Uncommon James Leads 2023 The Galaxy Race Field & Betting

Brisbane-trained Oakleigh Plate champion Uncommon James heads north this weekend sitting top of the odds to post another interstate Group 1 success in the 2023 The Galaxy at Rosehill.

Uncommon James heads 2023 The Galaxy betting for the sprint feature at Rosehill on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Group 1 $1 million Kia Ora Galaxy (1100m) field features a dozen of the autumn’s top sprinters following the early withdrawal of the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained In The Congo (11).

Heading markets on the quality handicap clash on Golden Slipper Day, which serves as a key lead-up to Randwick’s Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) on April 1, is Cable Bay four-year-old Uncommon James.

The gun gelding is prepared by Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted and has already won six of his eight career starts.

He is yet to finish out of the top two in any of his runs and was enormous second-up at Sandown Lakeside saluting by three-quarters of a length from a wide alley in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m).

Uncommon James sticks to that same short distance on Saturday heading to Sydney for The Galaxy where he goes up only a kilo to 54.5kg.

Jockey Damain Lane comes aboard from a favourable barrier four draw, and the consistent $4.20 favourite at Ladbrokes looks like he’ll get the run of the race from there proving a hard to beat favourite.

With Uncommon James a clear top elect there are three other single-figure chances in The Galaxy betting with Asfoora next in line at $8.

The Henry Dwyer-trained Flying Artie mare is also a six-time winner having had nine runs leading-up to this.

She’s a 1100m specialist boasting a trio of victories and a third from four runs at The Galaxy distance to date, with one of those placings seeing her only a length back third to Uncommon James in the Oakleigh in Melbourne.

The bonny four-year-old meets her last start conqueror better in the weights for the rematch dropping back from 53kg to just 51.5kg.

Jye McNeil retains the ride on Saturday where a fitter Asfoora jumps one on the outside of the favourite in barrier five second-up as a genuine challenger again.

Following closely in The Galaxy odds online are then the Hawkes Racing-trained Remarque ($8.50) easing out in betting and the Joe Pride-trained 59kg top-weight Eduardo ($9) drawn in gates nine and 13 respectively.

Locally-trained Snitzel four-year-old Remarque is third-up and fit at one of his best tracks and distances this weekend.

He has won two-from-four at Rosehill, both over the 1100m, and was last seen running just a length and a half back fourth to Passive Aggressive in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick.

The gelding had 58.5kg on his back there and will carry 52kg in The Galaxy with jockey Kerrin McEvoy to ride a half-kilo above allocation.

Based on the big weight drop alone Remarque looks enormous value now.

Eduardo meanwhile has the big weight and the wide gate, but is no doubt the experienced class horse in the mix.

The rising 10-year-old loves Rosehill (6:4-0-0) and is at the right distance here second-up looking to add to his impressive $7.88 earnings.

His last victory was back in September when saluting in the wet at Randwick in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m).

Unplaced in his three subsequent spring assignments after that the veteran looked back to his best fresh beaten a nose in a photo finish in the Challenge Stakes and must be considered here.

He won the race two years ago with 57kg and was so brave first-up with improvement to come chasing a second The Galaxy trophy.

The Galaxy 2023 is scheduled as Race 9 at 5:20pm (AEDT) as the penultimate Slipper Day event on Saturday’s 10-race program.

2023 The Galaxy Field & Barriers

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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