2024 Hill Stakes Day Tips & Preview

Monte Kate has been racing well but hasn’t had the best of luck at her past two outings.

The daughter of I Am Invincible was held up in the early part of the straight at her second up appearance and tried hard but just couldn’t reel in the eventual winner once clear.

Last start, out to 1300m she was always wide and exposed off the wide draw and just felt the pinch over the final 100m, which she was entitled to do.

She lines up here at peak fitness and if she can slot in and find cover, she’s sure to be fighting out the finish.

Hulu is building a tidy record and was only narrowly beaten here last start at her first metropolitan outing.

Prepared at Scone by Cameron Crockett, the Showtime mare recorded a dominant win two starts back on her home track before stepping out over this course and distance, where she hit the front 100m from home despite a torrid run and was only just collared right on the line.

Once again she does have a horror draw to overcome but if she can slot in and find cover, she’ll be powering home late.

Bear On The Loose just peaked on his run late when resuming off a seven week let up and he will have taken improvement from the outing.

The UK import has only had the two prior Australian starts where he won well over 1800m when kicking off and he then finished fourth after enduring a tough run.

With four wins from just his eight career starts, he’s quickly building a record and looks very progressive.

He’ll appreciate the rise to 200m and gets the services of Nash Rawiller, who stays in the saddle for Gai and Adrian.

Henlein comes off an eye-catching performance in the Stutt Stakes and will relish setting out over the 1800m journey in this year’s Gloaming Stakes.

After settling back towards the tail in the mile feature, the striking son of Dundeel was set alight, circling the field and powered home to claim second.

Only lightly raced having had the four starts, he’s performed well on each occasion and looks very progressive.

Tommy Berry partnered him first up when he was doing his best work late here behind subsequent Group One Flight Stakes winner Lady Shenandoah and hops back aboard the colt for Anthony and Sam Freedman.

Coleman hasn’t been far away in two runs back at Group One level and looks ideally placed here back against his own age group in the Roman Consul Stakes.

The Golden Slipper runner up won his first starts in impression fashion before failing in the Blue Diamond where he was later found to have heat in his feet.

He quickly bounced back, with a third placing in the Pago Pago has continued to perform well at a high level.

He’s fit, he gets in beautifully here at the set weights and barrier five should see him afforded very chance under Kerrin McEvoy.

Snack Bar has performed very well in two runs back since resuming as a gelding and the Godolphin grey looks ready to peak third up in the Tapp-Craig worth half-a-million dollars.

He chased hard into third behind Autumn Glow when kicking off over 1200m in the Up & Coming and just looked to peak on his run late when stepping up to 1400m in the Ming Dynasty, where he was beaten less than half a length by Lady Shenandoah.

With four weeks since that run, he’s been given an 821m trial to keep him up to the mark and the in-form Zac Lloyd will do the steering for James Cummings.

Royal Patronage lines up on the quick back up after a gutsy effort to finish third in the Epsom Handicap.

Off the wide gate, the Waterhouse / Bott trained entire had to work hard in the early part to take up an on-speed position and stuck on gamely over the mile, giving the impression he was ready to step up over more ground.

The well-travelled son of Wootton Bassett kicked off his career in the UK before heading to the USA, and he was quick to establish himself here as he saluted first up in the Tramway before a solid effort behind Fangirl in the 7 Stakes.

With the three runs under his belt, he looks well suited out to 2000m and is sure to be afforded every chance under Tim Clark.

Gringotts returned to the races with a terrific effort in the Bill Ritchie and he looks set for a big campaign.

Unlucky not have won, the Per Incanto gelding was held up behind runners for much of the straight and charged through late to go down by a nose.

He has put together a very tidy record, saluting in seven of his fourteen starts and has only missed a top three spot on one occasion.

He’s continued to step up each time the bar has been raised and is certainly a horse on the up.

Fitter for that first up run, he looks well placed staying at the 1400m and whilst this will be his toughest test to date, he’s sure to make his presence felt.

Barrier seven should see him enjoy a cosy run just off the speed and with even luck he’ll be hitting the line strongly.

Olentia returns to the races.

The Chris Waller trained mare put the writing on the wall early on, winning five of her first six starts and she proved herself at the top-level last campaign, taking out he Group 2 Emancipation Stakes.

She comes here on the back of an 818m trial where she was strong through the line without being pressured and does boast a terrific first up record.

Tommy Berry will do the steering and can afford her every chance from the low draw.

Blanc De Blanc has returned in fine order this time in, finishing the runner up in two runs back from a break.

She just wanted to race a bit keen when resuming and last time, held up in the early part of the straight, she charged through late to finish second behind the very smart Ostraka who has since won again.

A daughter of I Am Invincible, she showed plenty of natural talent through her two-year-old season, racing consistently and placing in both the G2 Sweet Embrace and G3 Magic Night Stakes before contesting the Golden Slipper.

Nothing went to plan in two runs last campaign, but she looks to have come back bigger and better and with the low draw and 3kg claim for Zac Waddick, she looks a top chance.