Three time-honoured Group 2 contests headline another outstanding edition of Chelmsford Stakes Day at Royal Randwick.
There are ten winners to be found and I am confident of having landed on several below in my 2022 Chelmsford Stakes Day Tips!
Mitch Beer can win this week’s Highway race with Scarlet Prince.
Scarlet Prince has proven to be a great horse for the Albury horseman since debuting, racing consistently and finding form around some notable country horses.
His resuming effort and win in BM58 company at Wagga was amongst his best to date and we can have an each-way play this week.
Scorched Land won the Midway here at Randwick a fortnight ago and can repeat that result this week.
The Sizzling gelding hasn’t missed placing in his last five trips to the races, winning twice – highlighted by his dominant triumph over a mile last time.
The rise in trip looks ideal at this point of his prep and I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish.
The lion’s share of gallopers engaged in this contest typically go around at the midweeks or weaker metro company, and I think that Ten Bells is one that can have an impact.
Ten Bells was a strong and consistent performer last time in, winning a couple of Highway races here at Randwick most notably.
She clearly needed her first run back when fourth, beaten three lengths by Conrad earlier last month, but she has won at this point of her prep previously, and she’s another whom we can have something on each way.
There is a case to be made for a few of them in this year’s Tattersall’s Club Cup field, including Chalk Stream for Her Majesty The Queen.
Chalk Stream made his debut in Australia for the Chris Waller yard in autumn, and there is no doubt that his prep was highlighted by his second-up run for third in the Queen’s Cup.
He didn’t show much in the Premier’s Cup first-up a fortnight ago, but I like that he’s getting out to a mile and a half, and he gets into this race well under the conditions.
For the last few years at least, the Concorde Stakes field has been stacked and this year’s edition is no exception. Eduardo, Masked Crusader and Shelby Sixtysix are all engaged, and I think the former will take beating.
Eduardo has been outstanding for Joe Pride for a few seasons now. He’s a multiple Group 1 winner, has raced consistently in our best sprints and lowered the colours of the Nature Strip and others, several times.
Nash can take him straight to the lead from Barrier 4 and he can lead the whole way.
Speaking of stacked races, some of the best three-year-old fillies of this crop have been confirmed in the Furious Stakes field including Group 1 winners She’s Extreme and Sheeza Belter.
I’m expecting both of those fillies to improve for whatever they do in this contest, and I’m instead going to take them on with Paris Dior.
Paris Dior has recorded two wins and two second placings from her four career starts so far, and she was last seen recording a hit-and-run win in the Percy Sykes Stakes during The Championships.
She’s trialled nicely in the lead up to her return and is drawn a peak in gate 4.
Profondo can win this year’s Tramway Stakes.
The Deep Impact entire stamped himself as one to watch by winning a Group 1 race at just his third career start last spring, but he was extremely disappointing in an autumn prep that was abandoned after just two starts.
He returned an eye-catching effort to finish third, beaten a length and a half by Anamoe in the Winx Stakes a fortnight ago, and while I concede that he will need to be at his best to overcome the likes of Zaaki, I think that he will be.
Trainer Chris Waller also included Surefire in Feehan Stakes nominations earlier this week, but the Chelmsford Stakes does look the far better race for him, particularly under James McDonald.
The Fastnet Rock gelding really has hit the ground running since arriving in Australia, and was an eye-catching winner in BM88 company here on debut in February.
He was unlucky to only just missed in the Group 3 Queens Cup second-up, and while he had clearly had enough by the time he finished down the order in the Sydney Cup, I thought his first-up run and win in the Spring Preview last month was outstanding.
He’ll be better second-up and out to a mile, and I think he looks real value in Chelmsford Stakes betting.
I’m going to give Sebonack another chance second-up in this weaker race.
The Capitalist colt stamped himself as one to watch during his two-year-old season by winning the Chairman’s Stakes on debut and finished a credible fourth in the Neds Blue Diamond, most notably.
He finished seventh of nine in the Listed Rosebud first-up last month but was under three lengths behind the winner, and I am confident he’ll improve for that effort.
This certainly isn’t the easiest way to end Chelmsford Stakes Day from a betting perspective and there is a case to be made for a few of them.
That being said, I am a fan of the resuming Yaletown, and he can build on his impressive fresh record.
Yaletown was a consistent performer for the Waterhouse & Bott yard last time in, winning the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes most notably.
He’s yet to finish worse than second at his point of his prep and I like that his campaign is being launched over a mile.