Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing at Randwick on Saturday, May 9th.
Randwick plays host to the standalone Gosford meeting today, headlined by the Gosford Gold Cup and the Takeover Target Stakes. The track is currently a Soft 5 with the rail in the 3m position.
Check out our race-by-race preview and betting tips for the day below!
Randwick Racing Tips: Saturday, May 9th
Best Bet: Race 8 - (3) Greyworm
Best Value: Race 9 - (14) Nordicus
Highway Handicap to kick things off here. Not overly keen to bet but (6) Hellenism ran well first up in a similar race, and he is already a winner of a Highway last preparation. He's undefeated second up from a spell and draws well in barrier 3 so if he's improved on his first up run, he should be very competitive here at each way odds. $6.00 looks a decent bet but won't be getting too involved here.
Two horses I'm keen to back in the juvenile race here. (4) Ocean Emperor was backed as if unbeatable on debut at Canterbury and he justified the support, leading all the way to win. He looked pretty raw and both Bjorn Baker and Jason Collett said pre-race that he doesn't really know what he's doing, so he should improve plenty from the experience. They seemed to have a very high opinion of him and he'll get his chance to show that again from a good draw, which will see him take up a position on speed. Think he looks hard to beat here at $5.50. (6) Equation is Ciaron Maher and David Eustace's runner. The stable have had terrific success with their two-year-olds this season, particularly in Sydney, and this is another one. He's won both trials this time in and looks to get a good run from barrier 1. The $6.50 we're getting for him looks value and I expect him to give this a big shake on debut. Backing both horses.
Value: (6) Equation $6.50
Two horses I'm on again here. (8) Sophiella resumes from a spell today and she looks to have come back well this preparation. Her trials this time in have been much better than her one trial leading into last preparation. She's got a win and a 2nd from two previous starts here at Randwick and she should find the front from barrier 1. $5.50 looks a good bet. (7) Dunbrody Power gets one more chance with me. I've been on her the last few starts she's had and she hasn't been beaten far, and hasn't had everything go her way. She gets blinkers on for the first time today, back on her home track for the first time this prep, Nash sticks with her and she gets conditions to suit. She gets one more chance at $6.50.
Value: (7) Dunbrody Power $6.50
We're going to need a good ride from barrier 1 but (2) Subpoenaed looks the best horse in the race to me. She was very game behind Rubisaki last time out and that's the superior form line here, so despite her carrying weight and needing luck, I think she'll win if she does get clear running. (4) Rule The World can improve sharply on his poor performance first up. I was expecting him to go well that day but he went very ordinary. With $10 available I have to go again and give him a chance to redeem himself. (7) Surreal Step won well last start at Warwick Farm and despite this being a harder race, Randwick should suit him. The stable go well here and this horse appreciates wet ground so he's going to enjoy the conditions. (8) Opacity hasn't done much wrong in four career starts and Bowman takes the ride for John O'Shea which is notable.
Value: (4) Rule The World $10
(14) Masked Crusader looks the horse to beat but it's an interesting set up. He was very impressive winning first up at Bendigo, held up badly for half the straight, before getting out and really picking up nicely to win with plenty in hand. He steps up sharply from 1000m to 1400m which is always a concern for me, but I think he's probably got a class edge on the rest of the field. He goes on top, but I can see why people want to take him on. (8) Misteed can be thrown in at big odds. Getting back to the 1200m at Randwick is a positive - she's never finished out of the top two at the track and distance - and the soft ground is also going to help her cause.
(14) Masked Crusader
$1.90
(11) Loveseat couldn't have been more impressive last start at Canterbury, coming from last to charge home over the top and run away to score by 2.5L. The step up to 1800m third up is only going to suit her, but she will need to be good again from barrier 12. (3) Bottega drops back in trip after splitting Kinane and Entente, which certainly looks very good form for a BM78. He draws perfectly in barrier 4 so expect to see him in the finish. I probably prefer the step up in distance for Loveseat rather than the drop back in distance for Bottega. (13) Gone Bye should find the front and be hard to run down once again.
Race 7 - Gosford Gold Cup (Market)
(1) Yulong Prince has the Yulong hoodoo to overcome but this looks a good race for him. He was outclassed in the Doncaster two starts ago before being caught three-wide the trip last time out in a similar race. He was only beaten 3.4L so with a softer run in transit today, he should be able to give this a good shake. He goes well on soft ground with three wins from four starts so looks to get perfect conditions. (8) Another Dollar is peaking at the right time but just finds it hard to win, and (14) Aliferous looks a big price at $13. She is another that doesn't win out of turn but she was good in the Hawkesbury Cup last start after dropping from 2000m to 1500m, and straight back up to 2000m suits. She does have a win over the track and distance and looks well weighted with 53kg. Happy to take on both (6) Greysful Glamour and (11) Scarlet Dream who aren't at their best on soft ground.
Value: (14) Aliferous $13
Race 8 - Takeover Target Stakes (Market)
This looks a nice race for (3) Greyworm, who hasn't done much wrong this preparation. He won very well first up at Rosehill, didn't get the race run to suit second up but was still brave, and then bounced back with a win in the Hall Mark Stakes last time out. He's got a terrific record at the distance, goes well on any ground and should be able to land on speed from the draw, so with even luck he's the horse to beat. (2) Deprive loves it here at Randwick with six wins from eight starts and even though things didn't really go his way last start, I thought he was a touch disappointing. (1) Tactical Advantage comes off a good win but he needs a fast-run race.
I don't think there's a great deal to this race so (11) Grand Piano should be able to win again. He's won three of his four starts this campaign, with his one failure coming two starts ago on heavy ground, but he wasn't beaten far and it was a good form race. He handles soft ground, is clearly flying, and Nash Rawiller and John Thompson have a terrific strike rate together, so he looks quite clearly the one to beat. (14) Nordicus is the value at double figure odds. His first two runs this prep were very good, before the wide draw just brought him undone last start. He draws inside today and will need a touch of luck but he gets in very light and Anthony Cummings has a good record with his runners at Randwick.
