The Invitation betting tips & strategy | Saturday, October 23

HorseBetting’s Sydney form analyst brings you his top selections and $100 betting strategy for the inaugural running of The Invitation, a race made up of 12 fillies and mares decided by Racing NSW committee members. The field for the $2 million feature at Royal Randwick consists mainly of New South Wales-trained mares, although Queensland, South Australia and New Zealand are also represented. Entriviere ($3.10) will start as favourite, while Icebath ($7.50), Startantes ($10) and Vangelic ($11) round out the top four. The speed is going to come from Vangelic and Sweet Deal, while Madam Legend, Forbidden Love and Entriviere won’t be far away.

The class of the field is New Zealand mare Entriviere, and that’s where we are going. The Jamie Richards-trained five-year-old just doesn’t know how to run a bad race, winning six of her nine career starts and placing on the three other occasions. The daughter of Tavistock won brilliantly first-up at Kembla Grange in the Sheraco Stakes before flashing into third in the Gold Pendant at Rosehill on September 25 when she was in season, so she can certainly be forgiven for not winning. Tommy Berry takes over from James McDonald, who is in Melbourne for the Cox Plate, so Berry is certainly a positive replacement given that they will have to overcome barrier 11. Entriviere is all class, and we expect her to win the first edition of The Invitation.

If it isn’t the favourite saluting, you can almost bet your bottom dollar that it will be because of a Chris Waller masterclass, so that’s why we have picked out Nudge as the main danger. The daughter of Fastnet Rock had become a notable non-winner, but after stringing back-to-back wins together over the Brisbane Winter Carnival, she certainly looks on track for a big spring. The five-year-old mare finished second to Tofane in the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara before resuming with a slashing third at Caulfield a fortnight ago in the Group 3 Northwood Plume Stakes over 1200m, so the rise to 1400m should be right up her alley. Drawn alongside Entriviere in barrier 10, Glyn Schofield will likely let the favourite cross and then stalk her in the run and hope to finish stronger in the straight. While that could be a big ask, she will have the last shot at them.

It was a pretty sickening watch if you had your hard-earned money on Icebath in the Epsom Handicap, with the Sacred Falls mare getting no luck in the straight. Brad Widdup has had this race picked out for his mare all along, so the drop back from a mile to 1400m shouldn’t be an issue. Icebath has been runner-up in both the Doncaster Mile and Golden Eagle, so she certainly has enough class, while she has also been in the minor money in all three of her starts at this track and distance. The five-year-old does her best racing on rain-affected tracks, so the Good 4 could be her undoing, although the predicted showers on Thursday could play into her favour.

Best bets for The Invitation