The Championships at Royal Randwick has become arguably the best two weeks of racing on the racing calendar each year and this year looks no exception.
We have four quality Group 1 races to look forward to with plenty of value to be found and we’ve done our best to help out.
Our full 2021 The Championships Day 1 Tips & Preview can be viewed below.
This is a difficult way to start the day and it will be a struggle for punters to line most of these young horses up.
He has not been seen at the races yet but the Hawkes trained Bahama looks a nice colt.
The son of Redoute’s Choice (R.I.P) was enormous in his only trial and he is worth a small each way play to get the ball rolling on this fantastic day of racing.
Wheelhouse might be outclassed in the Doncaster Mile, which is the other race he has accepted in, but this looks a winnable race should Chris Waller decide to head this way instead.
The son of Pierro was excellent when winning his maiden first up and he has been far from disgraced in some pretty handy races including getting to within two lengths of the winner in both the Randwick Guineas and Rosehill Guineas.
The Country Championships Final has become one of the showcase races of the autumn carnival and this year’s edition is chock full of quality country trained horses.
Art Cadeau is yet to miss a top two finish in his 10 career race starts and has now strung together two impressive wins in a row heading into this final.
He beat Leg Work and Rothenburg at Goulburn last time out and was very impressive in a recent trial.
Tommy Berry and barrier two only help his chances.
The Ed Cummings trained filly Duais is a young horse on the rise having won twice and placed a further three times from just the seven career starts.
The daughter of Shamus Award is stepping out beyond 1600m for the first time but the way she ran through the line at Warwick Farm last start when winning suggests this should not be a problem.
Hugh Bowman and barrier two are positives.
Sacramento is a rock hard fit horse who is racing very consistently this prep.
He strung together three wins on the trot before placing at his last couple, the latest a third at group 3 level behind Favourite Moon at Rosehill.
The jury was out whether he would stay the trip last start but he battled home really nicely and found the line well.
This is not the best Group 2 Chairman’s Quality field that I have ever seen and the race is there for the taking for the son of Pierro.
I’d like to see Sam Clipperton take the horse to the front from barrier nine.
Anamoe is an extremely classy colt.
He rocketed home from last on the turn in the Golden Slipper but the winner just had too much of a break on him in the concluding stages.
I don’t see anything coming out of the Slipper beating him in the Inglis Sires’ and I simply think he has too much ability and fitness for this field.
Anything over even money is value for mine.
I do think the filly Montefilia has the proven class to win this race but she has opened up way too short for my liking.
I’m sticking with Favreau who put together two impressive wins, albeit in a much lesser grade, before jumping up in class last start.
He finished fourth behind Yaletown last weekend and he grinded away to the line nicely on a day when nothing was making up any ground.
Unlike a few of these, he is bred to stay and so long as he keeps taking improvement from each run, he represents good value in the Australian Derby at the double figures.
As always, the T.J Smith has thrown up an outstanding field of sprinters, with many capable of winning this race should they bring their best.
But it is a field full of unpredictable horses.
I can safely say though, that Masked Crusader is a horse that is only getting better the more he races.
I have been with him throughout this prep so far and was rewarded when he won his maiden Group 1 in the William Reid last start.
He has now won five of his 10 career starts and he is a genuine superstar in the making.
Can’t believe we are getting $9.00 for a horse that was so dominant at Group 1 level last start.
The Doncaster Mile. What a race.
Think Gunsynd, Super Impose, Sunline & More Joyous.
As always, the weights are the key to this race and I’m with two horses at big prices that come out of the Group 1 George Ryder and drop considerably in weight.
Cascadian has been excellent in his two runs this prep and was storming home late in the piece in the George Ryder.
He drops six kilos from that and has Jamie Kah steering from barrier three.
Funstar is a high class mare who is racing far better than her form on paper looks.
She has raced at the top level at her past couple and she was squeezed for room at a vital stage in the George Ryder but she savaged the line late.
She drops 4.5kgs and if she can find a spot somewhere from the tricky gate and then get some luck, she can figure.
Never Talk is a very talented young filly who was huge when running second in the Group 2 Light Finger back in February.
She found them a little sharp in the Group 1 Surround Stakes but still managed to finish fourth and she looks really well placed in the last race of the day.
The drop back to 1200m looks the right move and she has had a nice trial leading into this assignment.
This is very astute placement by a trainer that is excellent in this regard in Kris Lees.