Tag: Spring Carnival

BlueBet Cash Back As Real Money On The Caulfield Cup

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The Spring Carnival gets into full swing with the running of the 3 million dollar Group 1 Caulfield Cup this Saturday and we BlueBet have plenty of Group 1 promos for you.

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Sandown Cup Preview

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Zipping Classic Day brings the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival to a close with some top class racing. The Listed Sandown Cup should satisfy Australian racing fans who enjoy a good staying contest with 10 set to go to post for race 4 on the card.

Top weight for the $150,000 event is Shoreham, trained by Saab Hasan. Craig Williams rides the five-year-old who will start from barrier 2 but there is little else to recommend him. He has not won since the Listed Sofitel in September 2013 and his best effort since was fourth in the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes behind Unchain My Heart.

That was way back in May for the Hayes and Dabernig team and the mare was never a factor in last week’s Melbourne Cup, eventually trailing home in 16th place. Craig Newitt takes the ride on her and will start from barrier five.

The favourite is Robert Hickmott’s Massiyn following a find run in the Bendigo Cup behind Bring Something. He stuck on well after chasing a fast pace that day and the winner went on to run well in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes last weekend.

UK racing fans will remember Massiyn being beaten a head by Royal Diamond in the Irish St Leger back in 2012. That was a vintage renewal with Brown Panther third, Aiken fourth, Simenon fifth and Fame And Glory in sixth. He was then bought with the intention of having a tilt at the Melbourne Cup in the famous Lloyd Williams colours. Providing that recent race has not taken too much out of him, he looks the one to beat on Saturday.

Like A Carousel finished sixth behind Signoff in the Lexus Stakes last time and was also third in the Geelong Cup. He won the Listed Harry White Classic in September and should not be far away. Renew ran poorly in the Caulfield Cup but bounced back to his best when second to Grand Marshal at Flemington last time. He is another familiar name to UK punters having worked his way up the handicap with Marco Botti as a three-year-old.

Staying on behind Renew in fifth spot was Aggregator who only had a couple behind him on the home turn. He could run into a place here if kept a little closer to the pace. He was only fifth in the Geelong and is unlikely to be improving at the age of seven.

Massiyn @3.20 Sportsbet

Sandown Guineas Preview

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The $300,000 Group 2 Sandown Guineas is one of six Group races that bring the Spring Racing Carnival to a close this weekend.

The Adelaide-based Lord Aspen is set to put his unbeaten record on the line for Mick Huxtable following his impressive victory in the Hilton Hotels and Resorts Stakes. That win stretched his winning run to four and Matthew Neilson will ride him from barrier six on Saturday.

He is still relatively inexperienced and connections are optimistic that there is still further improvement to come. Third home Ducal Castle re-opposes after finishing strongly but Neilson felt that the winner was dossing in front.

The favourite is Darren Weir’s Stratum Star who will break from barrier two in the hands of Kerrin McEvoy. The son of Stratum colt has been in the first three in all of his last six races and looked sure to win the Group 3 Carbine Stakes last time out. The race was run at a crawl and he virtually pulled his way to the front with two furlongs to go but was run out of it by Kermadec close home.

He had earlier won the Listed Yellowglen Vintage Stakes and Crown Lager Stakes and a faster pace on Saturday should suit him. The Godolphin-owned Careless stayed on into fifth place and has plenty ground to make up.

The David Hayes & Tom Dabernig duo of Zululand and Petrology have been done no favours by the draw. Zululand and Stephen Baster start from barrier 9 with Petrology (Nicholas Hall) widest of all in barrier 13. Petrology won the Listed TV Stakes on Crown Oaks Day from Chill Party but the form does not look the strongest on offer.

Paul Messara has been talking up the chances of the lightly-raced Rekindled Power after his easy win in a maiden race at Bendigo last time. He will start from barrier ten under Dwayne Dunn and is closely related to the smart Rekindled Interest. That horse won the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase and Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes as well as being placed in the Cox Plate. This race may just come a little too soon in Rekindled Power’s career but he looks a nice prospect.

Stratum Star is the form choice but Lord Aspen may just provide better value at around the 9-2 mark.

Lord Aspen @5.50 Sportsbet

Darley Classic Preview

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The $1million Darley Classic looks the pick of the weekend action at the Spring Carnival with a fascinating clash of some of the top sprinters in the world.

The International flavour is due to the surprise raid by Ireland’s Slade Power, officially the top six-furlong  sprinter in Europe. There has been quite an agitated debate going on over the past week about the loading procedure for this race and whether or not Slade Power should be allowed to go in last.

The Australian authorities have stuck rigidly by the book and insisted that no special allowances can be made. At one point it seemed that the horse may even be withdrawn but some sort of compromise appears to have been reached. Neither side has admitted to backing down so let’s hope that it goes smoothly. Slade Power can get upset in the stalls and is usually loaded last in Europe.

Assuming he gets out of the gates without a problem, he then has to face a turning track and some of the fastest horses on the planet. The bookmakers in the UK have him at around 4-1 while he is almost twice those odds in Australia. I fear that the Australian odds may be closer the mark as he has some seriously good horses in opposition.

Lankan Rupee had to overcome a wide draw to win the Manikato Stakes last time, holding off the chasing pack in a bunch finish. Buffering had previously beaten Lankan Rupee but the places were reversed here using some bold early tactics to get across to the lead. The unluckiest horse of all appeared to be Rebel Dane who flew home in fourth, the second time running that he has finished fast but to no avail. Craig Williams will be hoping it is third time lucky but don’t expect to see him until very late on.

Lankan Rupee was restoring his reputation as the world’s leading sprinter in the Manikato Stakes but he faces a new challenger in the flying grey Chautauqua. This horse has been prepared by Team Hawkes and looked a superstar in the making when bolting up by four lengths in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes. It is difficult to know how that form matches up to the Manikato but he was on a tight rein with two furlongs to run and that is a rare sight in a six-furlong sprint at Group  level.

Chautauqua @6-4 Sportsbet

Rebel Dane @20-1 Sportsbet (each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3)

Emirates Stakes Preview

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John O’Shea was appointed Godolphin’s head trainer in Australia in August and bids for some much-needed Group 1 success in Saturday’s Emirates Stakes with Contributer.

Although Godolphin has claimed over $20million in prize money for the third consecutive year, they have only recorded three Group 1 winners to date. It was not until last month that Godolphin registered their first Group 1 win in the UK. This will be the lowest since 1997 when they only had 83 horses in training as opposed to more than 400 in 2014.

The statistics for Group 2, Group 3 and Listed winners are very much in keeping with recent years but the significant fall in Group 1 winners will be a matter of serious concern for Sheikh Mohammed.

Contributer is a son of High Chaparral previously trained by Ed Dunlop. He had only won at Listed level prior to his recent victory in the Group 3 David Jones Cup at Caulfield. That was over his favoured trip of a mile and a quarter and he drops back to a mile on Saturday.

He was bought by Godolphin after winning the Wolferton Handicap at Royal Ascot this summer and sent to O’Shea. He was always travelling easily just off the pace at Caulfield and eased to the front on the home turn, only needing to be pushed out to hold Noble Protector by a length. He is drawn nicely in barrier two and should be able to keep tabs on the leaders over this shorter trip.

The race that produced the best trial was probably the Crystal Mile in which Hooked beat the staying on Bull Point and Desert Jeuney. Hooked was right up with the pace from the outset while the second and third came from well back on the home turn. I was particularly taken with the late run of Bull Point who enjoys a 2kg pull at the weights with the winner on Saturday. Damien Oliver takes the ride on this one and he could prove the each-way value of the race.

Hucklebuck is another fancied runner starting from barrier five. He won the Group 3 Yellowglen Stakes over 1400m here on Derby Day but it must be a slight concern that this race will come too soon.

Contributer @4-1 Sportsbet*

Bull Point @8-1 Bet365

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3

*Sportsbet Special Offer – If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd in the Emirates, stakes will be refunded (up to a maximum of $100, first bet only)

Queen Elizabeth Stakes Preview

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The Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday provides Darren Weir’s Prince Of Penzance with a great chance to follow up his Moonee Valley Gold Cup win.

Ten runners are set to line up for the $300,000 contest over 2600m with the son of Pentire carrying top weight of 58kg. The five-year-old has an excellent record at Flemington and beat Tony McEvoy’s Le Roi by a length and a quarter last time. The race was run at a crawl in the early stages and it briefly looked as though Prince Of Penzance was going to get blocked off on the home turn. Once he saw daylight he fairly flew home and should confirm the form on Saturday.

Damien Oliver has been booked to partner Le Roi who starts from the wide outside. He finished third to Mourinho in the Listed Cranbourne Cup and is joined in the field by stablemate Big Memory. The latter narrowly failed to book his place in the Melbourne Cup when beaten by Signoff in last week’s Lexus Stakes.

Tommy Berry has chosen to partner Big Memory here in preference to Le Roi, the horse he into second place at Moonee Valley. McEvoy’s five-year-old won the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes, a run that looks even better in light of fourth horse Protectionist’s easy win in the big race on Tuesday.

Le Roi and Big Memory are eligible for a $100,000 bonus as they had accepted for Melbourne Cup but missed out on the ballot. The only concern with Big Memory must be whether he can put in yet another good staying performance after last weekend’s game effort.

Ken Keys runs Bring Something, a four-year-old by Sebring. Luke Nolen takes the ride on him following a narrow victory in the Listed Bendigo Cup. Michael Kent’s Epingle finished fourth in the Moonee Valley Cup while Noble Protector finished second in David Jones Cup and will be ridden by Craig Williams. He has been supported in to favouritism during the week but I would expect to see money come for Prince Of Penzance on the day.

Let’s Make Adeal is also chasing the bonus but could do no better than fifth place in the Lexus Stakes for Nigel Blackiston. He was earlier third in the Herbert Power and would have a chance on that form.

Prince Of Penzance @4-1 Sportsbet