The 2022 Invitation betting preview & tips | Randwick, October 22

The Invitation for fillies and mares will be the co-feature on Spring Championship Stakes Day at Randwick on Saturday. A full field of 12 will compete over 1400m for the $2 million prize pool. Last year’s winner, Icebath, will be looking to defend her crown in 2022 and if she is successful, it will be her first win since winning this race last year. The filly or mare that takes out The Invitation will take home $1 million, making it one of the richest fillies and mares-only races in Australia.

The speed map in The Invitation for 2022 will see Forbidden Love and Expat speed to the front and take the lead together, closely followed by Barb Raider, Nimalee and Electric Girl. Ita, Belle Plaisir and Sheeza Belter will sit just better than midfield, with the likes of Espiona, Promise of Success and Swats That dropping back in the field to sit out the back and look to run on.

Last year’s winner, Icebath, has opened up as the bookies favourite at $4.60, with Forbidden Love at $6 on the second line of betting. Espiona ($6.50) and Nimalee ($7.50) will round out the runners that are under double figures, but the hopes don’t end there. Swats That ($11) will be on the seven day back-up after running in The Everest seven days ago and the second place-getter in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks last preparation, Barb Raider ($31), will return from a spell here as well.

Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2022 The Invitation.

The Michael Freedman trained-Forbidden Love will be very hard to beat as she is dropping back in grade from the Group 3 Sydney Stakes last weekend to now race against her own sex on the seven day back-up. This five-year-old mare has run in the Group 2 Missile Stakes, Group 1 Winx Stakes and Group 3 Sydney Stakes in her three runs this preparation and even though she has been well beaten in most of those runs, she won’t be running against horses of that quality in this race. Expat will want to lead them up in here so Blake Shinn should play his cards right and sit off the her, as he will be on the better mare in the race. Meaning that she can kick on the bend and be too good and be too far in front in the latter stages of the race.

Chris Waller has tried to keep his star mare Espiona off the heavy, bog tracks and in doing this she has been able to take her place in The Invitation. This talented four-year-old has had two good runs so far this preparation, running sixth in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes and fourth in the Group 2 Gold Pendant at her most recent start. However, if Brenton Avdulla doesn’t ride with an open book and just sits her out the back, this girl could be flying home late, but it could be too late to take out the winner’s cheque.

Nimalee and Belle Plaisir also have a chance in this year’s edition of The Invitation, but in Nimalee’s case she may get caught three or four wide trying to get on speed and Belle Plaisir may get too far back like Espiona and be running on late.

2022 The Invitation selections & best bets

• 1

  FORBIDDEN LOVE

• 10

  ESPIONA

• 2

  NIMALEE

• 9

  BELLE PLAISIR

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