Races

VIDEO: Sam Hyland – The Championships Day 1

Posted on | Posted by Sam Hyland

All eyes will be on Royal Randwick on Saturday for day one of The Championships, where there’s four top-quality Group 1 races for us to sink our teeth into.

The feature event is the $3 million Doncaster Mile (Race 9), a race that’s been won by some of the greats of the turf. Rising star KEMENTARI (No. 9) has just 51.5kg and will likely start favourite. The Godolphin colt won the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas two starts back, before finishing a respectable third behind Winx in the George Ryder. Second behind the wonder mare was HAPPY CLAPPER (No. 3), who doesn’t know how to run a bad race. He already has a feature Randwick mile to his credit, last year’s Epsom Handicap. Darren Weir has two great chances in HUMIDOR (No. 1) and TOSEN STARDOM (No. 2).

Australia’s best sprinter REDZEL (No. 1) will be the punters’ fancy in the $2.5 million T.J. Smith Stakes (Race 8), and he’s going to take a power of beating. He loves Randwick (six wins from nine starts) and is four of six at 1200m. Redzel’s challengers include gun mare IN HER TIME (No. 8), who was so impressive in winning The Galaxy first-up, and BRAVE SMASH (No. 3), who was collared late by Redkirk Warrior in the Newmarket.

The time-honoured Australian Derby (Race 7) is a beauty. The David Payne-trained ACE HIGH (No. 1) will attempt to become just the third horse (alongside Mahogany in 1994 and Dulcify in 1979) to take out the Victoria-Australian Derby double (since the Randwick Classic was switched to the autumn in 1979). There’s a host chances, including FURORE (No. 8), VIN DE DANCE (No. 2), BELFAST (No. 14), LEVENDI (No.6) and MISSION HILL (No. 12).

The Inglis Sires’ (RACE 6) market is headed by three runners that contested the Golden Slipper – OOHOOD (No. 13), SEABROOK (No. 14) and LONG LEAF (No. 2). All three ran really well and look well placed here. NOT A SINGLE CENT (No. 3) won stylishly at Flemington last start and is the fresh horse on the scene.

Best Bets:

RANDWICK
Race 2, No. 1 – Holy Snow

BENDIGO
Race 7, No. 6 – Kiwia

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