Day 2 of Sydney’s The Championships is set to come to a close at Randwick on Saturday with the fillies and mares facing off in the Sapphire Stakes 2015, betting tips for the clash detailed below.
Griante is the Races.com.au tip to win the 2015 Sapphire Stakes at Randwick this weekend in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
There were 12 female gallopers lining-up in this year’s $300,000 Group 2 Drummond Golf Sapphire Stakes (1200m), the set weights plus penalties showdown scheduled as Race 10 at 5:15pm (AEDT), before the early scratching of #5 Politeness.
Favourite of the remaining runners in the Sapphire Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $5 for the win after drifting out as long as $6 earlier in the week is Shamalia in gate six with Hugh Bowman to ride.
Bart & James Cummings’ four-year-old comes off a first-up win in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) where she beat last year’s Golden Slipper winner Mossfun by two lengths.
That was a great season kick-off and now she chases a second-up win at Randwick where she’s got a nice record of two wins and a third from four previous starts at the track.
It’s a pretty close top half of the market too with the other big hopes including track specialist Avoid Lightning ($5.50), the Peter Moody-trained Peron ($6) coming off an unplaced Group 1 William Reid run in Melbourne, market mover Chloe In Paris ($7) who recently won Flemington’s Bob Hoystead down the straight and the rails-drawn Griante ($7) for Mornington’s David Brideoake.
With so many genuine contenders for the final win on Saturday below are our tips to sort the fillies and mares to back and those to sack in the Sapphire Stakes.
1st
#4 Griante ($7)
She’s drawn a treat on the rails and will appreciate that after a host of wide draws including 11 of 13 when she won over this track and distance two by in the Group 3 Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m). After that, which was her first look at Randwick, she went to Moonee Valley on March 27 and was super impressive in ace company when under two lengths away third to Lucky Hussler in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m). That was her ninth start over the distance, which she gets again this weekend back in Sydney, and her sixth top three run (9-3-2-1). The distance then is ideal, Randwick holds no fears, she gets the inside alley and is down in class. Great value.
2nd
#6 Shamalia ($5)
Current favourite out to salute for the punters, this Shamardal mare is also drawn well with her mid-field barrier, similar to what she jumped from when resuming on March 21 at Rosehill to win the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) by two lengths from gate seven. Bowman continues his association with this five-time winner who loves Randwick (4-2-0-1) and should run well second-up (2-1-0-1) again. Impressed first-up and don’t think she was at peak yet so can improve.
3rd
#3 Avoid Lightning ($5.50)
A host of livewire chances to fill the final place but Avoid Lighting trialled nicely at Randwick when beating Scissor Kick over 1050m on March 31. That was exactly what connections needed to see after her 10th in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) before that on March 21, which followed a brave third to class Waller-trained mare Catkins in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) first-up. This six-year-old has a top Randwick record (5-3-1-0) including her Group 3 win over this track and distance in October and should be ready to return to that form.
Get in on the Randwick racing action this Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day at the hottest odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on all four Group 1 races this Saturday!
*All odds quoted are Fixed Win from Ladbrokes.com.au and subject to change
