The George Main Stakes is one of the lesser Sydney Group 1s across the season, despite being at weight-for-age over the classic Randwick mile.
The race is often run and won somewhat anonymously, but that isn’t going to be the case this time with the superstar Winx as the key runner.
Winx resumed in the Warwick Stakes a month ago, putting paid to her rivals in breathtaking fashion, and was supposed to be second up in the Chelmsford Stakes a fortnight ago but missed the run due to a heavy track.
She instead showed up in a trial last week, which she performed handsomely in, and only the skinniest of odds will be bet about her here. We know how good she is, and we know what we’ll be expecting at 3.15pm on Saturday.
Tosen Stardom and Hauraki are vying for second favouritism, albeit both are at double figure odds.
The ex-Japanese Tosen Stardom has been the source of plenty of racetrack whispers ever since he joined the Weir stable, and showed us a glimpse of his talent first-up in the Dato Tan Chin Nam when he had no luck but rocketed home. The question is whether his finishing burst was a little flattering given he was held up before gaining clear running, and thus was entitled to finish as he did.
Hauraki didn’t win a race as four year old, albeit finding his way into the placings six times in WFA events, but is one from one at five after taking out the Tramway when resuming, and might be ready to elevate himself into that group of horses chasing Winx in Australia’s best races.
Le Romain ran second behind Hauraki in the Tramway, meets him 1.5kg’s better at the weights, and gets up to a more suitable distance range now, remembering that he won the Randwick Guineas at this track and distance. It’s Somewhat ran evenly in the Tramway and will do so again.
Great Esteem is up from Victoria after leading all the way to win the Heatherlie, beating the highly rated Tom Melbourne. He’s hard and fit, and has carried weight to win in vastly inferior grade. He’ll lead them all along and may stick on to land somewhere in the first four.
Vanbrugh won the Spring Champion last spring but hasn’t threatened the winning post since, and won’t be doing so here. Spiritjim is first-up at 200-1 for Chris Waller, but should be fit enough off the back of three trials. He might be worth a place ticket as the despised outsider.
Selections: 1.Winx 2.Le Romain 3.Tosen Stardom 4.Hauraki
Around the traps: Down at Caulfield, Tom Melbourne can be winning the Naturalism with Jameka the only danger. They both love the wet, and from barriers one and two, they’ll jump together, run together and probably cross the line together. It looks a great quinella bet.
Back at Randwick, Hartnell versus Preferment in the Hill Stakes will be worth watching, and I’ll take $7.50 on the 2016 Australian Cup and BMW winner instead of the $1.40 on 2016 Chelmsford Stakes winner.
English might be a legitimate challenger to Chautauqua in the spring sprints when they meet, and will be heavily backed to win The Shorts.
Rose’s Roughie: We’re going to see plenty of form reversals in Sydney in the coming weeks, both good and bad as their tracks go from wet to dry. Every runner in the Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick is coming off a slow or heavy track run, and we can find some value if they hit good ground on Saturday.
Not a single horse in the Tea Rose field has a black type win on a dry track, yet Quick Feet has a couple of Group 2 placings and a respectable Golden Slipper run on firm ground. The last time she saw the good, she finished off better than any except Omei Sword, and we know how good that filly is.
Quick Feet is too good to pass up at $21 against a field of moderately performed talent at this stage of their careers.
Adam Page
Roar Guru
Completely agree re Quick Feet. My bet will be on Awoke, but I'll be having something each way on Quick Feet, especially on top of the ground now. English a challenger to Chautauqua? Behave Cam ;) watch the jump out of the grey yesterday...they won't be beating him
Tristan Rayner
Editor
A shame Tosen Stardom was scratched. He's a big query runner - I don't think he wouldn't beaten Winx, but I wanted to see how good he might be...
michael steel
Guest
I have the tiniest doubt with Winx tomorrow. Two weeks ago when watching THE BACHELOR for the first time I said Nikki was the Winx of the field. Much to my horror, Nikki going in last night at about 5/1 on got beaten As a punter my comment ion Nikki is hounding me.
andrew
Guest
Geel 4 – san Vincenzo turned in a ripping run on debut behind what I think are two pretty smart horses. The winner certainly has group quality, and is bred to. The 2nd horse has competitive in sat grade. Whilst a maiden is a maiden, this is a drop in class in my view, and this race doesn’t shape as having any left field 1st starters that you often get this time of year. the horse should be all the better for the run and draws to get a good on speed run again and stable is getting lots of winners with lightly raced horses at present. 7 – dane thunder is a horse of much better talent than a BM70, ran very well 1st up in what I think will be a strong race, with several runners from that race running at caul tomorrow. His form last prep was very good around thames court, loyalty man, lahqa – all legitimate sat/group class horses. Think its all about to come together for this lightly raced and highly consistent 4yo, starting today. Caul (incredibly tough meeting with big fields, rail out, wet track, and many dual acceptors at 9am on Friday, but here a few opinions nonetheless) 1 – well the 4yos have been winning just about all sat races they contest (bon aurum, fatinaah, palentino, doubt mamma, with tally failing to make it clean sweep, sat prior dulverton, vostok, sat prior : rokii, redzel, ocean embers) and im not thinking that will change here honing on battlecamp and saint valorem who come through same race last time. hoping dane hussler might enhance that form today also. going with saint valorem who hasn’t done much wrong in short career today and will be double the price and good ew bet. No doubt battlecamp unlucky 1st up though. Many a time we see the horse wins, win again. I’d rather own battlecamp, as by end of career he will be better horse, but 2nd up at 1200m, might find it a bit short and freedman has stated this is an education prep, so no doubt teaching him to settle means going back from wide draw. 2kgs swing help him, but saint valorem was very impressive in winning nonetheless and the templeton/Stackhouse combo should ensure a good price. 3 – small bet on the stokes factor, but noting he has the very smart samara dancer (big bet looming her next sat, might even pull out the ‘good thing of the spring’ label) so he can split up his 3yo fillies into diff divisions (exactly like what godolphin/darley do with their colts in the spring and clean up in the lesser races). Hard to be super confident, as formlines offer severe diversity, but compressed weights suit and handles wet and drawn well and in form, and comes from a good family that has produced many winners. 4 – really torn between the top 2 here. have backed gunpowder every start of her career, but she was average first up ( I think the excuses are overplayed). Have been keen french emotion her last 2 and she has run well but prefer her on dry. If this was a good 3, id be loading up French emotion. Hopefully one of them scr. 6 – secret agenda one of the better bets for the day, really classy mare with good turn of foot who handles all conditions, and she can continue the good run of 4yo’s taking on open company early in spring in a race with only moderate depth, and really few winning chances. 1200m first up possibly a query fitness wise, but she nearly did it last prep in a fast run race, and this doesn’t shape as a race where they will go super hard up front, more a controlled tempo. Reckon her class will prevail. 7 – cracking race. worthy of G2 on this field. hard to back hucklebuck even though he is one of my fave horses 1st up with 61kgs and stokes has conceded this is a 2nd barrier trial. Charlie boy cannot be ignored given the phenomenal record snowden yard at caul in stakes races over last few seasons (8 winners from 15 runners by my count if you count the dead heat of miracles of life as win) and he ran 2nd in this race last year giving fell swoop 5kgs which is same weight he concedes here (noting fell swoop then placed in oak plate and 2nd to chataqu in TJ Smith). A saver on him at $9 is a must. The Virginian creates a lot of interest noting it thrashed Charlie boy in the Stradbroke and easily beat santa ana lane at the gold coast and is very much an untapped horse potential wise. it actually used to be with snowden and had trialled well on wet ground. I was keen santa last start, but gate 1 made it impossible given how track played. No doubt several winners, and possibly G1 winners, will emerge from this very hot race. im backing the Virginian with a saver Charlie boy. 8 – no firm view, the market is about right 9 –rokii another 4yo in moderate race logicl pick, but I’ll with a diff 4yo in loyalty man at decent odds who had a very prep over autumn and it seems his best runs were when in the 1400-1600m range. Form can be lined up only mildly inferior to rokii via data point, but weight swing narrows that gap here as the clashes were at level weights. I’d rather have an ew bet loyalty man at $15, than take rokii to win at $3. But they clearly stand out. 10 – ew Tarquin who did just enough 1st up and can improve 2nd up and continue the run of 4yo’s doing well in these races especially noting many of these are either hard fit but limited winter grade horses or stayers who will need more racing. Raced in strong races early in career, but last prep was dropped back a peg (to this grade) and started to perform well when out to middle distances, including some good form at caul. Interstate: Bris – pienka. Tipped last week, but meeting abandoned, meets similar grade field here Wild and famous – goes up for snowden to QLD and they have sent him up there before with success. Genuine sat grade syd standard horse who looks well placed (even conceding 4kgs) in a moderate bris race with no emerging stars, and not far off some good ones 1st up in sir bachhus and snoopy has run well since too and 2nd horse is a stakes winner. ADL Martine – going to be pretty wet in ADL and she flew through the ground 1st up and can go in with it even though stepping up from maiden win, the main rivals only come through BM64 grade Illustriaous lad - one of the better bets for the day for the astute gelogtis team who have taken this horse to ADL with good success prior (3 from 4 in Sth A) and is very well weighted here. suspect it’s a target race. have chased the magic millions money with him in the past, and rightly so, but his overall form including form around supido is incredibly strong for this. Lastly………..what to make of alpine eagle, well it seems, this is going to be his last chance to save his manhood, as whilst he might be aroused pre-race, suspect its pretty painful in the race. I’ll have a mug bet, but I couldn’t ‘tip’ you into it. Best: Dane thunder today Secret Agenda caul Wild n Famous bris Illustrious Lad ADL
Razzar
Guest
Good work Cam. What a great days racing form both states. I like your long shot in the Tea Rose. Foxplay was impressive but it was a wet track and larger field, but not so this time. Global glamour finished well off the good speed. So with dramatic changing of conditions, this field could be deemed as a rather even lot, so Quick Feet fits the criteria as value bet for mine.
Bondy
Guest
Gee I hate short priced favourites I may also back Preferment . The Naturalism should be a good race too and its exempt for the winner to the Caulfield Cup .. Le Romain is scratched from Saturday and will run in the Cameron Hcp today at Newcastle and should win that ... Good punting ...