The Group 1 Coolmore Classic headlines Saturday’s ten-race program at Rosehill Gardens.
We’ve already been treated to several world-class feature races during the 2023 Sydney Autumn Carnival, and that will almost certainly continue when some of the best fillies and mares in Australasia step out in the Coolmore Classic.
You can find my complete day preview and 2023 Coolmore Classic Tips below.
This week’s Midway Handicap has attracted a typically open field of gallopers and at publish, we’re faced with $6.50 the field.
Prince Invincible has improved for two starts back from a spell and I am going to have a small each way play.
The I Am Invincible gelding finished down the order over 1000m at Randwick when resuming this time, but kept his best work for late into third over 1100m last time out.
Fitter third-up, I think that this looks an ideal Saturday metro target for him.
This looms as a great edition of the Pago Pago Stakes, with plenty of horses still chasing a berth in the Golden Slipper.
The well-bred Shinzo has improved for two starts since debuting and can win this race.
By Snitzel and out of multiple Group 1 winner Samaready, Shinzo showed ability at the trials prior to debuting and worked home well to fill the minors in the Canonbury Stakes on debut.
He followed up that effort with another nice for one for second in the Skyline Stakes last time out, and the booking of James McDonald again this week adds further confidence.
Finepoint hasn’t been seen at the races since November, but she absolutely flies fresh, and this looks a lovely launchpad for her.
The Pins mare has missed placing only three times in ten previous trips to the races, winning four times and finding form around some talented gallopers.
She’s had a couple of trials in the lead up to her return, and this is a drop in class from what she was contesting at the back half of her last prep.
The Magic Night Stakes is a similarly wide-open affair and there is a case to be made for a few of them, including Fire Lane.
Fire Lane stamped herself as a filly to follow by winning the Max Lees Classic on debut in November, before running a credible fourth in the Wyong Magic Millions Race.
Having returned to winning form over 1100m at Randwick on Christmas Eve, the Hellbent filly laid an excellent account for herself when fifth in the Magic Millions Classic, but she clearly needed her first run back from a short break when fourth, beaten five lengths in the Silver Slipper.
I’m confident she’ll draw plenty of improvement for that run, while I also think that the $19 about Fire Lane in Magic Night Stakes betting (at publish) is overs.
Athelric is another galloper that I am confident can return a winner on Coolmore Classic Day.
The four-year-old son of Exceed And Excel returned some typically excellent performances during his spring preparation last year, finishing second to Eduardo in the Concorde Stakes, and ending his campaign with a win in the lucrative ‘The Warra’ sprint at Kembla Grange.
His two recent trials were full of merit, and the Maurice McCarten Stakes really does look a nice kick-off point for him.
Zougotcha is an dual acceptor in the Coolmore Classic field, and given I am confident that’s the way that Chris Waller will elect to go with her, I’m going to have my money on something else in the Phar Lap Stakes.
Revolutionary Miss has finished fifth at each of her first two runs back this time, and this really does look the perfect feature race for her, in my opinion.
Revolutionary Miss has only recorded one win from her eleven trips to the races, but she has been a consistent performer in her age group throughout that time, and she was unlucky not to strike in the Thousand Guineas in the spring.
The two races that she has contested this time have been tougher than this one, and assuming Zougotcha doesn’t start, I think this filly will take a power of beating.
The Sky High Stakes looms as one of the more intriguing contest on Coolmore Classic Day, and there is a case to be made for a few of them, including Knights Order.
Knights Order has been a great horse for the Waterhouse & Bott yard throughout his career, and he repaid the faith last autumn with an outstanding win in the Sydney Cup.
He continued to race well in the spring, highlighted by a close-up third in the Caulfield Cup, while I am confident that he’ll enjoy good improvement from a fair fresh effort in the Chipping Norton.
Fitter second-up, getting further out in trip and dropping in class, the $9 about him in Sky High Stakes betting looks a touch of overs, in my opinion.
Is the Coolmore Classic THE MOST open Group 1 race on the Australian thoroughbred calendar? I genuinely think that it could be.
I’ve put Hope In Your Heart on top at a lovely price, but he sure to check out my full race preview and complete 2023 Coolmore Classic Tips RIGHT HERE.
I’m pretty keen to stick with Waterford second up in the Ajax Stakes.
Waterford has been a strong and consistent performer for the Waller stable throughout his short racing career, winning four of seven and placing on another occasion.
He returned a rare flat performance to finish fifth, beaten more than two and a half lengths at Randwick when resuming this time, but I like that he has been back to the trials since that run, and he is drawn ideally in this race under Chris Waller.
No surprises here – the last on Coolmore Classic Day isn’t an easy one from a betting perspective, and there looks to be several winning chances engaged.
That being said, Major Beel has been impressive in recording two wins from as many starts back from a spell, and I thought that this looked another winnable race for him.
The Savabeel gelding flashed late to score in Class 1 company at Newcastle in early February, and he franked that effort in BM78 company at Warwick Farm last time.
Fitter third-up, this is harder, but it also looks the next logical step for him.