Coolmore Classic 2023 Field & Betting Update: Cylinder Firm Favourite

The James Cummings-trained Cylinder is tipped to return to winning form when he steps out favourite in the Group 1 $2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Cylinder

Cylinder is favourite to win Saturday’s 2023 Coolmore Stud Stakes in Melbourne for Godolphin. Photo: Steve Hart.

The four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival gets underway this weekend with VRC Derby Day – a day for racing purists!

All nine races on the card at Flemington hold Group status including a trio of elite level races including the Coolmore Stud Stakes which is a sprint down the famous ‘Straight Six’ for the three-year-old horses.

Cummings took out the event last spring with classy filly In Secret and looks to have a genuine shot at back-to-back wins saddling-up this year’s favourite.

Exceed And Excel colt Cylinder pays $4.50 in the latest Coolmore Stud Stakes odds at Ladbrokes despite a wide barrier 14 draw in the bumper 19-horse field.

Tim Clark has the ride on the multiple Group winner who comes off some strong form lines.

Two back he backed-up from his Group 2 Run To The Rose victory when third to Militarize a neck beaten in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) in Sydney.

At his latest he ran only a length back fifth in Randwick’s $20 million The Everest (1200m) and should relish facing a field of his own age this weekend back down south according to Cummings.

“Cylinder pulled up fantastic from The Everest and he just should be perfectly at his prime and ready to launch,” Cummings told SENTrack’s Giddy Up.

“This will be a vital race for the horse’s whole career not just this preparation.

“Everything this preparation leads us to this Coolmore.”

Four other runners are currently at single-figures to win including the Chris Waller-trained Golden Slipper winner Shinzo ($7) drawn a treat in gate four.

Jockey James McDonald, who is gearing up for the ride on defending champion Gold Trip in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup field, has ridden the past two Coolmore Stud Stakes winners and is after the hat-trick this weekend.

Waller’s Snitzel colt is looking for his first win since beating Cylinder in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) during the autumn.

He is looking to bounce back from two below par runs this prep running back-to-back ninths in the Golden Rose and The Everest and there is money for him to return to better form now.

King’s Gambit is next best in the markets at $8 with the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained I Am Invincible colt coming off a confidence boosting Group 1 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) win by 1.68 lengths over the distance at Rosehill in early October.

I Am Unstoppable ($16 into $9.50) is the early market mover, while Stretan Angel ($9.50) is the other best in betting having firmed in from double-figures over the past couple of days.

Blake Shinn partners the Lloyd Kennewell & Lucy Yeomans-trained I Am Unstoppable in the place of Zac Spain in the Group 1 with the horse coming off two good seconds at the track.

Two back he was a half-length off Archo Nacho in the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1100m), a race King’s Gambit finished third in.

He was up in grade here last month in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1100m) and just went down to the filly Stretan Angel with the two facing off in a rematch in Group 1 grade now.

The Coolmore Stud Stakes is scheduled to run as Flemington Race 6 at 3:40pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

2023 Coolmore Stud Stakes Field & Barriers

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 3211×99 SHINZO Chris Waller James McDonald 4 57kg 104
2 x1127x1135 CYLINDER James Cummings Tim Clark 14 57kg 107
3 42426×7833 DON CORLEONE Peter & Paul Snowden Opie Bosson 3 57kg 90
4 114×152 VEIGHT Tony & Calvin McEvoy Ms Jamie Kah 18 57kg 100
5 1x233x31 KING’S GAMBIT Peter & Paul Snowden Mark Zahra 2 57kg 92
6 111×113 STEPARTY Paul Preusker John Allen 1 57kg 98
7 1x037x01 ARKANSAW KID Ben, Will & JD Hayes Jye McNeil 16 57kg 86
8 2x3325x103 SNAPBACK Peter & Paul Snowden Ms Winona Costin 13 57kg 79
9 11×5547 SCHEELITE Ken & Kasey Keys Luke Nolen 11 57kg 77
10 11×322 I AM UNSTOPPABLE Lloyd Kennewell & Lucy Yeomans Blake Shinn 12 57kg 85
11 11×13 OZZMOSIS Bjorn Baker Ms Rachel King 6 57kg 78
12 26x8x142 MEXICO Michael Freedman Jordan Childs 10 57kg 79
13 2108×344 BUTCH CASSIDY Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Jamie Spencer 19 57kg 90
14 1226 MORAVIA Michael Freedman Damien Oliver 7 57kg 87
15 120×11 CELUI Brent Stanley Craig Newitt 5 57kg 74
16 26×130 NADAL Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Ben Allen 15 57kg 78
17 42×1116 TIZ INVINCIBLE Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Harry Coffey 9 55kg 92
18 21×21 STRETAN ANGEL Phillip Stokes Daniel Stackhouse 17 55kg 92
19 33331×8055 TREASURWAY Jason Warren Billy Egan 8 55kg 72

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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