Latest News
Tips by Brad Gray
Brad Gray's tips and insights for Royal Randwick. There are winners to be found for nine races!
Welcome back Winx! The champion mare makes her return in Royal Randwick’s Group Two Warwick Stakes. Be my guest at taking the current $1.06 about her making it 18 straight. The track is in the Good range, rail out 3m and the first set to jump at midday.
| Race 1 - 12:00PM 2GB SILVER SHADOW STAKES (1200 METRES) |
|---|
Intriguing little race to kick the meeting off with just five lining up in the Group Two feature. Would expect barriers to dictate the running line with Formality likely to punch up from the inside to hold the front and Champagne Cuddles happy to be on her outside. After plenty of deliberation, siding with Alizee who has the run under her belt with a win over Songlike at the midweeks. The half-sister to Golden Rose winner Astern is a powerfully built filly and like his brother, always gave the impression she’d come into her own as a three-year-old.
Danger: Champagne Cuddles hasn’t done anything wrong to date and her trials have been eye-catching. The query is how strong she’ll be at the end of 1200m first up. Meanwhile, Formality, out of a Japanese mare, has proven she is much more dynamic on firm ground. She gets that here and a win wouldn’t surprise either.
How to play it: Alizee ($2.40 TAB Fixed Odds)
Alizee’s first up win at Warwick Farm
| Race 2 - 12:40PM RANDWICK MAYOR'S CUP (2400 METRES) |
|---|
Sayed will go around deep into the red, currently rated a $1.55 chance with TAB Fixed Odds, after a brilliant win over this track and trip last start. That five length romp prompted talk of The Metrop from Chris Waller - and he'd know! The five-year-old is creeping up in the weights and has to lump 61kg here but he is a horse well accustomed to carrying plenty on his back now. All said and done, he’d have to go backwards to not win this as if he can repeat his last start effort, it’s all over bar the shouting.
Danger: It’s hard to see any four of the six runners that Sayed belted last start turning the tables which leaves Zero To Ten, whose form is simply not good enough and More Moet which is where Sayed’s only danger lies. He is a progressive four-year-old stayer in an astute yard who gives the impression he’ll relish this trip.
How to play it: Sayed WIN ($1.55 TAB Fixed Odds). QUINELLA Sayed and More Moet.
Was that Winx or Sayed?
| Race 3 - 1:15PM HARVEY NORMAN TAB HIGHWAY PLATE (1600 METRES) |
|---|
Brett Cavanough broke a frustrating string of seconds in last week’s Highway with spruiked debutant Another Sin getting the verdict and tipping the Scone-based trainer to go back-to-back now with Last Try Wins. The seven-year-old has run three seconds on the trot, with the latest being behind one of the more impressive recent Highway winners Suncraze. Hoping Last Try Wins can be a touch closer from the middle gate but not holding my breath as he isn’t blessed with much early speed. Regardless, he’ll be rattling home at the end.
Danger: Arrestar is the Matty Dunn Highway rep this week and the stable demands so much respect when they travel one down from their Murwillumbah base. He has relished getting out to the mile in his last two runs.
How to play it: Last Try Wins WIN ($6 TAB Fixed Odds)
Last Try Wins grabbing second behind Suncraze
| Race 4 - 1:50PM BROCCOLINI HANDICAP (1400 METRES) |
|---|
Plenty was expected from Comin’ Through over the spring and although the full brother to Criterion failed to deliver on the hype, in retrospect, he still finished the campaign Group One-placed having run third to Inference and Invincible Gem in the Randwick Guineas. Inference goes around against Winx in the Warwick Stakes while Invincible Gem beat Le Romain in the Missile Stakes. Comin’ Through showed terrific desire in his first trial sitting outside of the leader before a slow getaway masked what was another encouraging effort in his second trial. This is the preparation where the boy becomes a man!
Danger: Petrossian didn’t do himself any favours last start where he refused to settle back in the field. He still found the line well in a handy race though. He is right at top of his game at the moment and the lack of an obvious leader might give Rachel King the confidence to dig him up to cross and lead.
How to play it: Comin’ Through WIN ($4 TAB Fixed Odds)
Comin’ Through’s first trial this prep – July 24
| Race 5 - 2:25PM ALPHA FLIGHT SERVICES UP AND COMING STAKES (1300 METRES) |
|---|
Seemed to take an eternity to sift through the form of this tricky edition of the Up And Coming. True to it’s name, there are plenty here with big futures ahead of them. Calculated had every conceivable against Siege Of Quebec last start but that reads well now with Siege Of Quebec’s subsequent second to Menari, who set the early three-year-old benchmark in the Rosebud. Calculated maps beautifully from 4 and you don’t lose too much with McEvoy replacing Bowman. The 53.5kg really is a luxury for the ‘up and comers’ in the race.
Danger: Sanctioned is on a Derby path for Godolphin but he has shown plenty of dash in two outstanding trials. Will put himself in the race and have no doubt he’ll be in the finish. Dracarys can improve sharply second up.
How to play it: Calculated WIN ($3.70 TAB Fixed Odds) and SAVE Sanctioned
Calculated being outmuscled by Siege Of Quebec
| Race 6 - 3:00PM BOB INGHAM WARWICK STAKES (1400 METRES) |
|---|
How do we make a buck out of Winx in the Warwick Stakes? She is $1.07 to make it 18 straight and given she towelled up Hartnell by nearly three lengths first up over the spring, she should have very little trouble putting this lot away. TAB have opened a market with Winx Out and fancy the chances of Ecuador at $4.40. He’s an eight-year-old now but his early form over the spring was sensational including sprinting quickly with a big weight to win fresh. He ran Group One placings behind Black Heart Bart thereafter. His trials have been typically tradesman-like but that’s just Ecuador.
How to play it: Ecuador FAVOURITE OUT ($4.40 TAB Fixed Odds)
Ecuador winning fresh last time in
| Race 7 - 3:40PM SYDNEY MARKETS TOY SHOW QUALITY (1300 METRES) |
|---|
Taking a punt on Shazee Lee in the Toy Show Quality at big odds. She is only a lightly-raced four-year-old and like the way she closed her spring campaign, with a barnstorming win over Prompt Response, who is since Group One placed, in the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas. Has just the one trial under her belt and although she was given a niggle, she really responded to dart through to finish fourth in a heat behind Dixie Blossoms. Dixie Blossoms looked to be the one to beat so her scratching adds to the appeal of Shazee Lee at nice odds.
Danger: Imposing Lass is a full to Oaks winner Bonneval. She is likely to find one or two of these too sharp but is a big, powerful mare worth following. Euro Angel often does her best work fresh but she has a nasty habit of overracing.
How to play it: Shazee Lee WIN ($15 TAB Fixed Odds)
Dixie Blossoms and Shazee Lee trialling at Randwick – August 8
| Race 8 - 4:20PM SUTTONS SHOW COUNTY QUALITY (1200 METRES) |
|---|
Chris Waller has no doubt that Omei Sword is a Group One winner in waiting. Have to say that I concur wholeheartedly. Her Silver Shadow Stakes win at this corresponding meeting last year was outstanding (running faster time than Tycoon Tara in the Show County) before she ran second in the Golden Rose behind Astern despite suffering interference. Forget her autumn. It was a disaster with a minor setback forcing her to kick off on a heavy track over 1400m before bleeding in the Coolmore. No weight on her back, a cosy draw and Kerrin McEvoy rides. No excuses. $2.30 TAB Fixed Odds.
Danger: Worried about a couple being a touch too sharp for Spectroscope over 1200m but he is a classy animal and there is another Hartnell or Contributer among the crop of current Godolphin imports, he looks the one.
How to play it: Omei Sword WIN ($2.30 TAB Fixed Odds)
Reminder of how brilliant Omei Sword can be – her Silver Shadow win
| Race 9 - 5:00PM PRIMO HANDICAP (1000 METRES) |
|---|
There wasn’t a great deal between Sangiovese and Clipper when they ran second and third behind Memes at Randwick recently so surprised about the price differential here with Sangiovese $10 and Clipper $4. Sangiovese has since stepped out again and beat Launch Code. We haven’t seen Clipper after she was scratched on vet’s advice from that very same race. From barrier 2, Deanne Panya should be able to trail the hot speed to be set by Super Too and if it she collapses in a heap like last start, the rock-hard fit Sangiovese will be there to pounce. Punters should keep riding the Bjorn Baker wave with the stable coming off a midweek treble.
Danger: Clipper must be respected. Such an honest mare who looks to still have her best days ahead of her. Gibraltar Girl has trialled well and looks primed for a forward first up showing while include Pro Consul in multiples.
How to play it: Sangiovese EACH WAY ($10 TAB Fixed Odds)
Clipper and Sangiovese meeting at Randwick recently
