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Tips by Brad Gray
Tips and insights for Royal Randwick. There are winners to be found for nine races!
With plenty of rain around Sydney, the track looks sure start in the heavy range.
| Race 1 - 11:30AM CLUB REDFERN PLATE (1000 METRES) |
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Lipizzan has a fitness edge on her key rivals here and she has done very little wrong in her four-start career. She gave cheek first-up at Scone in a handy Listed race to run second. The third placed I Am Excited has since produced an outstanding performance at the midweeks to frank the form. Since then Lipizzan led all the way at Canterbury beating Tiki Bar (whom Godolphin have a good opinion of) and another subsequent winner in Envy Of All. With Deanne Panya claiming 2kg and her ability to rate front-runners, this Sebring filly will be mighty hard to catch over 1000m.
Danger: Champagne Cuddles couldn’t have done much more on debut when winning the Pierro Plate. The form out of the race hasn’t been anything special but it was a very professional display. Bjorn Baker has a big opinion of her too. First-up after one trial, albeit an eye-catching one, on a bog track is the query. Class may get her home but the price is too short to gamble to find out.
How to play it: Lipizzan WIN
Lipizzan proved too slick for her rivals at Canterbury
| Race 2 - 12:05PM ANDERSON HANDICAP (1100 METRES) |
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Vienna Romance might lack the class of some of her rivals but the shape of this race and the prospect of a very heavy track play right into her hands. Conchita and Memes will ensure they run along while Best Guess holds his spot on the inside. That should give Vienna Romance the one-out-one back and give Jay Ford the option to roll into the race when he wants. Her recent form behind Test The World and New Universe reads well. Suspect we’ll get double figure odds come jump.
Danger: In Times Of War is still far from the finished product but you have to respect her consistency, never finishing worse than second in seven starts. Untried on heavy ground but she handles soft no worries. Geneteau the knockout. Cadogan was brilliant first-up as a gelding but happy to oppose him on a wet track.
How to play it: Vienna Romance EACH WAY
Vienna Romance split New Universe and Memes last start
| Race 3 - 12:40PM TAB HIGHWAY HANDICAP (1000 METRES) |
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With Il Bandito set to be scratched, Clipper will represent the Matty Dale stable who has a brilliant record in the TAB Highway Handicaps with eight to his name. Equal to Matty Dunn. Clipper is a pretty classy filly and she won well first-up beating the handy Suncraze. It’s fair to assume she’ll come on again from that outing. She drops back from 1100m to 1000m but doubt that will worry her too much, especially on a very heavy track. Only has to hold her form to take out back-to-back Highways.
Danger: Nictock is undefeated in his three career starts and although he is first-up here, he couldn’t have been any more impressive in a recent Dubbo trial win coasting to the line untouched. Hasn’t seen anything worse than a Good track.
How to play it: Clipper WIN
Clipper comfortably winning a Highway first-up
| Race 4 - 1:15PM LEADING THE WAY STAYERS CUP (3200 METRES) |
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Won’t this be a true staying test! Two miles on a heavy track at Randwick. Broadside started his career in New Zealand where he won twice on Heavy 10 surfaces. That suggests he’ll be able to handle any track that Sydney can throw at him. He is the lightest raced of this bunch and looks the likely leader. He ran second to Allergic last start but went down fighting. With the Waterhouse ‘muscle and bone’ he’ll take plenty of running down and is a deserved race favourite.
Danger: Soviet Courage ran third behind Broadside last start and meets him a kilo better for a half a length margin. He loves the wet and gives the impression he’ll stay 3200m no problem.
How to play it: Broadside WIN
Check the last start runs of Broadside and Soviet Courage
| Race 5 - 1:50PM HEARD AGENCY HANDICAP (2000 METRES) |
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Vaucluse Bay doesn’t possess a turn of foot so suspect that the heavy track will play right into his hands. He has never raced on anything worse than a Good track so we’ll be backing him on trust. He just missed over 1800m at Hawkesbury last start which will have him tuned right up for his first crack at 2000m, which is a trip he has been crying out for. Adam Hyeronimus is a strong rider too, which this three-year-old needs as he hits a flats spot when asked for an effort before picking up again.
Danger: With Walk The Streets scratched, Mandalay Bay shapes as a key hope. Was unlucky last start when strung up behind runners before charging late. Has never seen a heavy track but handles the soft no problem and is rock-hard fit. Outback Rain comes off a strong last start Echuca win.
How to play it: Vaucluse Bay WIN
Vaucluse Bay’s narrow last start placing
| Race 6 - 2:30PM PEMULWUY HANDICAP (1400 METRES) |
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Don’t underestimate Tennessee Hussy here at big odds. This mare has been up forever but is holding her form particularly well. Last start she boxed on solidly behind In Times Of War, finding the 1200m a touch sharp after winning at Wyong the start prior over 1350m. In that victory she beat subsequent midweek winner Calypso Bay. In her Newcastle win four back she quite comfortably accounted for Just Dreaming who has won two races since then (the latest at Rosehill last week) and ran fourth in the Inglis Guineas at Scone. Handles the wet and is rock-hard fit. Worth a ticket.
Danger: There are plenty of chances headed by race favourite Dagny. She can be brilliant on her day but not sure what happened last start. Perhaps it was the big weight or the 1500m found her out. Either way, she is too classy to dismiss. Heavenly Anna will be charging home but will have plenty to do at the top of the straight. Wine Tales? She was very good fresh last time…
How to play it: Tennessee Hussy EACH WAY
Tennessee Hussy beating Just Dreaming at Newcastle
| Race 7 - 3:10PM AHC JUNE STAKES (1100 METRES) |
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The Monstar won the Listed Razor Sharp third-up last campaign at Randwick and he looks set to peak again third-up this time in. He was thrown in the deep end by Brett Cavanough first-up in the Group One Doomben 10,000 and although he was beaten a long way, it suggests that the horse has come back in terrific order. He was chopped out late in his second-up run and although he wouldn’t have beaten Kudero he should have run second. Yet to race on a heavy track but Cavanough says he has loved the ground when he has worked on it at home.
Danger: Kudero was fairly dominant in his last start Randwick win proving his form at the backend of last preparation was no fluke. He gave a massive sight the last time he saw a heavy track. Inz ‘N’ Out hasn’t won for nearly two years now but this is very suitable and he’ll run his usual honest race.
How to play it: The Monstar WIN
The Monstar will be out to turn the tables on Kudero
| Race 8 - 3:50PM SOUTHS JUNIORS HANDICAP (2000 METRES) |
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Curragh has only been beaten once from three runs on soft tracks and that was in a Group One mile race back in New Zealand. Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are obviously chasing a wet track with this four-year-old floating him up from Cranbourne. He has been very good all campaign on Good tracks. Fifth-up out to 2000m on a heavy track looks the perfect recipe for the son of Tavistock to return to the winners’ stall.
Danger: Birds Of Tokyo doesn’t look to be in the same form when she romped in on a wet Randwick last campaign. Perhaps a trip up the Hume will spark her up again though. She’ll carry just 52kg after the claim of Andrew Adkins. UK import Imperial Aviator is on his Aussie debut but first-up at 2000m and with the blinkers on first time suggest he’ll be ready to go.
How to play it: Curragh WIN and SAVE Birds Of Tokyo
The only prior time Birds Of Tokyo raced at Randwick…
| Race 9 - 4:30PM LEITH GROUP HANDICAP (1200 METRES) |
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Painte had the blinkers reapplied last start when he raced at Moonee Valley. He ran sixth was but excellent after being attacked throughout. In the end, he was the only survivor of the three leaders. He ticks a few boxes going into the last at Randwick in that he is rock-hard fit fourth-up and has a handy heavy track record (7:1-2-2). Won’t have to spend a penny early from the soft draw either. He isn’t an easy horse to catch but all indicators point to a very forward showing from the five-year-old.
Danger: Clear The Beach is very lightly-raced and still has some upside unlike any of his rivals (perhaps bar Bratislava). Thought he was excellent winning first-up beating the consistent Dissolute. He sat on speed, travelled sweetly and booted clear. He looked to tire a touch late so expect him to come on plenty from that too.
How to play it: Painte WIN and Clear The Beach WIN
Clear The Beach winning at Rosehill first-up
