Australian Racing: Buckaroo backed for Turnbull Stakes

There are four Group 1 races set to take place on Saturday with three at Randwick supplemented by Flemington’s Turnbull Stakes.

Race 8 Flemington

Buckaroo @ 4.40

Race 9 Randwick

Kovalica @ 7.00

Race 8 Randwick

Zardozi @ 10.00

Buckaroo for Turnbull glory

The Flemington feature comes up as the eighth race on the card, with a field of 16 declared for the 2000m event which is set to take place on a good 4 track.

Via Sistina made a winning debut for the Chris Waller team when taking out the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes over this distance at Rosehill in March.

The mare was returning from a spell that day and she registered her best effort since when saluting first up this prep in the 1400m Winx Stakes at Randwick in August.

This daughter of Fastnet Rock could finish only fifth when racing on a heavy 8 track in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes over 1600m here last month however.

The return to a forecast good 4 track is in her favour, however, preference is for fellow import BUCKAROO.

The gelding recorded some solid efforts without winning in Group 1 races earlier this year and he recorded his first win for Waller, saluting over 1600m in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes last month.

Buckaroo raced on a good 4 surface at Randwick that day and delivered an impressive victory when coming from off the pace to take the 1800m Group 1 Underwood Stakes next time.

The six-year-old drew three-and-a-half-lengths clear of his rivals when racing on a good 4 track at Caulfield in the Underwood and the extra 200m should prove no issue.

Brazilian hoop Joao Moreira, a major force in Hong Kong for so many years and on board for that Underwood success, is again set to ride with the pair taken to follow up.

Kovalica to salute in Epsom

The most valuable race of the day, the Epsom Handicap over 1600m comes up as the penultimate race on Randwick’s 10-race card.

Ceolwulf showed a liking for this venue as a three-year-old and is expected to feature towards the head of the market.

The gelding counts a close second in the Group 1 Australian Derby held over 2400m among his efforts at this venue in the past.

Joe Pride’s representative has had his sights lowered this prep, including when winning by two lengths in a 1500m Benchmark 100 handicap at Rosehill at the end of August.

Chad Schofield’s mount performed well when runner-up in the 2000m Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes here last month, however, he has a wide barrier in this contest.

KOVALICA is the selection in this event, with the five-year-old set to jump from next to the rail.

Trained by Chris Waller, the gelding lost out narrowly when placing second when racing on a good 4 track in this contest just over a year ago.

While unable to win in the interim, the gelding has recorded some good efforts since, including when sixth in the 2000m Group 1 Doomben Cup at Doomben in May.

The pick returned from a spell with a one-and-a-half-length third in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes over 1400m here just under a month ago.

That effort should have put the son of Ocean Park spot on for this contest and he is taken to record his second Group 1 having taken the Queensland Derby as a three-year-old in 2023.

Zardozi to take Metropolitan

The race before the Epsom Handicap is the Group 1 Metropolitan over 2400m.

James Cummings-trained filly ZARDOZI has shown a liking for this track and trip in the past, finishing runner-up in the Group 1 Australian Oaks here in April.

This daughter of Kingman has been racing over shorter distances here this prep, acquitting herself well on each occasion finishing in the first six each time.

The most recent of those efforts saw her beaten just over four lengths in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes over 2000m two weeks ago.

This return to 2400m is expected to suit the filly, with Zac Lloyd set to ride having also been on board when the pick finished sixth in the Winx Stakes here first up this prep.

Zardozi gets in off a nice racing weight here and she looks capable of providing James Cummings with his first win in the race.