The spring’s Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip will face just seven rivals second-up on Saturday with the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained stayer jumps narrow favourite in a wide-open edition of the Group 1 $1 million Ranvet Stakes (2000m).
Reigning Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip is favourite in 2023 Ranvet Stakes betting to return to winning form this weekend in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
It is a small but star-studded Ranvet Stakes this Golden Slipper Day at Rosehill with four of the eight final acceptors all under $5 to win through Ladbrokes in a nightmare race for punters.
Sitting top of the field and markets at $4 is the reigning Melbourne Cup champ Gold Trip who won last year’s ‘race that stops a nation’ in a 20/1 upset by two lengths.
Huge at headquarters on the first Tuesday of November the French-bred import was eye-catching fresh when narrowly beaten finishing second at Sandown on February 25 in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m).
The Outstrip six-year-old gets out over a bit more of a trip in the weight-for-age Ranvet Stakes and is tipped to return to winning form with Mark Zahra aboard from the outside alley.
Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller chases his third Ranvet Stakes success this weekend having won in 2013 with Foreteller and 2021 with his subsequent Melbourne Cup winning mare Verry Elleegant.
On Saturday the Waller camp is represented by the rails-drawn Group 1 winning mare Hinged ($4.80) who has support to win her first race since the 2022 Surround Stakes over 12 months ago, and the longer-priced Cox Plate third placed El Bodegon ($16) out to atone for his second-up last (12th) to Anamoe in the Chipping Norton Stakes.
The other two major players in Ranvet Stakes betting at an equal $4.50 are the Annabel Neasham-trained Mo’unga easing out to improve on his Chipping Norton third despite being unbeaten at Rosehill, and the William Haggas-trained international raider Dubai Honour firming fast drawn gate two for hoop Ryan Moore.
Dubai Honour is a two-time Group 2 winner in France and is one of two internationals in this year’s Ranvet field along with the Joesph O’Brien-trained Raise You ($13) in his Australian race debut.
Haggas got his Sydney bid off to a strong start last weekend with Protagonist winning the Sky High Stakes.
Despite support in the markets however the team are not as confident with Dubai Honour who would prefer a softer track than the likely firm going at Rosehill this weekend.
“Dubai Honour, he wasn’t the same horse as he was as a three-year-old last year because he never got his ground, and it would be a shame for that to happen again given it usually is a bit of a deluge down here,” stable rep Isabella Paul told Just Horse Racing this week.
“He needs a run, the ground won’t necessarily suit him but he’s a lovely horse and the main aim will be hopefully the Queen Elizabeth.”
The lucrative Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) runs on April 8 at Randwick.
The 2023 Ranvet Stakes is set to run as Race 6 at 3:15pm (AEDT) on the huge 10-race Rosehill program on Saturday in Sydney.
2023 Ranvet Stakes Field & Barriers
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3x335291x2 | GOLD TRIP (FR) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Mark Zahra | 8 | 59kg | 117 | ||
| 2 | x032852x53 | MO’UNGA (NZ) | Annabel Neasham | Nash Rawiller | 6 | 59kg | 112 | ||
| 3 | 24x0x2426x | DUBAI HONOUR (IRE) | William Haggas | Ryan Moore | 2 | 59kg | 111 | ||
| 4 | 5x81x1215x | RAISE YOU (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien | John Allen | 4 | 59kg | 106 | ||
| 5 | x770261x63 | BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Michael Dee | 7 | 59kg | 102 | ||
| 6 | x7233x3x90 | EL BODEGON (IRE) | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 3 | 58.5kg | 113 | ||
| 7 | 718x4340x5 | MONTEFILIA | David Payne | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 5 | 57kg | 114 | ||
| 8 | x53358x268 | HINGED | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 1 | 57kg | 109 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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