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The Championships Day 2: Group 1 previews and tips

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6th April, 2022
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Day 1 of The Championships at Randwick lived up to all expectation with the wins of Nature Strip, Hitotsu, Fireburn and Mr Brightside taking out the Group 1 events. Despite those storied wins, it can be argued that all were merely an entrée to the main event, with the Queen Elizabeth shaping as the race of the year.

Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Verry Elleegant heads the market as a firm favourite as the week has progressed. Her record as a WFA star is without peer among the current generation of thoroughbreds, and she’s never missed the quinella from five tries on heavy going – four of them at Group 1 level.

But Verry Elleegant is far from unbeatable. She’s only won two of her last six races, and three of her last nine. A great she is, but Winx she is not.

In fact, Montefilia beat Verry Elleegant soundly last start, at 2000m on the heavy. It was her fourth Group 1 win, so she’s a star in her own right, and as a four-year-old it’s easy to make the case she’s still improving, which is something that can’t be said about the favourite.

Duais is the other gun mare in the field, having come from nowhere in some respects to dominate the two traditional autumn middle distance WFA events – the Australia Cup and the Tancred Stakes. The latter was on an improving track, so we haven’t seen her at an appropriate distance on heavy ground yet, but it doesn’t appear to stop her.

What a race it should be, just between these three mares. And now we get to factor in Zaaki and Anamoe.

What a whirlwind 12 months it’s been for Zaaki. He’s won seven races, four of them at the highest level, and been scratched for the Cox Plate along the way as well. His quality is beyond question, but his ability to race at his best on heavy ground isn’t. Anything down to a soft 5, and he’d be the horse to beat. He might still be.

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It’s hard to recall a more consistent high quality two- and three-year old than Anamoe, probably the best since at least Miss Finland. Seven times he’s run top three at Group 1 level against his age group, winning three of them, plus there’s his Cox Plate second as well.

Anamoe gets his second crack at the older horses, and has proven he can relish heavy ground as well as any of his main competition. He can also race handier than some rivals, which may be a key in a race that could lack speed.

James McDonald on Anamoe wins

(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Another fresh challenger on the scene is I’m Thunderstruck. Winner of the Golden Eagle and Toorak Handicap in the spring, and now with second place finishes in the All Star Mile and Doncaster carrying weight, this is a serious four-year-old. He’s tackling 2000m for the first time, but being sired by a Melbourne Cup winner should see that as no problem.

Think It Over has been beautifully placed over his career to win a lot of races, including some at the highest level, but he’d need a career peak to run a place here. Mount Popa lacks class but at least enjoys wet ground, while Dalasan has class but hasn’t been at his best during the Sydney wet.

Mount Popa and Dalasan should settle in the first couple if they want the best chance of causing a boilover, with Zaaki, Think It Over and Anamoe fighting for the box seat behind them. I’m Thunderstruck should have their back, and the mares Verry Elleegant, Montefilia and Duais will likely have last crack.

Selections: 1.Anamoe 2.Duais 3.Verry Elleegant 4.Zaaki

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Sydney Cup

There’s something special about a big field running over 3200m for Group 1 glory, and 19 acceptors for the Sydney Cup will ensure plenty of action this week.

The Sydney horses have been running against each other on these bottomless tracks all preparation, so are certainly well grounded in it.

No Compromise has been flying all prep, and finally got his breakthrough win three weeks ago. Knights Order has been competitive in those races without winning, and drops in weight appreciably. Luncies has been in the mix in these races too, and can make his presence felt.

Stockman is the classic “weight” horse, having run second at WFA in the Tancred with 59 kilograms and now presenting here with 51, with a win in the Sky High under his belt too. Not many love mud more than this guy. Angel of Truth has been taking the WFA route all campaign, and is in fine form himself.

The Adelaide Cup trifecta is here, with recent 3200m form. Daqiansweet Junior was the winner there, and is a bit of a winning machine. As a four-year-old, he is still an untapped stayer, and Kerrin McEvoy is as good a distance rider as there is. Tigertiger and Future Score filled the placings in Adelaide, and will be thereabouts.

Crystal Pegasus is one of the most exciting rising stayers in the country, and his last two wins have been ultra-impressive, with good form behind him. If he can get through the ground, and there are indications that he can, then it’s easy to see him sweeping his way to victory.

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Selections: 1.Crystal Pegasus 2.No Compromise 3.Stockman 4.Knights Order

Queen of the Turf

The Queen of the Turf sees the best mares in the country tackle each other at the classic Randwick mile.

Colette is always the testing material in these sort of mares races, and is the horse to beat against all-comers when the ground is wet. She’s only raced against mares twice this season, and won both of them. She’ll be there.

There’s a host of mares with a competitive chance, having raced against each other all prep. These include Promise of Success, Annavisto, Nimalee, Vangelic and Le Lude. They are all handy Group 2 mares that need to find a new level to win a Group 1, but any of them can run a drum at some big prices.

Icebath is a great miler, excels on wet ground, and is at her best deep in a prep. She’s run placings in two Doncasters, a Cantala and a Golden Eagle, but does only have one win in her last 16 starts. It’s impossible to think she won’t be somewhere in the finish though.

Icebath

(George Sal/Racing Photos via Getty Images)

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Yonce has beaten everyone that’s been thrown at her in Melbourne, rising through the grades to be unbeaten after seven career starts. This is her first crack at black type though, let alone a Group 1. To try and line her up, she’s beaten Gentleman Roy by three lengths, who claimed the scalp of Tuvalu by a similar margin – that horse has run second to I’m Thunderstruck twice. Icebath finished on his heels in the Doncaster last week.

Yearning looks to be the forgotten horse, and might be the best of the three-year-old fillies. The Thousand Guineas winner will prefer a high pressure race, and dropping back in distance can often be a winning strategy for these big mile races. Being by Snitzel, she could jump out of the ground on a heavy track, while the more fancied Fangirl doesn’t relish it as much as others.

Selections: 1.Colette 2.Icebath 3.Yonce 4.Yearning

Australian Oaks

There look to be only three genuine winning chances on paper in this year’s Australian Oaks.

The Vinery Stud Stakes is the Group 1 lead-up for the fillies, usually held over 2000m at Rosehill, but transferred to 1850m at Newcastle this year.

Fangirl won that race, but will be contesting the Queen of the Turf. She beat off Hinged, who gave a good kick from an on-pace position. The Surround Stakes winner has been the best and most consistent of the fillies on the heavy tracks this season, but meets a couple of rivals bred to run out a stronger 2400m than her.

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Gypsy Goddess finished the Vinery full of running, filling third place, albeit four lengths behind Hinged. Sired by a VRC Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner, and already twice a winner at 2000m or longer, she should enjoy every bit of the 2400m. Still a query about getting through very heavy ground around her though.

Honeycreeper is the new horse on the scene, courtesy of her three length romp in the Adrian Knox last week. She was six weeks between runs there, and those winning horses on the back-up after running well on the wet invariably perform superbly again. She has a sense of timing about her.

Biscayne Bay appeals as a roughie, with Maher and Eustace trying to pull off another “Hitotusu” by getting her to go second-up into this after a first-up run at 1600m. She wasn’t beaten far by two good fillies at Flemington, and she’s bred to get through the ground despite never having raced on heavy.

Selections: 1.Honeycreeper 2.Gypsy Goddess 3.Hinged 4.Biscayne Bay

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