The Underwood Stakes has drawn a typically talented field in 2021, but it’s understandably all about the Victorian debut of Cox Plate favourite Zaaki.
He hasn’t returned a poor effort since arriving in Australia, but it’s fair to say that Zaaki has only improved with each start, and he could very well go through the Spring Carnival undefeated.
It’s no secret that I have put him on top of my 2021 Underwood Stakes Tips below.
Suggested Bets
- 8 Units straight out #2 Zaaki
- Exacta #2/#4
He’ll jump a short-priced favourite and rightly so, because it’s going to take something special to knock off Zaaki in the Underwood Stakes.
He recorded his first Australian win in the Hollindale Stakes on the Gold Coast in May and simply hasn’t looked back, winning each of his three subsequent starts with something in hand.
Many thought he’d be a little vulnerable when resuming over 1400m in the Tramway Stakes, but he silenced those doubters, and he’ll only be better under the conditions of this race.
I think that it will be an intriguing battle between The Chosen One and Superstorm for second in the Underwood Stakes, but I think that this galloper has a slight edge.
Superstorm announced himself to the greater Australian racing community during his 2020 autumn preparation, in which he was only just denied in both the Australian Guineas and the All-Star Mile.
A move to Danny O’Brien’s stable this prep has already started to pay dividends, and he finished fourth in the PB Lawrence when resuming before winning passage into the Cox Plate by taking out the Group 2 Feehan Stakes last time.
He kept all of his best work for late when third in the Feehan Stakes first-up, and The Chosen One will only improve second-up and further out in trip on Saturday.
The Chosen One has been a good horse for the Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman stable throughout his career, and he was excellent during last year’s Spring Carnival in finishing third in the Caulfield Cup and fourth in the Melbourne Cup.
He’s not up to Zaaki’s class, but I think that he can fill out the trifecta.
She couldn’t quite get there in the Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last week, but I think that Probabeel can be competitive on the short back-up in the Underwood Stakes.
The multiple Group 1 winner returned a tough effort to win the Cockram Stakes when resuming late last month, and she will take plenty of improvement from last Saturday’s hit-out.
She is yet to win beyond a mile, and she’d need to go to a new level to knock off Zaaki.
I’d ordinarily stop at an Underwood Stakes first four, but given there are only five horses engaged, I might as well say something about Fifty Stars.
Fifty Star is a Group 1 winner and he is obviously up to this level, but he is yet to show much in two starts back this time, and I simply cannot have him in a race like this one.