The first of two Group 1 races that will headline the action at Randwick on Saturday will be the $750,000 Canterbury Stakes over 1300m.
With only eight runners accepting for the contest, the reigning Everest champion Think About It has opened as an odds-on favourite at -105.26 with online bookmakers.
The Joseph Pride-trained gelding will return for his fifth racing preparation, where he will be looking to build on his outstanding start to his career.
The son of So You Think has been given two barrier trials in the lead-up to his first-up run and is expected to play a massive role in the middle-distance races over the Sydney Autumn Carnival and during The Championships.
There is potential for this field to shrink even more, as the second favourite, Espiona (+300), has accepted in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on the same day.
If Chris Waller does choose to run the five-year-old mare at Randwick, the booking of James McDonald and a cosy barrier (2) should give her every chance to build on an impressive first-up performance.
Pericles (+550) sits on the third line of betting and brings some of the best form lines to this race after finishing second behind arguably Australia’s best horse, Mr Brightside, in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes last start.
The James Cummings-trained gelding has improved nicely between his first and second run this preparation, and the son of Street Boss is expected to be cherry-ripe for this third-up start.
Lady Laguna (+750) will compete at Group 1 level for the second time in her 23-start career, coming off a narrow defeat to Zougotcha in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes at Rosehill previously, which ended her winning streak at three.
Although this is his first attempt at the top level, Coal Crusher (+1100) seems to be the only other contender after he finished half a length off King Of Sparta in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes two starts back.
The Canterbury Stakes is scheduled to jump at 4pm AEDT and will be the seventh race on the massive Randwick program.
2024 Canterbury Stakes Final Field
1. Think About It (8)
- T: Joseph Pride
- J: Sam Clipperton
- W: 59kg
- F: x3111
- Age: 5YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: So You Think (NZ)
- Dam: Tiare
-625
2. Pericles (1)
- T: James Cummings
- J: Tom Marquand
- W: 59kg
- F: 26×23
- Age: 4YO
- Color: Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Street Boss (USA)
- Dam: Accessories (GB)
-125
3. Coal Crusher (5)
- T: Joseph Pride
- J: Adam Hyeronimus
- W: 59kg
- F: 52×14
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Turffontein
- Dam: Media Academy
+160
4. Bandersnatch (3)
- T: Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
- J: Jordan Childs
- W: 59kg
- F: x4285
- Age: 7YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Casino Prince
- Dam: Divine Faith
+500
5. Malkovich (4)
- T: Bjorn Baker
- J: Joshua Parr
- W: 59kg
- F: 3363x
- Age: 6YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Choisir
- Dam: Mabkhara
+290
6. Espiona (2)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: James McDonald
- W: 57kg
- F: 3×417
- Age: 5YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Extreme Choice
- Dam: Dahooil (NZ)
-222.22
7. Lady Laguna (6)
- T: Annabel Neasham
- J: Tyler Schiller
- W: 57kg
- F: 21112
- Age: 4YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Overshare
- Dam: Catalina de Lago (NZ)
+105
8. Call Di (7)
- T: Joseph Pride
- J: Nash Rawiller
- W: 57kg
- F: x2352
- Age: 4YO
- Color: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Frankel (GB)
- Dam: Samantha Miss
+500
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