Australian Racing: Warnie to leave competition in a spin

There’s plenty of racing action to get stuck into on Saturday with the meetings including 10-race cards from Randwick, Caulfield and Eagle Farm.

Race 8 Randwick

Gringotts @ 3.60

Race 8 Ascot

Bustler @ 11.00

Race 9 Caulfield Heath

Warnie @ 2.20

Gringotts to salute at Randwick

The most valuable race of the day is the eighth race at Randwick, The Ingham, a $2,000,000 Group 2 contest set to take place over 1600m.

Joe Pride’s Private Eye broke through for his first win this prep when triumphing by three lengths in the 1500m Group 3 James Squire Festival Stakes at Rosehill two weeks ago.

The seven-year-old impressed when winning on a soft 7 track that day and will be fancied to follow up having had a number of his rivals here finish behind him that day.

However, barrier 14 is far from ideal in this contest and Nash Rawiller’s mount looks opposable, with preference for the in-form GRINGOTTS.

Trained by Ciaron Maher, the gelding registered second-place finishes in his first two starts this prep, including when narrowly beaten in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap here first up.

The son of Per Incanto broke through for his first win this prep when taking out the valuable Big Dance, a Listed contest over this course and distance early last month.

Gringotts came home nearly a length clear of his rivals in a 20-runner field that day and duly followed up at Kembla Grange next time.

That Kembla Grange success came in The Illawarra Mercury Gong, a Group 3 event over 1600m with both of those wins coming on good going.

Tommy Berry’s mount boasts a decent barrier here and looks capable of completing a hat-trick.

Bustler to take Gold Rush

The feature race at Ascot is the Group 3 Gold Rush 2024, a 1400m contest expected to take place on a good 4 surface.

Perth stalwart Western Empire is expected to prove popular with punters, having had two starts so far this prep.

Both of those efforts have come at this venue including, when beaten just over four lengths in finishing ninth in the 1200m Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes two weeks ago.

The extra distance is a positive for the son of Iffraaj, however, a wide barrier makes him opposable with Neville Parnham’s BUSTLER the pick on this occasion.

The gelding placed second over this course and distance when narrowly beaten in the Lee Steer Stakes last month.

Bustler has made two starts subsequently including when finishing three-and-a-half-lengths 13th in the Group 1 Railway Stakes over 1600m here two weeks later.

The five-year-old arrives here on the back of a good fourth, when beaten just over two lengths in the 1800m Group 1 Northerly Stakes at this venue a week ago.

Bustler is fairly versatile with regard to tactics and he is taken to record a win having finished fourth in this race 12 months ago.

Warnie to score for Maher

The penultimate race on the Caulfield Heath card is a 1500m Benchmark 100m handicap set to take place on a good 4 surface.

Saffie Osborne has made a good start to her time with the Ciaron Maher stable and WARNIE is expected to start favourite to provide her with a winner.

The ex-European galloper made the perfect start to his southern hemisphere career when saluting over 1200m in a Benchmark 78 handicap at Flemington in early October.

This four-year-old has placed third on both subsequent starts, including when contesting the 1400m Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes on a heavy 8 track at Caulfield two weeks ago.

Any softening of the going wouldn’t be an issue here and he is taken to return to winning ways on his first start at this venue.