2024 Canterbury Stakes Tip
Think About It will go around at a short price in search of her third Group 1 in Saturday's Canterbury Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.

2024 Canterbury Stakes Tip

The Canterbury Stakes is the first Group 1 on Saturday’s 10-race card at Randwick.  

The weight-for-age contest has attracted a small field of middle-distance sprinters with odds-on elect Think About It attracting strong support in his first run back from the spring. 

Last year’s Everest winner is unbeaten fresh, while the Chris Waller-trained Espiona rates the main danger with improvement to come third-up. 

Suggested Betting Strategy  

  • 2 Units Think About It 
  • SRM: Think About It (Win), Pericles (Top 3)  
Canterbury Stakes – Winner  
No. 1 Think About It  

Think About It almost picks himself in this year’s Canterbury Stakes.  

Joe Pride’s talented five-year-old has proven himself at the top level on many occasions, notably winning the Kingsford Smith Cup and the Stradbroke in succession during last year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival.  

His win in The Everest last year over the likes of I Wish I Win and Private Eye stands above everything else on his resume, while there’s been plenty to love about his work at the trials recently leading in. 

To be fair, stepping out over 1300m first-up might test him, but having avoided Imperatriz, it’s tough to see most of these measuring up given his unbeaten first-up record.  

Canterbury Stakes – 2nd 
No. 6 Espiona  

Chris Waller’s decision to send Espiona to Sydney has created a stir among racing fans, but you certainly can’t fault the champion trainer for wanting to avoid the mighty mare Imperatriz in Melbourne.

Like the favourite, I think the rise to 1300m coming off a run in the Lightning (1000m) first-up could be on the sharp side, but there was plenty to like about the way she charged the line that day at Flemington when clocking the fastest final 200m sectional of the day.  

A slow start likely cost her a stride or two in the end that day, so if she jumps on time and settles handy from the inside gate, she should be a good bet to run Top 3.  

Canterbury Stakes –3rd  
No. 2 Pericles  

Pericles ran a much-improved race to finish runner-up to Mr Brightside in the Futurity Stakes a couple weeks ago.  

After a flat performance fresh in the C.F. Orr Stakes, the Godolphin four-year-old was ridden a little closer to the speed, peeling slightly wide into the turn where he gave good chase in the end.  

He’ll run fitter for those two efforts and looks every chance to go close with a nice gate to his advantage.