Tag: Royal Randwick

Australia: A Rich Invitation For Fillies & Mares At Randwick

Randwick Riches: “Royal Randwick” races for the fourth straight Friday night this month, continuing an Oktoberfest of top-quality stakes action at the iconic track located just four miles from downtown Sydney. Last week's successful staging of The Everest drew a crowd of largely under-30s, which should be the envy of any racing jurisdiction. While The Everest was run for just the fifth time, this Friday night sees further innovation with the introduction of a brand-new race, The Invitation.    

The Invitation: A $2 million race for fillies and mares trained in Australia or New Zealand. A panel convened by Racing New South Wales extended invitations to an elite dozen fillies and mares. Contested at seven furlongs, The Invitation will be the 9th of ten races this Friday night with a post time of 11:35pm Pacific. Randwick is Track “A.” 

RSVP: Of the dozen who accepted their invitation, favoritism will be held by #6 Entriviere (9-5). Trained by New Zealand's most successful modern-day conditioner, Jamie Richards, this lightly raced 5-year-old debuted only 13 months ago. Since winning five of six in her homeland, Entriviere has a win from three Australian starts – with legitimate excuses for her two minor placings. Most recently, she was the beaten favorite in the G2 Golden Pendant, but raced in season (southern hemisphere Spring) and was ridden negatively from the outside gate. Her closing splits were the best of the day for seven furlongs at Rosehill. #7 Vangelic was the 5-1 Golden Pendant winner (and my Pick of the Night on TVG). Vangelic is again attractively priced at 7-1 for The Invitation, but meets Entriviere four pounds worse at the weights and will find it tougher to hold out the New Zealand mare on the roomier Randwick layout. Also at 7-1 is another hard-luck story from the Golden Pendant, #10 Icebath. After her close 4th-place finish, she suffered an even worse trip in the G1 Epsom Handicap (this time a losing Pick of the Night on TVG). Icebath has, in fact, been a luckless racehorse throughout her career and is thoroughly deserving of a rich prize. However, she now has to cut back from a mile while making her fifth start this campaign, whereas most rivals are fresher and specifically targeting The Invitation. Rain is predicted for race day, which would enhance Icebath's prospects. 

Selection: #6 Entriviere 

Longshot: #8 Rocha Clock (20-1) had a troubled trip resuming from a layoff, has excellent 2nd-up stats and is recommended for all exotics.

Supporting Stakes: Yet another relative newcomer to Sydney's racing calendar is the Bondi Stakes, a million-dollar race for 3-year-olds at a mile. #1 Hilal upset #2 Coastwatch in a recent G2 event. After being 8-1 and even-money respectively on that occasion, the pair are 5-2 equal favorites for this third running of the Bondi Stakes, Race 8 on Friday night's card. Should the track come up soft, #3 Royalzel (8-1) enters right into calculations.

Hot Trainer: Chris Waller's work with The Everest winner, Nature Strip, earns him the plaudits from last week. Waller has dual representation in The Invitation with #1 Madam Rouge (25-1) and #2 Nudge (12-1); he also puts the polish on Bondi Stakes co-favorite Coastwatch. 

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT) alongside cards from Doomben, Kembla Grange and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, DRF Bets and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com. 

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Australia: Randwick Is Base Camp For The Everest

Everest Carnival: With the Carnival now in full swing, Randwick will stage stakes races every Friday night in October. The Everest will be run on the 15th at six furlongs for $15 million. Nine of a maximum twelve contenders are confirmed for the world's richest turf race: last year's winner, Classique Legend, Nature Strip, Eduardo, Gytrash, Masked Crusader, Rothfire, Lost And Running, The Inferno and Libertini.

Friday Night's Historic Feature: Sydney's “Royal Randwick” hosts one of Australia's time-honored handicaps this Friday night, when the G1 Epsom is contested for the 156th time. The  $1.5 million Epsom is emblematic of the tremendous value that Australian racing provides – both as a wagering medium and a sporting spectacle. A field of 17 will commence its mile journey from the top of Randwick's back stretch, at 11.05pm. Pacific time.

The Favorite: #9 Riodini (4-1) finished 3rd in this race last year and is favorite on the strength of two recent narrow defeats at weight-for-age, both at the Randwick Mile. He almost stole the G2 Chelmsford Stakes at 40-1, only to be grabbed in the last stride by Think It Over, before a gallant 2nd to champion mare Verry Elleegant in the G1 George Main Stakes. Kindly treated under handicap conditions, Riodini will forge his own luck in or near the front, and make the higher weighted horses run him down. His trainer, Gai Waterhouse, is tied with her legendary father, T.J. Smith, for most Epsom wins (7).

The Highweight: In Australia, program numbers do not correspond to post positions. Instead, fields are listed from highest to lowest weighted horses. As a dual-Group One winner, #1 Mo'unga has earned his highweight but must concede 12 pounds to Riodini. (Both have drawn wide gates, but post positions are not significant with a three-furlong run to the first turn.) Mo'unga was the first G1 winner for England native Annabel Neasham, a rising star in Australia's training ranks.

Contention Runs Deep: The field includes the trifecta horses from the Epsom's “sister” race, the Doncaster Mile (part of “The Championships at Randwick” each April). #2 Cascadian (12-1) rises seven pounds from his victory over #7 Icebath (8-1) and #3 Dalasan (14-1). Icebath's prospects are enhanced by the forecast for rain leading up to race day. #6 Hungry Heart (7-1) could have Springsteen fans swooning, but last season's top 3-year-old filly has shown a preference for firm footing.    

Selection: #7 Icebath

Supporting Stakes: 3-year-old fillies will also utilize Randwick's one-mile starting point in the G1 Flight Stakes. The G1 Metropolitan Handicap at 1-1/2 miles and a pair of Group Two races add depth to a stellar 10-race card, which includes the first 2-year-old race of the new Australian season (sponsored by Keeneland).

Hot Jocks: Nash Rawiller was last week's hot jockey, on the back of four wins the previous Friday night. Nash again got the cash, riding a triple and sharing the honors with Tim Clark. (One of Clark's three winners was my 5-1 Pick of the Night on TVG, Vangelic.)  

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:50pm ET / 6:50pm PT) alongside cards from Doomben, Newcastle and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, DRF Bets and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com. 

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Australia: Bondi Stakes To Shine At Randwick

The riches of Sydney's “Everest Carnival” continue this Friday night: for the equine participants in a million-dollar race for 3-year-olds, and for North American horseplayers with the 20c Pick 7 and a guaranteed pool of $10,000. Both are relatively new concepts: the Pick 7 was introduced just a couple of weeks ago with great success, while the $1 million Bondi Stakes (pronounced bond-eye) was inaugurated last year.

Australia's iconic Bondi Beach is curved and contained within a horseshoe-shaped bay, equidistant (just 4 miles) from downtown Sydney and Randwick Racecourse. “Royal Randwick” plays host to the Bondi Stakes, a one-mile assignment for recently turned 3-year-olds (Aug. 1) who are looking to improve upon their juvenile exploits and scale new heights.

My pick will hopefully be unperturbed by such aspirations: Acrophobic (which means “suffering from a fear of heights”) has attracted my attention through hints of ability combined with tinkering by his trainer John O'Shea with equipment and riding tactics. I fancied him two weeks ago at 9/1 when he finished fourth  – beaten only ¾ of a length – behind Peltzer and Prime Star at 7 1/2 furlongs in the Stan Fox Stakes. Acrophobic faces that pair in the Bondi once more, and is again behind them in the wagering, but I believe he can outrun both in the final furlong of a Randwick Mile.

The latest experiment by trainer John O'Shea is “winkers first time.” Winkers are a sheepskin device attached to the cheek-strap of a bridle, helping focus but allowing more peripheral vision than blinkers. Regardless of whether winkers are considered worthwhile in U.S. racing, there can be no denying the superior information that racing fans in Australia receive. As an example, a program notification in the U.S. of “Blinkers On” does not stipulate whether it's for the first time. The intricacies of equipment changes in Australia extend to tongue ties, shadow rolls, hoof fillers, ear muffs and various types of bits that are being applied or removed – always with a notation of whether it's for the “first time” or “again.” By contrast, American racing has only recently clamped down on the timely notification of first-time geldings!

Whether or not the application of “winkers first time” helps the prospects of Acrophobia (6/1), I'm prepared to single him in the Pick 7 against Peltzer (2/1) and Prime Star (3/1). The sequence spans Races 3-9 and includes races from six furlongs to 1-1/2 miles with an average field size of 11. Here is a suggested ticket:

Race 3 – 1, 2, 3

Race 4 – 1, 4, 5, 8

Race 5 – 1, 2, 3, 4

Race 6 – 3

Race 7 – 4, 5, 6, 8

Race 8 – 5, 6

Race 9 – 11

Cost: $76.80

A reminder that the Pick 7 wager is available via all major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, AmWager, and BetAmerica. The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:50pm ET / 6:50pm PT) alongside cards from Doomben, Kembla Grange and Gold Coast. All races will also be live-streamed in HD with past performances available for free at skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms.

Looking ahead to next Friday night's racing action, it is stacked with the running of the $7.5 million Golden Eagle for 4-year-olds at Rosehill racecourse and the commencement of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington (Derby Day). Future markets currently have Alligator Blood, Funstar and Bivouac at the top line of betting for the Golden Eagle and is a race that cannot be missed.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

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Australia: Undefeated Tapit Gelding Love Tap Favored In Friday’s Spring Champion Stakes

An undefeated son of American super-sire Tapit, for whom owners have just rejected a multi-million dollar offer, is favorite for this Friday night's Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick. The Group 1 contest, at 1 1/4 miles for newly-turned 3-year-olds, spearheads a program that will be the subject of a lucrative new wager: a Pick-7 with a $10,000 guaranteed pool. The Pick-7 will operate on one Australian card each night, with a 100% carryover if not hit. Given the full fields that make the Aussie product so appealing, a 20-cent minimum will allow for more combinations and flexibility when framing tickets.

While the new Pick 7 wager promises a lucrative reward, there are no prizes for guessing the color of Love Tap, who has been stamped by his record-setting sire and traces back on his dam's side to another famous American gray, Holy Bull, just to guarantee the coat color. A multi-million dollar offer is never to be sneezed at – especially for a gelding – but Love Tap's ownership group explained that they “didn't buy the horse as an investment strategy; rather as a lifestyle choice and are living the dream.”

Love Tap (3-1) has risen rapidly through the ranks, convincingly winning the traditional prep race to the Spring Champion Stakes at just his fourth start. However, this intriguing renewal of the Spring Champion includes horses arriving by decidedly unconventional paths. Only two fillies have won the race in its 48 runnings, but they happen to have been in the past four years and Montefilia (3-1) is hoping to capitalize on this recent trend. A mere one week after an upset score in a Group 1 for 3-year-old fillies, Montefilia is not only taking on her male counterparts but has joined Love Tap atop the market after drawing a friendlier post position (1 versus 14).

Another difficult formline to assess is that of Cherry Tortoni (6-1), a Melbourne-based gelding who was redirected to Sydney this weekend because of more favorable weather conditions. The late pivot is appropriate from a breeding standpoint, as Cherry Tortoni's dam is a ½-sister to one of Australia's grandest stayers, Tie The Knot, who counted the 1997 Spring Champion Stakes among his 13 Group One wins.

The Spring Champion Stakes is the 7th of nine races at Royal Randwick and the new Pick 7 wager spans races 3-9 at Randwick this Friday night. Here are some attractively priced horses to consider including in your Pick 7:

Race 3 #6 Oakfield Missile (50-1) – Won her only two starts last campaign on firm tracks, including off a similar layoff at this distance. Has a “trial” win coming into this race, mirroring her build-up to the last score off a layoff. Has a blowout chance.

Race 4 #8 She's Ideel (5-1) – Drawn awkwardly but ready to peak. Won at this track and distance in corresponding start (4th race) of previous campaign. This is the same distance as the Spring Champion Stakes, a race her sire won in 2012.

Race 5 #6 Acrophobic (11-1) – A work in progress, but has shown glimpses of potential. His accomplished Randwick-based trainer has experimented with different riding tactics and now applies a tongue tie. It's encouraging that top jockey James McDonald sticks.

Race 6 #3 Dawn Passage (5-1) – Excellent record when fresh and looks primed after some good recent “trials” (training races).

Race 7 #8 Albarado (30-1) – American racing fans still reveling in Swiss Skydiver's thrilling Preakness triumph – and who loved the decisive mid-race move by the filly's rider – might feel inclined to include this longshot! Robby's equine namesake does have a 2nd-place finish behind the aforementioned Cherry Tortoni, and his sire won the Spring Champion in 2004.

Race 8 #3 Asiago (9/1) and #13 Nudge (11-1) – The two female jockeys in this race, Rachel King and Kathy O'Hara, can take a hand in the finish: #3 Asiago was unlucky last start behind #5 All Saints' Eve, whom she had previously defeated (in one of two G3 wins that Asiago boasts at this distance on firm tracks – the same conditions as this race). Asiago is drawn better and is longer odds. Leading trainer Chris Waller adds blinkers to #13 Nudge.

Race 9 #10 Hulk (9-1) – Poor win percentage, but did get his picture taken last start after being plagued by a series of “heavy” tracks. Had some noteworthy minor placings as a maiden, including in a Listed race at Randwick this time last year. Has excellent connections in his corner.

The Pick 7 wager is available via all major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, AmWager, and BetAmerica. The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 10:10pm ET / 7:10pm PT) alongside cards from Doomben, Kembla Grange and Gold Coast. All races will also be live-streamed in HD with past performances available for free at skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

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