Royal Randwick’s time-honoured day of spring Group 1 racing featuring the $1.5 million TAB Epsom, $750,000 James Squire Metropolitan and $750,000 Darley Flight Stakes continues the $87 million Sydney Everest Carnival on Saturday.
Just two weeks from the $20m TAB Everest, Saturday also sees the Group 2 $1m Precise Air Premiere Stakes including TAB Everest favourite Think About It, fellow slot runner Mazu and several other horses looking to book a place in the Royal Randwick showpiece on 14 October.
Saturday’s three Group 1 races are part of Sydney’s mammoth weekend of sport with NRL Grand Final ticketholders given free entry to Royal Randwick this Saturday upon showing their game ticket.
Australian Turf Club’s hugely-popular music acts after the final race continue in the Theatre Of The Horse with renowned star DJ Havana Brown, all included in General Admission tickets.
The bumper card also sees the running of the first races for the two-year-olds ultimately aiming for the iconic Golden Slipper: the Group 3 $250,000 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes and Group 3 $250,000 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate.
One of Australia’s greatest ever sprinters Nature Strip – a former TAB Everest champion among a stellar career before his recent retirement – will lead the field to the track for the Group 2 $1 million Precise Air Premiere Stakes.
Australian Turf Club Executive General Manager Racing and Wagering, James Ross said Saturday’s card featured world-class horses, jockeys and trainers.
“TAB Epsom Day features some of the highest quality racing across the card on any day of spring," Mr Ross said.
“The TAB Epsom and James Squire Metropolitan are among Sydney racing’s most iconic races and this year feature capacity fields and great depth.
“Three time-honoured Group 1 races are joined by a crucial pathway and final lead up to the $20 million TAB Everest along with important breed-shaping juvenile races in the Arrowfield Breeders' Stakes and Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes.
“Fans will also get a chance to salute a great champion and loved horse in Nature Strip as he makes a special raceday appearance in the raceday stalls and to the track for the feature sprint."
Full fields for Royal Randwick can be found here and full TAB markets for all 10 races here.
The $1.5m TAB Epsom has attracted a capacity field and wide-open betting in TAB markets headed by Hope In Your Heart ($6.50 to $7) trained by Kerry Parker and ridden by Craig Williams.
The Inevitable – for trainer John Keys and Tasmanian jockey David Pires – has been strongly backed into second pick ($11 into $8).
Trainer Gai Waterhouse, who has won a record seven TAB Epsoms jointly with her legendary father TJ Smith, saddles up Converge ($15-$13) with co-trainer Adrian Bott and jockey Tim Clark.
Sydney’s 13-time premiership winning trainer Chris Waller – with eight entries in Saturday’s field – is looking to train his fifth TAB Epsom winner.
Royal Randwick’s iconic trainer Gai Waterhouse also holds the record for the most winners of in the Group 1 $750,000 James Squire Metropolitan with eight victories.
With co-trainer Adrian Bott this Saturday she prepares Just Fine – a dominant and heavily backed $1.80-$1.60 TAB favourite in the spring Group 1 staying feature for jockey Rachel King.
The stable also trains three other runners – Knight’s Order ($51-$81 for jockey Adam Hyeronimus), Major Beel ($11-$14, Tim Clark) and Military Mission ($26-$34, Zac Lloyd).
In the Group 1 Darley Flight Stakes, star fillies Tiz Invincible (Ciaron Maher/David Eustace and Zac Lloyd) at $3-2.60 fav and Kimochi (Gary Portelli and Jason Collett) $4.40-$5 head betting.
The Joe-Pride Think About It with jockey Sam Clipperton – who has firmed to become a $4 favourite for the TAB Everest – is a firm $2.30-$2 favourite in Saturday’s Group 2 $1 million Precise Air Premiere Stakes. The horse has had 10 career starts for nine wins.
The Darley Flight Stakes is the final leg of the Darley princess series, in which Tiz Invincible leads on 14 points and Kimochi on seven points as the only contenders to take out overall winner.
For all racing and ticketing information go to theraces.com.au