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The Metropolitan Handicap is the premier staying event of the Sydney spring carnival and this year’s field is packed with Melbourne-bound Cup horses. Join us from 4.45pm AEST for a preview, live blog and post-race analysis.
The clear favourite is Prince Cheri who has won his last two starts but only now does he get out to his preferred staying distance.
The former French galloper impressed in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes but looked to tire towards the end.
David Vandyke has given him a perfect preparation to ensure he carries a light weight but as a result, is still not guaranteed a start in the Caulfield Cup and will need to win here to assure himself one.
From barrier two, he’ll sit on the pace like he did in his last start but he’ll still need to improve on that because his effort in the Kingston Town would not be enough to win this.
Julienas was fantastic last week when he led all the way in the Group 3 Colin Stephen Handicap.
Gai Waterhouse has shown in the past that she strongly feels Julienas runs best off the short back up, but this will be the first time he has run amongst Group 1 horses all season.
He won’t have to carry the top weight for once but as the expected leader, his chances will come down to how the track plays out during the day and if there is any track bias.
Moriarty won the Group 2 Hill Stakes under WFA condtions but many would consider him fortunate to have won after Masked Marvel ran off the track for a faster finishing third.
He’s not a proven Group 1 horse but Moriarty gets a nice weight swing here but looks a touch under the odds.
Ibecenco arrives in Sydney after a few runs in Melbourne. His first up win in the Heatherlie Stakes was very impressive but he failed to back that up into the Naturalism Stakes where he finished a long way back.
The former European has always looked better the further he runs but he’s been a real hit-or-miss stayer in Australia.
At his best he has the turn of foot which will win this race with ease but every now and then, he produces a dour performance and refuses to respond to the whip.
Old Ironstein has been hanging on to fringe of Group 1 staying class in Australia for about five years now.
Two starts back in the Premier Cup, he ran a very good second and was closing very quickly on the winner, Less Is More, but ran out of turf before the post.
He was also impressive in the Hill Stakes when he ran fifth under weight-for-age conditions but drops a massive 6.5kg here and must be shown respect.
Alfred Chan’s Tips
1. Julienas
2. Ironstein
3. Prince Cheri
4. Lucrepitous
Justin Cinque’s Tips
1. Prince Cheri
2. Moriarty
3. Mourayan
4. Ibicenco
Andrew Hawkins’ Tips
1. Prince Cheri
2. Kingdoms
3. Seville
4. Sneak A Peek
Cameron Rose’s Tips
1. Ibicenco
2. Moriarty
3. Sneak A Peek
4. Prince Cheri
Roar writers 2013 Spring Carnival tipping tally (five points if winning horse is tipped for first; three points if tipped for second; two for third and one for fourth):
After week seven
Cameron Rose: 24
Alfred Chan: 24
Justin Cinque: 20
Andrew Hawkins: 20
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