A bumper eleven-race card takes place at Royal Randwick this Saturday with the 2024 Bob Charley AO Stakes Day line-up extended to include the previous weekend’s washed-out Listed Lord Mayors Cup (2000m).
Punters are now treated to a double-shot of Black-Type with the meeting’s marquee event being the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m).
There’s wet weather still raining on the Sydney racing parade with plenty forecast over the coming days which might not bode well for the course that is already into a Soft (7) at time of publish.
Still, if the racing goes ahead there’s a host of winning mudlarks to find and we’ve helped out with our exclusive Randwick tips and best bets for the entire program below.
Smashing Rosie looks an attractive Each Way offering in the first with this handicap sprint for the two-year-olds a nice target for her.
These juvenile races are notoriously hard to get right, but based on her maiden win second-up on Heavy going last time out this progressive young daughter of Brave Smash is worth consideration.
She’s prepared out of Wyong by Kristen Buchanan and is putting it together now after a third at Tamworth on debut before winning by nearly a length in the wet over 1100m at Gosford on May 16.
Gets a gun run from gate four. Capable.
Some good milers getting around in the second on Saturday and have landed on Gelatin at double-figures third-up who gets conditions to suit here.
An up-and-coming son of Snitzel, this three-year-old for Michael Freedman has home course advantage and a dominant Heavy track record (3:2-0-1).
He went back-to-back on Heavy 9 going in the summer at Warwick Farm and Kembla Grange over less distance and is looking to extend to the 1600m for the first time.
His lead-ups at Warwick Farm have been solid when third on a bottomless track on May 8 with 59.5kg before a Benchmark 72 sixth under three lengths off the winner with the same weight a couple of weeks later.
Drops to 57.5kg now for Rory Hutchings, has the wet track form and ability to make up ground.
Sees it out and can challenge.
Nice Class 3 handicap sprint here and think Soul Lady can salute at just shy of $10 at time of publish second-up.
Joe Cleary’s consistent Supido filly is a striking type who is proven on Heavy tracks (2:1-1-0).
She resumed off a 155-day let-up to win at Queanbeyan in style as the favourite with plenty of weight carrying 60.5kg.
Likely to be absolutely airborne – as much as they can be in the mud – with a probable weight of just 53.5kg here and apprentice Molly Bourke in the saddle.
Fit and ready to fire again.
Some decent staying types on show in the fourth and think it will come down to who best handles the going.
For value, Magicon at around 20/1 looks overs based on his Heavy track record and recent form.
Tracey Bartley’s in-form Prized Icon three-year-old is only lightly raced having start number five on Saturday but is already a two-time winner.
Latest turf triumph was at his home Wyong track in May on a Heavy (10) when carting 58.5kg to a stylish mile victory.
Went around in a Benchmark 68 at Newcastle last time out and crossed runner-up over 1890m after finishing well from a mid-field run.
This is tougher and he needs to get the distance, but looks okay weight-wise and can challenge late at a price.
The girls go around in the fifth and of the fillies and mares in this Benchmark 78 happy to take one of the single-figure fancies with Nana’s Wish ticking plenty of boxes.
This Ciaron Maher-trained Belardo chestnut is a decent four-year-old who is proven at the distance and handles all track conditions.
She comes off a number of credible runs this time in with her latest producing a second behind Scarlet Oak at Newcastle on a Heavy (9) over the mile on May 11.
That form has already been franked with the winner taking out the Group 2 The Roses ahead of jumping favourite in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks in Brisbane this weekend.
Believe Nana’s Wish can do something similar here.
Short distance specialists on show in the sixth and even from that nasty wide draw, the Joe Pride-trained favourite The Black Cloud looks hard to beat chasing a second win on the trot.
Jockey Jay Ford certainly has work to do from the alley (19) but this well-bred Shamus Award filly from a star stable has the class factor.
She is already a three-time winner from four starts and her only defeat resulted in a narrow second at Rosehill in February on hard Good (3) track.
Better suited with the give out of the ground and her hat-trick of victories have all been on Soft going including a win fresh here at Randwick on May 25.
Putting over a length on her closest rivals at this track and trip to kick off her campaign, the filly is up in weight but too good to ignore.
Have Gravina as the one to beat in Randwick Race 7 on Saturday with the Matthew Dale-trained Sebring six-year-old looking for his first win over further than 1200m.
He may be winless at 1300m from nine previous attempts, but he has placed in seven of those and this good type will enjoy the rain affected going.
Three-time winner at the course having previously been with trainer James Cummings.
Since moving stables over the winter he has enjoyed two third placings firstly in the Wagga Town Plate on a Good (4) a neck beaten before a Listed Luskin Star third over the 1300m on a Soft (6) at Scone on May 18.
His run there was eye-catching behind the talented winner Coastwatch.
Carries a big weight and is wider out here, but capable at his best form.
The rescheduled Listed Lord Mayors Cup steals the show in the eighth and there are plenty of winning hopes in this class field that didn’t get to go around last weekend after a washout.
Sticking with Williamsburg to return to winning form after a couple of eye-catching lead-ups.
It has been a long time between drinks for Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou’s Snitzel four-year-old who hasn’t won since October of 2022.
However, he is a former Group 3 winner and thrives on Heavy going so the wetter the better for him.
The Coast runner-up narrowly denied by Magnaspin at Newcastle two back on a Heavy (9) before carrying 60kg here on May 25 to cross two lengths second behind Iknowastar.
Well up to this, drawn with options and very well weighted in on just 54kg for Tyler Schiller.
Can break the drought.
The meeting’s namesake race (formerly the June Stakes) has drawn a talented line-up of sprinters led in betting by Semillion who is deserving of top spot in the markets.
Cannot fault this Hawkes Racing-trained Shalaa four-year-old who chases back-to-back Black-Type wins after taking out Newcastle’s Listed Takeover Target (1200m) on a Heavy (9) last start.
That followed on from a Caulfield second in the VOBIS Gold Sprint on a Good (4) showing his versatility and talent.
Previous Randwick winner, only goes up a half-kilo with a still favourable 53.5kg allocation here, gate gives him options on the rain-affected course and Jay Ford is going as well as his mount.
Can salute.
Following the meeting’s features, the action continues with this mile handicap.
Waterford is favourite and no doubt hard to beat, but looking at the weights have sided with the lighter hope Ruby Flyer here.
Brad Widdup’s Flying Artie five-year-old has a 50% winning strike-rate at the distance from six starts and is going well enough to suggest another victory.
Second at Rosehill two back carrying 60kg over 1500m only a neck beaten before finishing third at this track and trip on May 25 behind Iknowastar in a Benchmark 94 that looks a big form race for this event and others on the card.
Had 54.5kg that day and drops again to 53kg here.
Apprentice Dylan Gibbons has the ride from a gun gate three draw and both horse and hoop are in the right vein of form to salute.
The card closer features a nice field of middle sprint types and going to stick with the favourite Starman in the last.
Super consistent Zoustar gelding for Chris Waller who doesn’t know how to run a bad race.
He has had six runs at Randwick without a win and eight at the distance without being first past the post, but lines-up a deserving top elect to shrug the hoodoo here.
Runner-up at his latest two when carrying 59kg at both Newcastle on a Heavy (9) and Randwick on a Soft (5) under two lengths beaten cumulatively.
Has been a perennial place-getter without a win since January of 2022, but is in on 57kg thanks to an apprentice claim and he is well rated.