The Autumn Carnival hits another enormous high at Sydney Royal Randwick on Day 1 of The Championships!
Four Group 1 races headline the ten-race program, including the time-honoured, $4 million Doncaster Mile.
I’ve had a deep dive into the form of every galloper engaged, and you can find my complete 2023 The Championships Day 1 Tips below!
I’m happy to give Barber another chance when he takes his place in the Kindergarten Stakes field on Day 1 of The Championships.
The Exceed And Excel colt won each of his first three career starts, including the Blue Diamond Prelude first-up this time, but has finished ninth in the Blue Diamond and the Golden Slipper at his last two.
This is a drop in class and he is rock-hard fit.
Osipenko is currently an emergency runner in the Doncaster Mile field, but he will contest this race if he doesn’t gain a start, and is currently a $1.75 favourite.
The Pierro colt was too good for his rivals in the Hobartville Stakes second-up, and while his seventh-placing in the George Ryder doesn’t sound great, he was only just over a length behind Anamoe.
He’s rock-hard fit and will take a power of beating if he does contest this race.
The Sydney Cup is only a week away, several of these stayers will almost certainly back up.
One of those is Gin Martini, who continues to improve with each prep, and steps out fitter third-up in the Chairman’s Quality.
The Rip Van Winkle mare placed in a couple of Group 1 races during her three-year-old season, and won the Sandown Cup most notably in spring last year.
Having finished midfield of a mile first-up this time, she returned arguably a career-best performance in the Epona Stakes a fortnight ago, and we know she’ll relish getting out to a stayer’s trip this week.
Sequestered is chasing a hat-trick when she stakes her place in the Adrian Knox, and I think that she’ll pull it off.
The Pierro filly is yet to return a poor performance since debuting, but she has also improved noticeably with each start, breaking her maiden over 1400m in February before recording another easy win over the likes of Byron Belle last time.
This is harder again, but I like that she has been back to the trials since her last start, and the 2000m looks as though it will suit.
A few months of lead-up finally draws to its peak when some of the best country-trained gallopers step out in the Country Championships Final!
I’ve kept a close eye on the Qualifiers, and I am confident that the market has it correct: Talbragar and Akasawa are the ones to beat.
Talbragar has hardly put a hoof wrong since making his debut, recording five wins from six starts, including both back from a spell this time.
His performance in the Wild Card at Scone last week was particularly good given where he was in the run, and he steps out this week in peak order.
Akasawa has also amassed an impressive record of six wins and two second placings from just nine career starts, and he was too good for some quality opposition in the Tamworth Qualifier.
I’ll be having something on both gallopers.
The first of four Group 1 features on Day 1 will see some quality juveniles contest the Inglis Sires’.
I’ve put Golden Slipper runner up Cylinder on top, but check out my full race preview and complete 2023 Inglis Sires’ Tips RIGHT HERE.
Nature Strip will look to claim an unprecedented fourth TJ Smith Stakes crown on Saturday!
While he could make me look silly, I wonder if his best form is behind him, and I have instead put Giga Kick on top of my 2023 TJ Smith Stakes Tips RIGHT HERE.
$4 million goes on the line in one of the autumn’s biggest and most highly sought-after prizes, the Doncaster Mile!
I think that Alligator Blood’s class will shine through, but check out my full race preview and complete 2023 Doncaster Mile Tips RIGHT HERE.
This looms as a wide open edition of the Australian Derby with plenty of winning chances!
I think that I’ve found one at a price; it’s Stroke Of Luck, but you can find my full preview and 2023 Australian Derby Tips RIGHT HERE.
Opal Ridge was outstanding first-up from a spell and will only improve in the PJ Bell.
The Rubick filly has been a start for Scone trainer Luke Pepper since debuting, but her first run back this time in the Darby Munro suggested that she has only improved.
With even luck this weekend, I can’t find a reason why she won’t be in the finish again.