2024 The Championships Day 1 Tips & Preview
Sunshine In Paris rates a live chance in Saturday's T.J. Smith Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.

2024 The Championships Day 1 Tips & Preview

Day 1 of The Championships gets underway at Royal Randwick on Saturday with a feast of Group 1 racing on offer.  

The Inglis Sires’ is the first of four on the program, before one of the most anticipated editions of the T.J. Smith Stakes sees last year’s winner I Wish I Win battle mighty mare Imperatriz down the straight.  

The time-honoured Doncaster Mile and the Australian Derby follow not long after, and not surprisingly, there’s a case to be made for most of the field in both races.  

Wet weather earlier in the week could potentially wreak havoc with most expecting the track to be rated somewhere in the Heavy range come race day.  

For our thoughts on Day 1 of The Championships, read on below.  

Race 1 - 12:25PM WIDDEN KINDERGARTEN STAKES (1100 METRES)
No. 6 Perspiration

Perspiration fought on well for a spot in the minors on debut behind impressive all-the-way winner Roselyn Star.  

Ciaron Maher’s colt picked up nicely along the rail to finish second, leaving a good gap between himself and the rest of the field through the line.  

He’s had a few weeks better runs now but it does look as though the rise to 1100m will suit after finishing strongly. Drawn to get back early under James McDonald, the pair rate one of the key chances.  

Race 2 - 1:00PM SCHWEPPES CHAIRMAN'S QUALITY (2600 METRES)
No. 4 Hopeful  

Hopeful is a talented stayer that has put together a tidy record over these longer trips.  

Annabel Neasham’s French import was second-last on return at The Valley last month, settling close to the speed in the early stages before weakening under pressure at the top of the straight.  

Stepping out over 2000m was a little sharp first-up, but it should have done him a world of good in terms of fitness and condition.  

His longest win came over 2400m overseas, but with likable form at this level and a solid wet track record to match, he should measure up here in the Chairman’s Quality.    

Race 3 - 1:35PM HKJC WORLD POOL CARBINE CLUB STAKES (1600 METRES) 
No. 2 Witz End  

Witz End is a promising Kiwi import for Tony Pike that might find conditions to suit in only his fifth career start.  

The three-year-old by Savabeel has put together a tidy record at the races, winning back-to-back starts at Hastings and Trentham on his way to running a place in the Wellington Guineas three weeks ago.  

The wide run in transit told that day when he flashed home late down the outside, but likely to find cover here from barrier 3 with James McDonald on board, he should be one of the toughest to hold out if he handles the heavy track.  

 

Race 4 - 2:10PM TAB ADRIAN KNOX STAKES (2000 METRES) 
No. 12 Good Banter

It’s a shame about the gate, but this still sets up nicely for the John O’Shea trained Good Banter.  

The Tavistock filly hasn’t won a race in just over a year, but was arguably one of the runs of the race a few weeks ago in the Kembla Grange Classic where she was forced to make up ground down the outside.  

The form out of that reads well with the horse that finished behind her, Tutta La Vita, running a huge race in the Vinery Stud Stakes last week for second.  

If she can get across early and find cover, her superior wet track form might do most of the talking here.   

Race 5 - 2:45PM NEWHAVEN PARK COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL (1400 METRES) 
No. 1 Bandi’s Boy  

Bandi’s Boy put away a smart field in his final few strides last week in the Star Kingdom Stakes, smoking the line down the very outside to knock off Malkovich narrowly.  

This is a nice step back in class for Danny Williams’ smart four-year-old, and after coming up trumps with the inside draw, he looks a live chance of earning himself a hat-trick now.  

Whether the rail is where you want to be on a wet day remains to be seen, but armed with a serious turn of foot and a win in heavy conditions, I can’t back against him. 

each way
Race 6 - 3:20PM INGLIS SIRES' (1400 METRES)
No. 3 Traffic Warden

Tough race with a stack of chances, but I’m in the corner of Traffic Warden back out to 1400m.  

The Godolphin colt ate up this trip two back at Flemington, overcoming a wide draw to find the front early and gap his rivals by 1.8 lengths.  

His time that day was slick, while I also thought he was eye-catching late in the Golden Slipper two weeks ago where he tracked Storm Boy into the race along the fence to finish fourth.  

Like others, he’s unproven in very wet conditions, but having handled this trip in the past with Jamie Kah getting back on board, I think he can run a big race in the Inglis Sires’

Race 7 - 3:55PM JAMES SQUIRE T J SMITH STAKES (1200 METRES) 
No. 11 Sunshine In Paris

Sunshine In Paris has gone up a nice price for a mare that found the line extremely well first-up in The Galaxy a fortnight ago.  

Annabel Neasham’s four-year-old stuck to the fence and was denied only narrowly on the outside by the fast-finishing Zapateo, a huge effort given she was mostly unsuited by the 1100m trip fresh from a lengthy spell.  

As we saw last year, 1200m is her go in life, and she should be able to work into the race nicely from the wide gate in the TJ Smith Stakes field. 

I do concede she’s untested on a bottomless track and also yet to win a Group 1 sprint, but in terms of mares on the rise, I think she’s the one that can give the two favourites a real shake if she handles the conditions.    

Race 8 - 4:35PM THE STAR DONCASTER MILE (1600 METRES)
No. 19 Celestial Legend  

Celestial Legend has been well placed right throughout this prep as champion trainer Les Bridge sets his sights on winning another Doncaster Mile with this talented colt. 

The son of proven wet tracker Dundeel got the job done two weeks ago in the Randwick Guineas, going blow for blow against Militarize in a memorable battle all the way to the line. 

He meets that same horse better off at the weights on this occasion and still has big scope for improvement if his class can held him overcome the wet conditions.  

Race 9 - 5:15PM ATC AUSTRALIAN DERBY (2400 METRES)
No. 2 Tom Kitten

Tom Kitten burned many punters, myself included, two weeks ago when he went up a short price out to his preferred trip of 2000m in the Rosehill Guineas – the same journey he won the Spring Champion Stakes over last year.  

The Godolphin colt stuck to the inside lane and basically went backwards in tough conditions, another unlucly run for a horse that found traffic the start prior in the Randwick Guineas where he had to come from a long way back. 

Fitness-wise, there’s no knock on him at this stage of his prep, and he does get Adam Hyeronimus back in the saddle, the man responsible for that win in the Champions Stakes.  

I doubt 2400m tests him off that recent run, and back to Randwick is also a big tick in the right box ahead of the Australian Derby.  

Race 10 - 5:50PM CHINA HORSE CLUB P J BELL STAKES (1200 METRES)
No. 1 Learning To Fly

Class can often overcome the poorest of conditions, so I’m hoping that proves the case with Learning To Fly third-up from a spell.

Annabel Neasham’s filly looks set to peak with a couple of handy runs under her belt, the latest coming in the Surround Stakes where she rolled forward early and was unlucky not to run a place up on the speed.  

Getting back to 1200m off that effort looks perfect, particularly from a nice soft gate under Chad Schofield.