For those who love their footy and races, this is one of the biggest weekends of the year. Grand finals in both the AFL and NRL, plus six Group 1 races across three days and three venues.
Time will be at a premium across the weekend, to fit all of the football and horseflesh in, and so it is in the lead-up. Let’s get stuck into a whirlwind look through the Group 1s.
Moir Stakes
The racing weekend kicks off at Moonee Valley on Friday night, and the first Group 1 of the season for the pure sprinters.
Russian Revolution is the horse to beat after proving too fast in the McEwen Stakes first-up over this 1000m course. He beat Heatherly that day; that mare ran second in this race last year, and should be up there again.
She Will Reign is the boom Golden Slipper-winning filly and Everest slot-holder, but has a task winning a big Group 1 against older horses in her first start as a three-year-old.
At the other end of the spectrum are the old salts, Terravista and Malaguerra at the top of the weights. Both are outstanding fresh horses, with Terravista winning the Lightning Stakes first-up over 1000m earlier this year. Malaguerra is more proven over 1200m, and might just find a few too slick.
Voodoo Lad hasn’t run over this short a trip since his first two starts, having made his name over six and seven furlongs. He’s clearly got the talent, and to figure in the finish, if he can produce his signature finish at this short a trip.
Sheidel is always around the mark, and pops up for a win from time to time. Rock Magic comes over from Perth to take on the Eastern state sprinters, and has to prove himself. Horses like Viddora, or Hellbent if he gets a run as first emergency, could storm over the top of a fast pace if things go their way.
Selections: 1.Heatherly 2.Russian Revolution 3.Terravista 4.Voodoo Lad
Epsom Handicap
It’s Super Saturday at Randwick, with three Group 1s being run, with the Epsom the main feature of the day.
Happy Clapper is the ruling favourite, and it’s easy to see why with a 1.3 length second to Winx at his last start. He’s always knocking on the door at Group 1 level, loves 1600m and loves Randwick, and with Blake Shinn on board he’s going to get every chance from barrier four.
Chris Waller has five runners in the race, with four of them right in the market behind Happy Clapper.
Egg Tart didn’t win first up but shouldn’t have lost too many admirers behind Deploy given how hot that horse is right now, running track records at whim. She’ll be far better second up, and at the mile where she’s unbeaten.
Everyone’s favourite horse, Tom Melbourne, is the best-weighted runner in the race, given he meets Happy Clapper 3kgs better for losing to him by less than a length two starts back, in a race he should have won with even luck and a good ride.
Comin’ Through beat Tom Melbourne last start, which ties him in with Happy Clapper as well. He’s two from two this prep, and is a Group 1 placegetter at this track and distance, but needs to find a length or two to win this.
Foxplay has a lot of weight for a four-year-old mare, and has to turn the tables on Happy Clapper by five lengths from their last start meeting in the George Main Stakes.
Of the rest, Sound Proposition will at least enjoy dropping in weight, but has question marks over his class. Red Excitement couldn’t back up his Chelmsford run when almost stealing the race from Winx, but must be a player if he can replicate that performance. McCreery looks a great place betting option back to a handicap.
Selections: 1.Tom Melbourne 2.Happy Clapper 3.McCreery 4.Egg Tart
The Metropolitan
Chris Waller has a big hand in the Metrop as well as the Epsom, as we come to expect on these big days. He has Libran, Antonio Guiseppe and Life Less Ordinary all vying for favouritism, and they ran first, second and third in the Kingston Town last start.
Life Less Ordinary looks the weight horse out of that race, has been tracking beautifully for this race, and has won up to 3200m in the UK. Antonio Guiseppe ran second in the Metrop last year and is going just as well now when allowing for the higher class races of his build-up.
Big Duke is proven in Sydney with a couple of wins up there back in the autumn, and was less than a length from winning the Sydney Cup. He had been ticking along before racing a little flat last start, but he’s never backed up before for Darren Weir, so perhaps the master trainer has something up his sleeve.
Lloyd Williams must be respected when he brings a horse to Sydney, so Foundry is a live chance after building solidly. Broadside continues to improve for Gai Waterhouse and is a threat dropping 6kg’s after his third in the Colin Stephen on Saturday.
Selections: 1.Life Less Ordinary 2.Big Duke 3.Antonio Guiseppe 4.Foundry
Flight stakes
The fillies clash over 1600m in the third of the Group 1s on the Randwick card on Saturday. Most of the field comes from the Tea Rose Stakes two weeks back, including eight of the first nine home.
Alizee and Champagne Cuddles ran the exacta in that race, and hold their positions as the first two in betting accordingly. Champagne Cuddles backed up from the Tea Rose into the Golden Rose last week, and has certainly franked the form by running second to Trapeze Artist there, and in front of Menari.
That means Champagne Cuddles is now running three weeks in a row, and we know how desperately itching for a win she is after three consecutive seconds. Stretching out to 1600m for the first time looks to be in her favour, and she’ll certainly be fit enough. The widest barrier should see her be ridden cold, which gives her the best chance of winning.
Alizee also produced her best off a quiet ride last start, when winning the Tea Rose. She’s drawn one inside of Champagne Cuddles, so James Cummings and Glyn Schofield will have to map out a plan for her from the gates.
Queensland filly Cellargirl hit the line behind Alizee and Champagne Cuddles in the Tea Rose, and has some claims. Pandemonium will be expected to improve if she can behave in the barrier and take the lead in the early running, especially with Moreira aboard. She has a win over a mile already in her career, which most of her opposition can’t claim.
Selections: 1.Champagne Cuddles 2.Pandemonium 3.Alizee 4.Cellargirl
Underwood Stakes
The Underwood is the heavyweight weight-for-age race of the weekend, with Hartnell, Bonneval and Black Heart Bart squaring off over the 1800m Caulfield course.
Hartnell is the favourite, as he almost always is when not racing Winx, and rightly so. He was soundly beaten by a dominant Humidor in the Makybe Diva, but things panned out much better for the winner than it did for him. He has every chance of bouncing back into the winner’s circle.
Black Heart Bart was third in the Makybe Diva, and we know he is super honest in these WFA races, making good horses beat him. He’s got a great Caulfield record, which may help him bridge the gap on Hartnell, who has beaten him home twice this prep.
While we know full well what the seven-year-olds Hartnell and Black Heart Bart are capable of at this stage of their careers, Bonneval, a four year old mare, is the star on the rise.
Having won Group 1 Oaks races in New Zealand and Sydney to finish her autumn campaign, she was well backed first-up in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes before producing a blazing finish to take out the race. It was her fifth win on end, and it’s clear that she’s going to be a serious player this spring.
Of the others, Gailo Chop and Single Gaze ran well in the Makybe Diva Stakes, but will be hard pressed to turn the table on both Hartnell and Black Heart Bart from that race, let alone beat Bonneval too.
Abbey Marie was right behind Bonneval at Moonee Valley, so can be respected on that run after a neat performance in the Naturalism. Samovare strikes as a type that will handle the jump to WFA and still run competitively.
Selections: 1.Hartnell 2.Bonneval 3.Black Heart Bart 4.Samovare
Rupert Clarke Stakes
Group 1 handicaps with big fields are always ripe with possibility for those that like to chase values. Plenty of good horses end up over the odds, a lot of them have the ability to win, and a lot has to go right for the winner.
Scales of Justice is the firm favourite, and his form is coming from the right lead up race with the Bobbie Lewis providing a lot of Rupert Clarke winners over the years. He was second behind Redkirk Warrior in that race, despite racing like a drunken sailor.
Land of Plenty was within a length of Scales of Justice in the Bobbie Lewis, and up to 1400m will be suitable for him to be running on after getting back. So Si Bon was poor in the Bobbie Lewis, but being saved for one run is more his style, as he was last week when third over this course and distance. He’ll need the speed on, but can certainly figure in the finish at odds if it is.
There are simply chances everywhere.
Tosen Stardom comes back from a Memsie Stakes third behind Vega Magic, one of the best horses around, and drops weight. Grande Rosso, Sovereign Nation Theanswermyfriend bring in winning form in the lower grades, and Mr Sneaky is in as good a form as any of those, with plenty of upside.
Santa Ana Lane is coming off a slashing run, but tends to mix his form a little and is hard to trust. It’s Somewhat and Lucky Hussler represent the class at the top of the weights, and both will have a small set of admirers.
There promises to be a strong tempo with Charmed Harmony carving out the sectionals up front, and every now and then he keeps going. If the field does string along, punters won’t know where to look in the straight, and the chances will be many.
Selections: 1.Tosen Stardom 2.Mr Sneaky 3.Scales of Justice 4.So Si Bon
Without a Fight completed the rare Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double on Tuesday as star jockey Mark Zahra went back-to-back in the big one after…
The race that stops the nation is upon us again. Every horse in the Melbourne Cup has reasons they can win, and reasons they…
Those who want to have a really big collect on Australia’s greatest race, without risking too much, have to look at the exotic bets.
While most of the attention is on Ciaron Maher and David Eustace's Gold Trip, there's no reason why stablemate Future History cannot upstage him.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver is quietly confident his Melbourne Cup mount Alenquer will be passed fit to give him a farewell ride in the…
Melbourne Cup day is here again, and it’s never anything less than exciting. The Cup itself will of course be full of drama and…
