Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Royal Randwick on Saturday, April 20th.
The Group 1 Champagne Stakes and the Group 1 All Aged Stakes headline the nine-race card, with the track rated a Good 4 and the rail in the 6m position.
Check out our betting tips for every race below!
ROYAL RANDWICK RACING TIPS
Best Bet: Race 3 Amangiri
Best Value Bet: Race 8 Brave Song
RACE 1
Concrete has looked a different horse in his past two starts, with a 10L maiden win at Queanbeyan back in December followed by a 3.5L win first up at Gundagai three weeks ago. He'll lead from barrier 6 with Kerrin McEvoy on board and he could take a bit of catching. Amarita is a typical Matthew Dunn lightly-raced and relatively unexposed filly that comes into this off a win at Grafton first up. She's won three of her six career starts and looks a deserved favourite. Slight query over the fact her three wins have been when first up from a spell. Gold Touch was simply dominant first up at Canberra, trotting in by over 3L despite sitting wide without cover all race. Has to rate a chance on that. Philadora next best.
RACE 2
Very competitive race. Tribal Wisdom was outclassed first up in The Galaxy but drops heavily in grade today and has trialled nicely between runs. He's drawn wide in 11 and has 59.5kg but the step up to 1200m will suit, as will the big Randwick track. Passage Of Time resumes as a gelding today. He's got a good first up record and did run 2nd to Cradle Mountain fresh last preparation. If the gelding operation has its desired effect, he could be very competitive at double figure odds here. Problem Solver resumes with James McDonald a notable jockey booking. She's trialled well on two occasions leading into today and Gerald Ryan always has them ready to go first up. Murillo is an interesting runner, first up in Australia for the Snowdens. He's a dual Group 2 placegetter in the UK and has trialled twice for today's run. He won his latest trial but was under pressure to do so, I thought Tribal Wisdom looked to trial much better just in behind him. Test The World next best.
Value: Passage Of Time $14
RACE 3
It looks a pretty nice race for Amangiri here, with a lot of these horses out of form or coming into this as an afterthought. She has improved with every run and was only run down late in the Adrian Knox Stakes last start, which was her first go at 2000m. She had to work to find the lead after drawing barrier 15 on that occasion, but she should have a much easier time of things with barrier 5 today. She should improve once again with that run under her belt and she'll take a power of beating. Home Win and House Of Cartier are both at huge odds but they are typical John Sargeant three-year-old fillies that are peaking at the right time and as they progress up in distance. The Chosen One ran a terrific race in the Derby but drops from 2400m to 2000m, while Dealmaker improved last start but rises back up to 2000m, a distance he's never placed at.
RACE 4
Into The Abyss is well-placed in this race after going down narrowly to Multaja two weeks ago. She comes into this third up from a spell and should be peaking. Barrier 1 is the major concern for me; it's a big field and momentum could be key. If she's looking for gaps in the straight she'll be in trouble. Asharani has won her first two races back from a spell. They've been at Kembla Grange and Hawkesbury, which is typically form you can dismiss for a race in town like this, but she's from a stable that deserves a lot of respect and she should be able to find the three-wide running line from barrier 9. Worth an each way bet. Jen Rules ran 2nd to Multaja first up and Multaja then came out and won here two weeks ago, so she could measure up. So Taken next best.
RACE 5
The Waller runners interest me most here and I'll be hoping for a little blowout. My Nordic Hero was only fair first up but that's typical for him. He improves out of sight second up though, with three wins from four starts. Back on to a firmer surface and up in distance are both positives; he could be a value play at $19. Abdon is similar in that he really peaks when he's third up. He's never finished out of the top two when third up from a spell. He ran 2nd last start in the Doncaster Prelude behind stablemate Mr Sea Wolf and should be competitive at $12 here. Haripour is Waller's leading chance, coming off a win in the Golden Mile at Bendigo last start. He'll continue to get better as he rises in distance and it'd be no shock to see him win again here. Our Libretto next best.
RACE 6
Looks a two-horse race the Champagne Stakes. Loving Gaby is the $2.50 favourite after running 2nd in the Sires' Produce behind Microphone last start, while Castelvecchio is $3.60 having finished 3rd in the same race. Only a nose separated them on that occasion. I'm leaning towards Castelvecchio here on the basis that he looks the horse most suited to the mile. He's shown in every start to date that he wants ground and he finally gets to a mile today on a big track. His run last start was also his first run in five weeks so he should come on from that. He'll be giving Loving Gaby a head start though and she will take some running down. Vinco didn't get a lot of room last start and was in great form leading into that. Hugh Bowman goes on board today and he could be a sneaky chance, while Persan fell in that same race just as he was working into the finish. Blowout chance.
RACE 7
Barrier 1 is going to make things very hard for Osbourne Bulls but I'm tipping a Hugh Bowman peach. He's well and truly short enough at $2.70 but his form is hard to look past. His three runs this preparation have all been in Group 1 company and all three have been 2nd placings. It's been a while since he's raced over 1400m but if he can produce his customary turn of foot, he'll be very hard to hold out. D'bai is the other Godolphin representative in the race, but he's from the stables of Charlie Appleby in the UK. He resumes here and they've sent him here with this race in mind. He's never finished out of the top two from five starts when first up from a spell, so expect him to be competitive. He was last seen winning a Group 2 over 1400m in Dubai. Le Romain gets blinkers on for the first time, while Malaguerra split Alizee and Hartnell in Melbourne last start.
RACE 8
This could be a two-horse race. Home Of The Brave looks super hard to beat first up here. He's had seven starts when first up and has finished in the top two in six of them, including for wins. This is now his second preparation in Australia and he's trialled particularly well leading into today. Looks a great race for him. I think the clear value is Brave Song at $15. He's trialled enormously well leading into his first up run today. He's got a terrific first up record as well and he's aready a winner at this track and distance. I'm surprised he's the price that he is. Viridine was disappointing in The Galaxy but his first up run showed he is capable in a race like this.
RACE 9
Waller looks to have a mortgage on this race. Star Of The Seas has won her past two and looks well placed to win again here with just 52kg on her back. She's drawn a bit awkward and does get back on to firm ground after two wins on heavy going, but that shouldn't make too much of a difference. With a clear run she should be hard to beat again. Seaway was slaughtered last start when favoruite for the Ajax Stakes. He was trapped wide without cover throughout, but had won his past two leading into that. Bowman takes over today and if he can get a good enough run from barrier 13, he'll be right in the finish. Up 'N' Rolling has a good first up record and went close in a similar race last preparation. He looks the value at double figure odds.
Value: Up 'N' Rolling $17
