| What | Chelmsford Stakes Day 2023 |
| Where | Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 |
| When | Saturday, September 2, 2023 |
| First Race | 11:45am AEST |
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Visit Ladbrokes |
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It’s a massive weekend of Group-level racing at Royal Randwick on Saturday, and this card oozes quality with multiple features for punters to cast their eyes over. The Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) sees the return of some crucial sprinters making their first audition to slot holders of The Everest later in the season, while races like the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) have provided terrific fields.
The rail is out +4m for the entire circuit; however, we’re more concerned with the weather. The track is currently listed as a Soft 6, and we can’t see much of an upgrade heading into the weekend. Let’s hope the track doesn’t deteriorate too badly from the first race, which is scheduled to get underway at 11:45am AEST.
Keep reading for our free race-by-race preview and quaddie selections
Race 1: BM72 Midway Handicap (1400m)
Byron Belle is a terrific each-way bet to kick-off the Randwick program. She got a pass mark first-up when chasing home Tintookie over 1200m on August 19, and was left flat-footed when the sprint went on. Her form from last preparation suggests she’ll only improve as she gets out in trip; however, we don’t necessarily think this daughter of Snitzel is a stayer. The 1400m could be her sweet spot, and at the price currently on offer with online bookmakers, we’re more than happy to find out if Byron Belle can show her class over the shorter trip.
6
BYRON BELLE
1
STRAIGHT ACER
3
BACKROWER
7
NINGALOO STAR
Race 2: Class 3 Highway Handicap (1200m)
Trainer Matthew Dunn has been labelled the ‘king of the highway’ as of late with a strike rate that continues to impress. He’s travelled multiple gallopers down from Queensland to compete in these highway contests and that includes the quinella pair from August 19. Derry Grove gave them a galloping lesson; however, Centre Bounce was clearly the best of the rest, chasing gamely under Tyler Schiller. She was no match for her stablemate on that occasion but did put a length on the remainder of her opposition, running into a clear second. Zac Lloyd takes the reins this time, and from a much softer draw (2), and an extra 100m seemingly ideal, Centre Bounce looks very hard to beat.
14
CENTRE BOUNCE
9
ATMOSPHERIC ROCK
2
WIZARD OF OZ
3
SMOKESHOW
Best Bet
Race 2 – #14 Centre Bounce (2)
4yo Mare | T: Matthew Dunn | J: Zac Lloyd (54kg)
$3.50 with PendleburyBet
Race 3: BM78 Handicap (1100m)
We’ve landed with Dancing Alone on top in the third race of the program, in saying that we can’t mark her as short as some online betting sites. She’s very close to even money heading into Saturday and it’s easy to see why. She’s had four starts, all of which have resulted in relatively dominate victories – including her latest barnstorming effort to score at Kembla Grange on August 12. Our only reservation is the quality she takes on this weekend, but she does look classy enough. We’ll be hoping for a drift in the market, and provided she gets out to $2.50 or better, we could consider Dancing Alone a bet.
11
DANCING ALONE
6
OJAI
4
WAVERIDER BUOY
2
RAINBIEL
Race 4: BM94 Handicap (1600m)
Just Fine has given us a strong impression from the barrier trials since arriving in Australia and gets the nod for us in the fourth race on the card. The son of Sea The Stars is a European import formerly-trained by Sir Michael Stoute and has since made his way to the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott yard. He’s had just under a year away from the track, but his jump-outs have been above standard for a galloper set to have his first Australian start. The five-year-old gelding has drawn awkwardly in gate 14; however, it should be offset by leading tactics under jockey Regan Bayliss. Just Fine could give in on fitness late but is bound to give followers a sight.
10
JUST FINE
3
AL AABIR
6
PERFECT THOUGHT
14
GAN TEORAINN
Best Value
Race 4 – #10 Just Fine (14)
5yo Gelding | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Regan Bayliss (55.5kg)
$8.50 with Neds
Race 5: Listed Sydney City CTC Cup (2400m)
Mostly Cloudy makes his way back to Sydney for the first time since his unlucky effort at Rosehill on July 1, and looks prepared to the minute for this Saturday’s 2400m staying feature. He should’ve broken his Australian maiden on that occasion with any clear running, and now after two more minor placings down in Victoria, looks ideally placed by the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young training duo. Barrier 13 would usually pose a negative for us, but we prefer him to sit outside of gallopers rather than be penned in on the fence for the duration of the journey. He gets in beautifully at the weights with 53kgs on his back, and with the booking of Zac Lloyd a major bonus in our opinion, Mostly Cloudy may just outstay his opposition.
13
MOSTLY CLOUDY
10
VERONA
4
SERPENTINE
14
KIRKEBY
Next Best
Race 5 – #13 Mostly Cloudy (13)
4yo Gelding | T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | J: Zac Lloyd (53kg)
$6 with Dabble
Race 6: Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m)
The Group 2 Furious Stakes is the second leg of the Princess Series and is for the three-year-old fillies. Cigar Flick looks a nice each-way quote after storming home in the Listed Rosebud at Rosehill on August 12. She got too far back in a slowly run race, clocking come impressive closing sectionals, just missing out on the minor placings in the process. The daughter of Churchill should get a much more genuinely run race on Saturday, and with the 1200m coming at a perfect time third-up into the preparation, we’re confident Cigar Flick is classy enough to find best at the winning post.
8
CIGAR FLICK
5
KIMOCHI
2
AUTUMN BALLET
9
AMAZONIAN LASS
Furious Stakes
Race 6 – #8 Cigar Flick (5)
3yo Filly | T: Chris Waller | J: Kerrin McEvoy (56kg)
$9 with Bet365
Race 7: Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m)
The Group 3 Concorde Stakes is the first chance for sprinters to put their hand up for Everest calculations on October 14. In Secret is the mare on the rise in this field and provided the track doesn’t worsen into the Heavy range on Saturday looks a cracking bet in the 1000m feature. She’s only missed the frame once in her 10-start career and that came in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) where it was simply too wet. She should get a much dryer surface this weekend, and with two stellar barrier trials, looks wound up for the start of her campaign. Zac Lloyd will need her to chase home the warhorse pair of Eduardo and Nature Strip, but we think In Secret is up to the task.
- 5
IN SECRET
1
NATURE STRIP
- 8
ZAPATEO
3
EDUARDO
Concorde Stakes
Race 7 – #5 In Secret (5)
4yo Mare | T: James Cummings | J: Zac Lloyd (58.5kg)
$3.50 with Ladbrokes
Race 8: Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m)
Think It Over did more than enough on return in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) to suggest he’s worth following on Saturday in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes. He got every chance to return a winner despite a lengthy 500-day spell, but ran into some serious company on that occasion, and a lack of race-day fitness clearly getting the better of the eight-year-old gelding. He should take massive improvement from that effort and getting to a more favourable trip at 1600m should do him a world of good. Nash Rawiller elects to stick with the multiple Group 1 winner, and from barrier four, Think It Over will prove extremely hard to beat.
1
THINK IT OVER
11
MONTEFILIA
10
DUAIS
7
LINDERMANN
Chelmsford Stakes
Race 8 – #1 Think It Over (4)
8yo Gelding | T: Kerry Parker | J: Nash Rawiller (59kg)
$2.80 with Picklebet
Race 9: Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m)
You won’t find a more consistent mare going around than Hope In Your Heart. The Kerry Parker-trained five-year-old is set to make her return from a 147-day spell in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes and is a very similar setup to her first-up win last campaign in the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m). That was against the girls, however, she’s proven to be more than competitive in open company, finding a fourth-place finish in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) on April 1. She’s ready to go here with two passable barrier trials, and with the likelihood of Olentia coming out of this market, Hope In Your Heart is a good each-way bet.
12
HOPE IN YOUR HEART
6
FIREBURN
- 4
PERICLES
2
MY OBERON
Tramway Stakes
Race 9 – #12 Hope In Your Heart (8)
5yo Mare | T: Kerry Parker | J: Tyler Schiller (55kg)
$11 with BoomBet
Race 10: BM78 Handicap (1200m)
Punters clearly want to be with the well-backed favourite Garza Blanca in the last race of the Randwick program, but we want to make a case for the James Cummings-trained gelding Pereille. He’s picked up two wins so far this campaign and continues to race well on both sides of the boarder, with his latest effort a winning one at Moonee Valley on August 12. The son of Fastnet Rock will appreciate getting to the bigger circuit on Saturday, and despite gate nine being a tricky one to overcome, Pereille has an outstanding record of never missing the frame.
- 10
PEREILLE
15
SALTCOATS
8
GARZA BLANCA
13
CHRYSAOR
Randwick quaddie tips for Chelmsford Stakes Day 2023
Randwick quadrella selections
Saturday, September 2, 2023
- 1-5-8
- 1-10-11
- 2-4-6-12-14-16
- 3-4-8-10-13-15
Investment: $324 for 100%
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