lion
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections below
There is no doubt that Grey Lion has taken a few seasons to really get around the Australian way of going, but a switch to Matt Smith’s stable really seems to have switched him on and I think that he can win The Metropolitan at a big price ($17 at publish). The veteran son of Galileo won two black type races in autumn and winter this year, and he was last seen finishing off well for fourth in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes two weeks ago. This rise in trip will suit and I think that he’s ready to win third-up.
Brimham Rocks returned an enormous effort to put a decent field to the sword in the Group 3 Naturalism at Caulfield a fortnight ago and I think he’ll be very hard to beat in The Metropolitan. The Fastnet Rock gelding has been decent horse for the Waller stable for several seasons now and finished second in four-consecutive races last spring, including this race. Kerrin McEvoy should be able to navigate to a nice position in transit from barrier 4 and with even luck, I don’t see a reason why he can’t be fighting out the finish.
Wu Gok has found career best form this time and I am eager to see what he can do over a mile and a half and in the Group 1 company of The Metropolitan. The Sebring gelding has won four of his five most-recent starts, including both the Group 3 Premiers Cup and Listed Wyong Cup at his last two appearances. He’ll have the benefit of James McDonald in the saddle and if he gets a clear crack at them in the straight, he wouldn’t look out of place in the winner’s stall.
Kiwi raider Sir Charles Road has stripped fitter for three starts this time and is another horse that looks ready to fire in The Metropolitan. The Myboycharlie gelding finished down the order in the Spring Preview and the Group 2 Chelmsford when resuming this time but attacked the line in the Kingston Town a fortnight ago and will enjoy getting further out in trip. He’s drawn fairly and weighted well.