Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Randwick on Saturday, June 22nd.
The nine-race card is headlined by the Listed Winter Cup (Race 6). The track is currently rated in the Soft range and the rail is in the 6m position.
We've previewed every race on the card below.
Randwick Racing Tips: Saturday, June 22nd
Best Bet: Race 7 - (5) Monsieur Sisu
Best Value Bet: Race 5 - (6) Pelethronius & (3) Conarchie
Race 1
They'll have to be pretty good to beat (2) Funstar here. She steps up from midweek maiden to a 2YO Handicap in Saturday metro grade but she was arrogant on debut, a performance that left trainer Chris Waller unusually excited. That was on a soft 6 so expecting she'll handle the heavy ground and if she does, she'll be winning. (1) Leviathan looks pretty smart in his own right after a convincing debut win. That was also on soft ground so there's no reason he can't run well again. (7) Irish Angel could be the value to throw into quinellas with Funstar.
Race 2
Highway Handicap here and as always I'm reluctant to bet, but I can afford a couple of very small wagers because there's a couple at good odds that I'm interested in. (3) I Am Capitan resumes from a spell here and he's never finished out of the top two from four first up runs. He ran in four Highway Handicaps last prep and placed in all of them, so he's well up to this sort of race. (4) I Am Kalani still remains a query on the heavy ground after last start because that was a BM78 that was much harder than what she'll face today. Prior to that she had no luck whatsoever in her first up run, where she never saw daylight in the straight. That race was a Highway Handicap and with any luck that day she could have been right in the finish. She looks over the odds at $19.
Value: (4) I Am Kalani $19
Race 3
Big field over the 2000m here and not an easy one to work out but there's three horses that catch the eye. (1) Wu Gok might not be at peak fitness after a little nine-week let-up. He's had one trial in between runs but he'll surely take benefit from today's run. With that said, he was in terrific form at the end of last prep and he's won four from seven on heavy ground, so that might help him come into things. (7) Reneged has never placed from 10 starts at this track, nor three starts at the distance, but he loves wet ground and his first up run was a very good one. That was over the mile here and he should get conditions today that give him his chance to break his hoodoo at this track. The horse to beat though is (6) Raqeeq. He's suddenly discovered his form again and he was big in defeat last start after being trapped wide throughout. Back in trip slightly but he's run well on heavy ground before and with any luck from the barrier he should be competitive.
Race 4
Tough race. (2) Passage Of Time is in career best form and I'll be sticking with him here. He's won three from five this prep (should have been four from five) and is looking for a hattrick of wins today. He's won two from three on heavy ground. Gets a handy claim today so should be hard to beat once again. (1) Jungle Edge loves the mud and will run them along out the front. He won in Melbourne last start and the wetter the better for him. (4) Cradle Mountain was poor first up but if the real Cradle Mountain turned up today, he'd be well and truly good enough to win. It's a bit of a guessing game at the moment as to what condition he's in though. (7) Sesar has had a stable change and is now with the Hawkes camp. He won on heavy ground first up last prep here at Randwick, so must be considered.
(2) Passage Of Time
$4.40
Race 5
Two at odds here that might be worth having something small on. (6) Pelethronius has been out of form for a long time now but this is the first time since April last year that he's found heavy ground. His overall record on heavy tracks is four wins and a 3rd from five starts. When he ran 3rd, it was in Listed grade and he was beaten 0.4L. He comes out of a good form race, is third up from a spell and absolutely gets conditions to suit him. At $10 he looks a great each way bet. (3) Conarchie is a blowout chance. I backed him last start and he started $91 and ran 2nd last, but he sat four-wide without cover and didn't have any luck at all. He's got a decent record on wet ground, with four wins and three placings from 11 starts on heavy tracks.
Race 6
Siding with the Melbourne visitor (3) Cath's Village, who has clearly been brought North in search of this heavy ground. She's undefeated from two starts on heavy ground and has been running consistently well in Melbourne. She put three wins in a row together and then ran 2nd to Petrelle two starts back, beaten a nose. Last start she just had too much to do from the back of the field but her run was still good. Needs a bit of luck from barrier 1 today but she gets her preferable ground and should be competitive at each way odds.
(3) Cath's Village E/W
$7.50
Race 7
I backed (5) Monsieur Sisu last start and he ran really well in defeat at big odds. I'm sticking with him today as he looks perhaps even better suited. He's stays at the same track and distance as last start, comes into this third up from a spell, well-drawn and gets conditions to suit. He now has three wins and a 0.8L defeat from four starts on heavy ground. He'll be very hard to beat here. (7) Island Missile is a query on the ground but he's never finished out of the top two from four starts when third up from a spell. He ran well first upcan bounce back before a flat effort last start but he can bounce back at good odds here. (12) Sweet Victory ran well last start and is nearing another win, while (15) This Is So comes off a midweek victory for the in-form Anthony Cummings stable. He should be included at near double figure odds.
Value: (7) Island Missile $12
Race 8
Tough race and I give chances to most of the leading horses in the market. I'll give one more chance to (4) Southern Lad, who keeps knocking on the door for another win. He ran 2nd last start over this track and distance on heavy ground. Gets a jockey upgrade today and he'll run top three again, it's just whether he gets his head in front this time. (3) Echo Effect is the blowout chance in the race at $19. He looks horribly out of form but he gets back onto wet ground today which could be the key. He's finished top two in four of his five starts on wet ground, compared to just five top three finishes from 17 starts on good ground. (8) Jack's Bar comes off a good win at the midweeks, where he sat wide but still proved too good. The form out of that race has been franked with Embracer coming out and winning on Wednesday, and he's undefeated from two starts on soft ground. Should go close here. Backing Southern Lad and Echo Effect, saving on Jack's Bar.
Value: (3) Echo Effect $19
Race 9
She's short but it looks a nice race for (13) Spiritual Pursuit, who I took on first up when she was run down by Wagner. She was huge in defeat on that occasion, after sitting wide throughout the race and having to work hard. That was her first run back from a break so provided it didn't completely flatten her, she should be better off fitness wise here. Drawn toward the rail today so won't have to do any work to land on speed and if she gets a cheap sectional she'll prove very hard to run down.
(13) Spiritual Pursuit
$2.10
