The Championships Day 1 race-by-race preview | Randwick 10/4/2021

Day 1 of The Championships at Royal Randwick is upon us with four Group 1 races: the Sires’ Produce Stakes, ATC Derby, TJ Smith Stakes and the Doncaster Mile. The track is currently rated a Soft 7, and the rail is in the true position for the entire circumference of the course. HorseBetting.com.au has done the form for all 10 races at Randwick on Saturday, including the top four in each race and the best bets, value picks and quaddie numbers for all four Group 1 races.

Race 1 – Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m)

A field of 11 two-year-olds will take part in the opening race of the day, and it is a tricky way to start at $5 the field. Plenty of differing form lines will come together, so it is a touch hard to line up, but we are going to side with Vandoula Lass. The Vancouver filly won well on debut at Sandown by nearly three lengths before being beaten in a narrow margin by Rocket Tiger at this track and distance on Boxing Day. She should lead from barrier two and be hard to run down under Craig Williams.

Selections: 8-1-5-4

Race 2 – Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m)

While Chris Waller and his connections will be hopeful of two scratchings in the Doncaster Mile so that second emergency Wheelhouse can gain a start, we are hoping the three-year-old will run in this instead. The son of Pierro won first up in a maiden on the Kensington track before being beaten by Starspangled Rodeo, who won last weekend and then ran fourth and fifth in the Randwick Guineas and Rosehill Guineas respectively. Hugh Bowman will do the steering from barrier 11 and should be able to get Wheelhouse over the top of an average Group 3 field of three-year-olds.

Selections: 2-4-1-3

Race 3 – Country Championships Final (1400m)

One of the highlights of The Championships is the stories that come out of the Country Championships Final. A capacity field has been assembled yet again, and while we admit Art Cadeau will be very hard to beat under Tommy Berry, we are going to side with Rodney Northam’s mare Spiranac. Named after golfing heartthrob Paige Spiranac, it would only be fitting to see this four-year-old take out the event on Day 2 of the US Masters. The daughter of Magic Albert has won five of her past seven starts, with one of those losses coming at Group 3 level behind Tailleur. She should get a lovely run from barrier seven and come into the race at just the right time.

Selections: 12-3-1-16

Race 4 – Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m)

The staying fillies will have their last shot at a start in next week’s ATC Oaks. This was a successful path for Colette in 2020, so eyes will be fixed on the telly at 1:20pm on Saturday in search of this year’s emerging star. We are hopeful that Ed Cummings can follow on from brother James’ success this year with Duais, who profiles similarly to Colette. She was a dominant winner on March 21 at Warwick Farm over 1600m and looks to be ready and brilliant enough to win at 2000m and beyond. Hugh Bowman does the piloting from barrier two and should get a cushy run in transit.

Selections: 5-3-1-2

Race 5 – Group 2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m)

The final lead up into next weekend’s Sydney Cup is the Chairman’s Quality. Richard & Michael Freedman’s Paths Of Glory is on the quick backup after running eighth of 10 in the Neville Sellwood Stakes at Rosehill behind Shared Ambition on April 3. The grey son of Mastercraftsman wasn’t as bad as the position and margins look, as he was a long way off them in a slowly run race and worked home nicely through the line. Jumping from 2000m to 2600m is perfect for the Wyong Cup winner. While he has drawn poorly in barrier 13, he drops 2kg and will have the option to go forward in a race with only two speed influences. We will be saving on Sacramento.

Selections: 12-6-9-10

Race 6 – Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m)

A field of 10 two-year-olds will go around over 1400m in the first of the day’s Group 1 races. Anamoe is the hot favourite after a flashing-light run in the Golden Slipper a fortnight ago. Drawn in barrier five under James McDonald, the son of Street Boss should get plenty of favours in the run about four pairs back on the outside. He has been crying out for 1400m his entire career and looks ready to peak in this. Captivant and Lightsaber should get nice runs in the first three or four.

Selections: 1-2-3-8

See our full Sires’ Produce Stakes betting preview here

Race 7 – Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m)

Just one filly will take on 15 boys in the ATC Australian Derby, and we are pretty bullish about her chances. David Payne has declared his multiple Group 1 winner Montefilia an out-and-out stayer, suggesting that the Melbourne Cup will be her main target race this year. She put in a huge run to finish third in the Rosehill Guineas last start, finishing off with some of the quickest closing splits of the day at Rosehill at the end of 2000m. Drawn in gate four, she will get the run of the race and be too good at the end of the 2400m.

Selections: 16-1-2-7

See our full Australian Derby betting preview here

Race 8 – Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m)

Fasten your seatbelts, punters, as this will be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it race. Speedsters Nature Strip, Eduardo and Haut Brion Her will be rolling along in front, but we are siding with the girls again and putting Libertini on top in the TJ Smith Stakes. She ran a terrific race in the William Reid Stakes against the pattern of the night and looks to get the gun run on Saturday from the inside alley. Tommy Berry has stuck with her and will just stalk the speed until the business end. The only run outside of Libertini that was credible in the William Reid was the fourth placegetter, September Run. She has won a Group 1 before against her own age, she gets weight relief and has drawn wide, which will see her get back anyway. A hot tempo will only aid her winning chances.

Selections: 9-11-1-2

See our full TJ Smith Stakes betting preview here

Race 9 – Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m)

The fourth and final Group 1 of the afternoon is the Doncaster Mile, and it is one of our favourite races on the calendar – so no pressure! Kiwi three-year-old Aegon has only the one chink in his armour, which came at this track and distance last start, but he had excuses in dealing with both a Good 4 track and a two-week turnaround for the first time. Now with five weeks between runs, sting out of the ground and an ideal barrier, we are happy to back the son of multiple Doncaster-winning stallion Sacred Falls on an each-way basis. The 2021 All Star Mile winner, Mugatoo, is the $4.50 favourite, and a deserving one at that. He too has drawn favourably in barrier four and gets in well at 56kg.

Selections: 9-1-15-19

See our full Doncaster Mile betting preview here

Race 10 – Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m)

The final race of the afternoon is a massive field of 18 three-year-old fillies contesting the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes over 1200m. With plenty of speed in the race, we are looking at a Group 1 performer in Never Talk to sit out the back and gobble them late. The Kris Lees-trained No Nay Never filly has won five of her nine races and is coming off a fourth to Forbidden Love in the Group 1 Surround Stakes on February 27. While she is only six weeks between runs, she is unbeaten first up and so should be fit, fresh and ready to win again. Macroura was a nice winner of the Typhoon Tracy last start but was aided by luckless opponents, so she will be thereabouts under Jamie Kah, while Barossa Rosa could be the blowout after finishing second to Great News last start.

Selections: 6-2-7-3

The Championships Day 1 quaddie numbers