There’s a big day of racing on Saturday with plenty of Group 1 action, including The Everest at Randwick and the Caulfield Cup at Caulfield.
Joliestar @ 6.00
Buckaroo @ 4.00
Pride Of Jenni @ 2.20
A field of 16 are set to go over 1200m in The Everest with a soft 5 track expected for the valuable contest.
Previous winners Giga Kick (2022) and Think About It (2023) are both in the field, however the pair are expected to jump at double-figure odds, with I Wish I Win expected to start favourite.
The six-year-old recorded his best effort last prep when delivering a victory in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup over 1300m at Eagle Farm at the start of June.
I Wish I Win was racing third up that day and he is set to make his third start this prep here, having finished third in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes over 1200m at Moonee Valley last time.
The blinkers worn at Eagle Farm have been absent since that success but return here and he holds obvious claims in this field.
Trainer Chris Waller has won this race twice in the past, most recently with Nature Strip three years ago and his JOLIESTAR is the selection to become the first female winner of the race.
The four-year-old was the winner of the Group 1 Thousand Guineas over 1600m at this track in November last year and she has won two of her three starts since.
All three of those efforts have come over the 1200m distance she tackles here, including when saluting by three lengths over this track and trip first up this prep.
That triumph came in a much easier race than she tackles here and she went on to finish third in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes at Rosehill last month.
The selection has been freshened since that effort and a trial over 1000m here earlier this month should have put her spot on for this contest.
The Group 1 Caulfield Cup over 2400m is one of the highlights of the spring season in Melbourne, with a big field declared for the Caulfield feature.
A soft 6 track is expected with Eliyass, an import from France, expected to feature prominently in the betting having won three of his four starts since joining Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
Those starts include a Group 3 victory in the 2000m Kingston Town Stakes on a good 4 surface here last month.
A first Group 1 placing followed with the six-year-old finishing third in the Turnbull Stakes over the same distance at Flemington two weeks ago.
The gelding jumped from a wide barrier that day and he has been allocated a wide barrier once more, with preference for BUCKAROO in this event.
This son of Fastnet Rock has been in good form this prep registering his first win at Group 1 level when impressing in the 1800m Underwood Stakes here on his penultimate start.
Buckaroo came home three-and-a-half-lengths clear of his rivals when racing on a good 4 track that day and he was a big eye-catcher when runner-up in the Turnbull subsequently.
The step up to 2400m is no issue here with the gelding having performed well over this distance in the past, while he has built up a good rapport with Brazilian hoop Joao Moreira.
Barrier eight shouldn’t provide any problems in this contest and he looks capable of providing handler Chris Waller with his third victory in the race.
The second of the two Group 1 races at Randwick is the 1600m King Charles II Stakes.
Mares Fangirl and PRIDE OF JENNI are set to do battle here with preference for the Ciaron Maher-trained seven-year-old.
Pride Of Jenni ended last season with a remarkable all the way win in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2000m at this venue in April.
Declan Bates’ mount has shown improvement with racing this prep breaking through for her first win in three starts when saluting in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes over 1600m at Moonee Valley.
Pride Of Jenni came home one-and-a-half-lengths clear of her four rivals when racing on a good 4 surface that day and the softer going expected here is no issue.