There’s Group 1 action from both Melbourne and Sydney this Saturday, with Moonee Valley’s Group 1 Cox Plate the day’s highlight.
Broadsiding @ 7.00
Swiftfalcon @ 3.60
Olentia @ 4.40
A field of nine has been declared for the previously mentioned Cox Plate, with Pride Of Jenni expected to have her supporters ahead of the 2040m contest.
Ciaron Maher’s filly put in one of the performances of the decade when making all the running to deliver a six-and-a-half-length victory in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in April.
The seven-year-old raced over 2000m at Randwick that day and registered her first win of this prep when successful in the four-runner Group 2 Feehan Stakes over 1600m here last month.
This step up in distance here is no issue following a good second in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Randwick a week ago and she rates a leading player in this field.
While two Northern Hemisphere three-year-olds have won the race since, you have to go back to Shamus Award’s win in 2013 to find the last Southern Hemisphere three-year-old to take this.
BROADSIDING and Evaporate are set to represent the younger generation here, with the pair having clashed in the 1600m Group 1 Caulfield Guineas two weeks ago.
While the former had his Ben, JD & Will Hayes-trained rival one place ahead of him that day, he is selected to reverse that form stepping up in distance.
Broadsiding won twice at the highest level as a juvenile, including when taking Eagle Farm’s J.J. Atkins over 1600m by over four lengths in June.
The colt delivered his third Group 1 win when triumphing over 1400m in Rosehill’s Golden Rose when racing first up this prep.
While Broadsiding has yet to race over this distance, he is out of a mare who placed over 2000m and shapes as if a step up in distance will suit.
Jamie Kah has won on the son of Too Darn Hot in the past and the pair are taken to team up for their second win together.
The Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m is the seventh race on Randwick’s 10-race program.
This three-year-old contest is the highlight in Sydney, with the Anthony Cummings-trained El Castello expected to feature prominently in the betting.
El Castello broke his maiden when saluting over 1400m at Warwick Farm early last month and has since registered victories in both subsequent starts.
The second of those saw him triumph in the 1800m Group 3 Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill two weeks ago.
While the colt rates a major player in this field, preference is for the runner-up at Rosehill SWIFTFALCON.
Jay Ford’s mount is usually ridden cold, as was the case on that occasion, with the gelding taking the eye in finishing strongly for second.
The extra distance here is expected to suit, with the son of Exceedance having impressed in the Listed Dulcify Stakes over 1600m at this venue on his penultimate start.
Swiftfalcon has gone well on wet tracks in the past, including when winning on a heavy 9 at Rosehill, and with that in mind any softening of the going wouldn’t be an issue.
The pick should have no problems from barrier 11 given his racing style and he is selected to register his first win at the highest level.
The Invitation is the eighth race at Randwick with the Group 2 contest for fillies and mares set to take place over 1400m.
Trainer Chris Waller won this race 12 months ago and his OLENTIA is selected to give him back-to-back wins in the $2,000,000 event.
The five-year-old won at this Group 2 level when successful by two-and-a-half-lengths in the 1500m Emancipation Stakes at Rosehill at the end of March.
Olentia was spelled following a seventh in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf here subsequently and resumed with a win back at Rosehill two weeks ago.
That first up win saw the mare overcome a slow start to deliver a victory by over a length in The Nivison, a Group 3 1200m event held on a good 4 track.
Tommy Berry, on board for four of the mare’s last five starts, is again set to ride and he is taken to steer her to her eighth win in 16 career starts.