Australian Racing: Cummings set for Sydney Cup success

There's a huge day of racing action in store on Saturday with a number of Group 1 races at Randwick, including the Australian Oaks, Sydney Cup and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Randwick stages the Australian Oaks and the Queen Of The Turf Stakes as well, while they also race at Ascot, Bendigo, Darwin, Doomben, Dubbo, Kilcoy, Morphettville, Newcastle, Queanbeyan, Riccarton, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Werribee.

Race 7 Randwick

Zardozi @ 8.00

Race 8 Randwick

Rousham Park @ 15.00

Race 9 Randwick

Fangirl @ 2.00

Zardozi goes for Sydney Cup glory

The Group 1 Sydney Cup over 3200m comes up as the seventh race on a ten-race card at Randwick and is expected to take place on a soft 5 track.

The race is dominated by imports including Alalcance, who is expected to jump as favourite for the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott stable.

The five-year-old mare ended her last prep with a good second over 2400m in Listed company at this venue in December.

The daughter of Mastercraftsman is unbeaten in three starts this time around including when stepping up to 2600m to take out the Group 2 Schweppes Chairman’s Quality here a week ago.

The grey raced on a wet track for the first time since switching hemisphere’s that day and she holds obvious claims stepping up in distance.

Low weights have dominated this race in recent years and ZARDOZI takes the eye for the James Cummings team.

The Kingman filly ended her last prep with a good fourth place finish when beaten just over a length in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington in November.

The 8.00 selection raced over this distance when beaten just over a length on that occasion and she has been racing over shorter trips this prep.

The four-year-old has recorded placed efforts on all three starts since resuming with a last of eight in a Group 2 1400m event here in February.

The most recent of those placed efforts saw the daughter of Kingman lose out by two-and-a-half-lengths when third in the 2000m Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington two weeks ago.

Kerrin McEvoy rode the winner of this race on Gallante back in 2016 and his mount looks up to providing him with a Group 1 winner here.

Park can spring Queen Elizabeth upset

The following race is the 2000m Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which is set to see Via Sistina bid to complete a hat-trick of top-level wins.

The seven-year-old lost out by a length in a 1400m Group 2 on her return to action here in February, but has won both subsequent starts.

The first of those came in the 1600m Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes held at this venue at the start of last month.

The Fastnet Rock filly went on to salute by one-and-a-half-lengths when stepped up to 2000m for the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill three weeks ago.

James McDonald’s mount is expected to jump at short odds again, however, she faces some stiff competition, including from Japan, with ROUSHAM PARK one of two Japanese raiders.

The 15.00 pick entire is without a win since saluting over 2200m in Group 2 company at Nakayama in September 2023, however, he has performed well in defeat a number of times in the interim.

Those subsequent efforts include a close second in the 2000m Group 1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin in March last year.

The six-year-old is no stranger to competing on the international stage having headed to Del Mar for the Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf held over 2414m in November last year.

Hiroyasu Tanaka’s representative went down by a narrow margin when runner-up that day and he is taken to spring an upset on his first start of 2025.

Fangirl fancied in Queen Of The Turf

The penultimate race at Randwick is the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes, a 1600m contest that has attracted 13 declarations.

Jennilala has been scratched from the race by trainer Gavin Bedggood, with FANGIRL expected to prove hard to beat for handler Chris Waller.

The six-year-old resumed with a Group 2 win over 1400m at this venue in February and she has placed second in Group 1 company in both subsequent starts.

The first of those defeats came at the hands of Via Sistina in the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes held over this course and distance at the start of last month.

The 2.00 filly went on to finish a close second in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes over 1500m at Rosehill just three weeks later.

The selection has forecast underfoot conditions to suit and, while she failed to shine in a recent barrier trial, she looks up to recording her eighth win at this venue.