Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Randwick on Saturday, October 26th.
The Group 1 Cox Plate headlines racing in Melbourne but it's the inaugural Bondi Stakes meeting at Randwick today. The Brian Crowley Stakes, City Tatts Cup and The Nivison is also programmed for today's nine-race card.
The track is rated a Good 4 with the rail out 8m.
Check out our preview and betting tips for the whole card below.
Randwick Racing Tips: Saturday, October 26th
Best Bet: Race 4 - (5) Greyworm
Best Value: Race 8 - (4) Ronstar
Two-year-old race to start the day and I'm with (5) Close To Me for the Peter and Paul Snowden stable. She's only trialled once but she won it and did so particularly stylishly. James McDonald rode her in the trial but he's in Melbourne for the Cox Plate so Tim Clark takes the ride and he's just about the best of what's left in Sydney today. I expect her to go very close to winning this. (2) Anders won its most recent trial by 8L, which was a vast improvement on his first trial a few weeks prior. Looks the main danger.
Highway Handicap here and there's two horses I'll be backing. (2) Black Wand ran well first up when 4th in a Highway Handicap over the mile, beaten 2.8L. He's never placed first up previously so that was a sound effort and he improves second up. He's finished in the top two in both starts when first up from a spell and his only previous start at 1800m was a win. Drawn a touch awkward and gets concussion plates on his front feet again, but he's very well placed here. (9) But I Know draws barrier 14 so will be toward the back of the field but she's run extremely well in her past two starts, which were both in Highways. She won two starts back over 1500m and then ran home in the best sectionals to grab 2nd over the mile last start. She only goes up 1.5kg in the weights so I see no reason why she can't go close again here, provided she's not too far back on the turn. Backing both.
Also backing: (9) But I Know $4.80
Keen to back (1) Diamond Thunder here. His formlines from last preparation are outstanding. He won three of his four starts last prep and the one he lost was when he was caught four-wide without cover throughout. Last time we saw him he beat California Zimbol. That filly is undefeated this prep and beat subsequent G1 winner Loving Gaby with ease. So if he's made the same sort of improvement coming into this prep then he'll be winning this.
(1) Diamond Thunder
$3.60
(5) Greyworm should be incredibly hard to beat here. He's only missed a place once in his career and comes into this on the back of a win over this track and distance. He's drawn perfectly again in barrier 2 so should be able to take up a position on speed and be hard to run down. Outside of him I find it hard to make a case for anything. The big value could be (7) Tamarack at $34. He's got a good first up record and he won first up last prep after two similarly average trials, so I wouldn't be put off from his trials this time in. Throw him in exotics. (9) Improvement can bounce back.
This probably sits between (4) Multaja, (7) Madam Rouge and (9) Reelem In Ruby. I'll put Reelem In Ruby on top. She went close first up and with Tim Clark taking over today, she looks well placed. Second up, well drawn and a positive jockey change are all big positives. Madam Rouge ran well fresh in what looks a very strong form race behind the likes of The Inevitable and Fasika. That's Golden Eagle sort of form so you'd think that would measure up very well here. The query is she's a bit of a non-winner, with just two wins from 13 starts. Multaja was poorly ridden first up and last time she met Madam Rouge she beat her quite easily, so she can bounce back with a quieter ride.
I've got this between (4) Attention Run and (7) Master Of Wine. Attention Run wasn't beaten far in the G1 The Metropolitan last start and prior to that she was narrowly defeated by Hush Writer in G3 company. Hush Writer has since come out and won again. The query would be the fact the placegetters in The Metropolitan came out a week or two later and failed to make any impression, so the form is questionable. Master Of Wine won by about a furlong last start over 2000m here, with the step up in distance seemingly the key. It's his first go at 2400m today but the way he won last start suggests the extra distance is beneficial and he looks the one to beat.
The inaugural Bondi Stakes, worth $1million, and we have a BM78 field contesting it. (5) Bottega was set an enormous task by Josh Parr last start, settling a clear last off a tearaway leader, who didn't stop and Bottega couldn't make up the 10L or so he was asked to. Josh Parr is replaced by Glen Boss today and will surely sit closer from barrier 6. I don't think he lost any admirers in defeat last start and I won't be jumping ship. (1) Kubrick has been terribly out of fom this prep but gets blinkers applied for the first time here. Watch the market. (3) Colada could be value after his last-start win. He was also dominant a few starts back before a flat run in between, but the way he ran last start suggests he's probably better than a $9 chance.
Three main hopes for mine. (3) Poised To Strike and (4) Ronstar both come out of the same race behind Agent Pippa and both had absolutely no luck. They were badly held up, Poised To Strike more so than Ronstar, but I'd be forgiving both. Poised To Strike gets Tim Clark on board replacing apprentice Lachie King, which is a huge jockey change in its favour. All of his career wins and placings have been at this distance and he's won second up before. Rates highly. Ronstar has won two from three when second up from a spell, draws well and gets a bit of weight off today with Robbie Dolan going on. (9) Testifier is undefeated and returns from a spell, in which time he's had bone chips removed and a vocal chord removed. I'd be careful with him.
Value: (4) Ronstar $11
(3) Poised To Strike
$6.00
Pretty keen to finish the day with (5) Bergen here. He was only beaten narrowly by Sakura first up and that horse has come out and won again. In fact, that race first up has produced three subsequent winners so the form looks pretty strong. Comes down to 57.5kg here and draws well in midfield. As he has done in all five career starts to date, I expect he'll run very well and go close. (15) Sausedge absolutely bolted in at Canberra last start and going back last prep, he had form behind Noble Boy. (11) Romani Girl is an obvious chance.
