Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing at Randwick on Saturday, October 10th.
It's Spring Champion Stakes Day at Randwick this Saturday, with the Group 1 for three-year-olds over 2000m headlining a nine-race card. Tim Geers has assessed every race on the card and provided his tips and best bets below!
Randwick Racing Tips: 2020 Spring Champion Stakes Day
Best Bet: Race 7 – (3) Love Tap
Best Value: Race 6 – (4) Chat
We kick off the day with the Highway Handicap. (10) Tempel One was a dominant winner of a maiden first up at Scone and then started favourite in a similar race to this last start at Rosehill. He started from barrier 14 and was caught four-wide the trip for Louise Day. He did well to finish midfield and he gets a big jockey change today, with Tommy Berry taking over from the 3kg apprentice. With a better run from barrier 8, he looks the one to beat as this is no harder than what he contested last start. (3) Scarleo was the winner of that Highway and he carries 2kg less with the step up to a Class 3 today. He’s in good form and can go close again. (4) Amy’s Shadow is another that won a Highway last start. The little query is if she can do it again on firm ground.
(1) Wild Ruler was a good winner of the Heritage Stakes first up and I think he’ll come on from that win. He should roll across from barrier 6 and take up the lead, if not he’ll sit outside the leader once again. In a small field, there looks no pace and if he’s able to dictate from out the front, he’s going to be very hard to get past. (2) Doubtland failed first up behind Anders in the San Domenico Stakes but he went to Melbourne last start and bounced back, with a dynamic win in the Danehill Stakes. Back to Sydney now, the big query is if he can reproduce that on firm ground, as all his best form so far has been on rain-affected ground.
What a terrific race this is. (9) Criaderas was going to be contesting the Silver Eagle but they elect to tackle the ‘easier’ race here, a BM88. He was impressive winning first up on the Kensington track and it was a horror show last start over this track and distance, when he just got way too far back to physically win the race. He finished off very strongly to be beaten half-a-length into 3rd but by the time he had got going, the race was over. Gets in with 52.5kg here and if he’s put into the race at the right time, he looks the most likely winner. It pains me to be against (8) Bound To Win, who I really like as a horse. I was on her first up when she completely bombed the start by 6L. She still ran the best final 800m of the race and did a big job to get as close as she did. She’s undefeated second up and if she jumps with them, she’ll go very close. (5) Bebeautiful might need longer than 1400m but she’s got three wins and two 2nds from five starts. She’s been given two very quiet trials by Waller and it wouldn’t shock me to see her run a big race. (3) Tricky Gal was very good winning first up and now steps up into Saturday grade. She’s a good mare but this is a hot race. (1) Bottega was very good first up and has serious claims.
Another competitive race. $6.50 looks a decent bet for (6) Vegas Jewel who is knocking on the door for a win for new trainer Chris Waller. She was very good first up and third up, with a poor second up run attributed to her pulling up 2/5 lame. She gets blinkers applied for the first time today and apprentice Thomas Stockdale takes the ride. I’ll also be sticking with (8) She’s Ideel at $6.00. This is her final chance with me. She gets Nash Rawiller on board today so I’d expect her to settle much further forward here. She should appreciate getting to Randwick as well and at her best, she should be going very close in this. (4) Badoosh has won three of his past four starts but has another test today from barrier 14 with 60.5kg. (12) Quintessa was beaten a nose by Badoosh last start and gets a 4.5kg weight swing in her favour, so she can turn the tables. (13) Archanna comes off a good win at Canterbury and now steps up from 1550m to 2000m. Backing Vegas Jewel and She’s Ideel.
Also backing: (8) She's Ideel $6.00
With (3) Prime Star here, who won two starts back before bumping into Athiri last start. Athiri came out and won again last weekend so that form looks decent. Barrier 7 is a bit awkward but hopefully he can come across and sit outside the leader. (2) Peltzer drops heavily in class. He raced in the Golden Rose last start and prior to that was behind Rothfire and Anders, so this is significantly easier for him. From barrier 2 he might kick through to lead and dictate the race. (5) Jet Propulsion ran 3rd to Mo’unga last start in the Dulcify but the query out of that race is (4) Global Quest who ran 2nd and subsequently failed badly in the Golden Rose. Interesting that John O’Shea puts (6) Acrophobic in here. He ran very well in midweek company last start but this is obviously harder.
Interesting little race here for the Silver Eagle. (1) Alligator Blood is no doubt the horse to beat. His first up run at Doomben was a complete barrier trial, where the stable said all week leading into the race that a top three finish would be a pass mark. He settled further back than he’s ever settled before and was pulled to the outside and allowed to finish off. He ran home terrific and no doubt we’ll see him ridden far more aggressively here. $1.80 is skinny but I do think he’s a better horse than these. (3) Dawn Passage looks the main danger. First up last prep he was slaughtered and I doubt we’ll see him that far back first up today. Expect him to come across from barrier 9 and give a big sight. The horse that appears well over the odds is (4) Chat and I’ve made him my best value bet of the day. His trials this time in were superb and he backed those up with a terrific win first up at Canterbury, storming home down the outside, which isn’t easy to do. I think he’s come back a better horse this preparation and horses from this stable typically improve into a preparation. If they go hard up front it will suit him nicely.
Value: (4) Chat $26
(1) Alligator Blood
$1.80
The Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes looks a race in two for mine. I’ve made (3) Love Tap my best bet of the day, coming into this undefeated from four career starts, including the G3 Gloaming Stakes last start. He was dug up out of the gates on that occasion and I reckon he took hold of Nash Rawiller and went to the front unintentionally. I don’t think the plan would have been to lead but he didn’t have a choice once the horse put himself there. He won the race fairly comfortably and did so on raw ability. What the tactics will be from barrier 14 will be interesting but with even luck, I think he’ll win. (13) Montefilia comes here on the quick back-up having won the G1 Flight Stakes over the mile last weekend. She’ll run 2000m no problems and she’s obviously the main threat to Love Tap. Barrier 1 might be slightly tricky but they did put in a change of tactics last week suggesting they would try and ride her more forward, so that may happen today. (1) Cherry Tortoni brings the Melbourne form after placing behind Crosshaven and Glenfiddich this prep. Crosshaven has four wins from five starts, while Glenfiddich looks a very promising horse and could have gone close in the Melbourne G1s if he didn’t get injured. I’ll take him on here but I respect the form.
(2) Positive Peace is ready to win. She had no luck whatsoever last start in the Golden Pendant behind Subpoenaed, held up badly for most of the straight. Third up now, up to the mile and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her come across from the wide gate to sit further forward. (5) All Saints’ Eve comes off a good win in the G3 Tibbie Stakes at Newcastle. Drawn poorly here but she’s got more to come and JMac sticks with her. She can win again. Interested to see if (14) Rocha Clock can improve at big odds. Backing Positive Peace and All Saints' Eve.
Also backing: (5) All Saints' Eve $6.00
Pretty keen on (5) Human Nature here, who I was tossing up whether to make my best of the day. He ran a great race first up behind Alfa Oro at Moonee Valley. That’s a good form reference as Alfa Oro has won six of his eight starts. Human nature won well second up last prep despite being three-wide the trip, so with any luck from gate 10 here, he looks well-placed. (6) Mr Mosaic won well first up and ran well again last start behind Chat, who I think will run well in the Silver Eagle. The horse that ran third has since come out and won so that form looks fairly strong. (9) Kookabaa won four in five starts before finishing 1.6L off Fituese and Hilo. He looks a huge price at $31. (12) Ambleve makes her stable debut for Bjorn baker and Kerrin McEvoy is booked first up. Interested to see how she can measure up. (11) Plaquette won well first up and can go well. I’ll look to be backing Human Nature at $4.40, saving on Mr Mosaic at $6.50 and having something small on Kookabaa at $31.
