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The Group 1 Australian Derby and Sires Produce Stakes will today take a back seat on the race card but loom as exciting races with several of the best two and three year olds running. Join us from 1.30pm AEST for our live coverage of the two big races.
Sires Produce Stakes
The second leg of the two-year-old triple crown is normally a feature race of today but the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes has been relegated in the day due to more interest in the Derby and TJ Smith.
Nevertheless, Golden Slipper winner Overreach has backed up after Gai Waterhouse was pleased with how the star filly pulled up seven days ago.
Form leading into the Sires Produce is quite interesting because Golden Slipper form does not hold up particularly well. The 200m increase shouldn’t be too big of a jump but many of the Golden Slipper runners are primed for the Slipper. Beyond, Slipper runners are on the way down and preparing for a spell.
Yet to be pushed beyond 1200m, we have not seen Overreach run the distance today and by Exceed and Excel, she is bred more to be a sprinter than a miler.
The horse finding the line the best in the Slipper was Darley trained Guelph who is coincidently also by Exceed and Excel. She weaved the field well and found her turn of foot a touch too late but her performance was encouraging.
Scandiva will command attention after winner her last start in the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes. That win qualified her for the Slipper which trainer Anthony Cummings opted to bypass.
Interestingly by Fastnet Rock out of Scandinavia, Scandinavia also produced Helsinge, the dam of Black Caviar. The females of this family are in hot form both on the turf and recently at the Inglis Sales ring.
Gai Waterhouse’s Florid Affair is the interesting runner of the field. The Sebring filly comes with excellent midweek form where she dominated her last start but steps in class here.
Tips
Alfred Chan
1. Overreach
2. Scandiva
3. Florid Affair
4. Villa Verde
Justin Cinque
1. Havana
2. Overreach
3. Champollion
4. Guelph
Cameron Rose
1. Overreach
2. Guelph
3. Champollion
4. So Man Up
Andrew Hawkins
7. Overreach
1. Charlie Boy
1. Havana
11. Shahad
Australian Derby
It’s A Dundeel will attempt to complete the final leg of the three year old triple crown after claiming victory in the Randwick and Rosehill Guineas.
The two-year-old Murray Baker trained colt is the odds on favourite for today’s 2400m Derby after dominating the Rosehill Guineas to score by just under six lengths.
The step-up in distance is expected only better suit It’s A Dundeel who is bred to stay the distance and even more beneficial, run on a wet track.
However, the Australian Derby has the exact same makings of the VRC Derby from the spring where It’s A Dundeel also started odds-on favourite. On that day, the High Chaparral colt finished a disappointing fifth behind winner Fiveandahalfstar.
Fiveandahalfstar was expected to make this year’s Derby the most exciting race of the autumn as it would have been the first time the two inform staying colts had met since the VRC Derby.
But the blockbuster clash was ruled out after an ankle injury to Fiveandahalfstar earlier in the week which ruled the gelding out for three months.
Philippi looms as the biggest danger for It’s A Dundeel after winning the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes over 2000m, seven days ago. That win was dominant after promising Melbourne form translated into Sydney form but today is a step up in class.
We have not seen Philippi line up against the best three year old stayers but he’s an honest colt who was a genuine chance in the VRC Derby which he missed with injury.
Hippopus chased gamely in his last start but was unable to draw in Philippi who finished three lengths ahead.
Hippopus has been in great form this campaign but the High Chaparral colt has had a considerably longer campaign than anyone other horse in the field.
He’s coming towards the end of his preparation but it’s difficult to assess how much he has left in him but there shouldn’t be much.
Hvasstan ran a shocking in the Randwick Derby when he ran the Sydney direction the first time, and on the wrong foot.
Beating home just one runner that day, Manny Gelagotis can be discredited of any expert knowledge after hyping his star colt’s ability last start.
If you can forgive him, Gelagotis confirmed during the week that in every gallop since, Hvasstan has been galloping on the correct hoof.
It’s too hard to look past the favourite today. It’s A Dundeel has been primed for this race his whole campaign and the distance and track conditions are perfect for him.
Besides It’s A Dundeel, High Chaparral has another three runners (Hippopus, Kingdoms and High Shot) in this field of just ten. His offspring have relished this distance and wet tracks.
Tips
Alfred Chan
1. It’s A Dundeel
2. Philippi
3. High Shot
4. Hvasstan
Justin Cinque
1. It’s A Dundeel
2. Phillipi
3. Hippopus
4. Hvasstan
Cameron Rose
1. It’s A Dundeel
2. Phillipi
3. Kingdoms
4. Bass Strait
Andrew Hawkins
1. It’s A Dundeel
6. Bass Strait
3. Philippi
9. High Shot
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