The Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival steps up a notch again at Royal Randwick Racecourse with the dual Group 1 Randwick Guineas Day 2017 meeting this afternoon – Sydney scratchings, a Randwick track report and full scratchings detailed below.

After talk throughout the week of the Randwick meeting being called off due to a wet track, early this morning a final inspection of the course had Racing NSW give things the go ahead.

Currently the course proper is rated a Heavy (9) with scattered showers scheduled across the afternoon paving the way for the known mudlarks to dominate the Sydney racing markets.

Randwick Track Report – 04/03/2017

• Rail: Out 4m Entire Circuit
• Penetrometer: 6.13
• Weather: Showers
• Track Type: Turf
• Track Rating: Heavy (9)
• Irrigation: Nil
• Rainfall: 26.8mm last 24hrs; 156.8mm last 7 days

Sydney racing kicks off this afternoon at 12:25pm (AEDT) with the two-year-old fillies taking to the track for the Reisling Stakes. This along with the Todman Stakes (Race 2 at 1:05pm) are the key lead-up races into the 2017 Golden Slipper Stakes and the favourite for that, She Will Reign, is the key attraction in the first.

The nine-race card is scheduled to go through until 5:30pm (AEDT), but there is a chance of an early cancellation to the racing if the weather turns and the track becomes unsafe.

Punters will be hoping the rain holds off in time for the two features on the program – the 2017 Canterbury Stakes (Race 5) feature Chautauqua and the meeting’s namesake the 2017 Randwick Guineas (Race 7) where the Chris Waller-trained Comin’ Through is the hot favourite.

Check out the full Randwick race scratchings and complete 2017 Randwick Guineas Day Preview below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for the best markets and odds.

Randwick Preview & Race Scratchings – 04/03/2017

Total Scratchings: 19

Race 1 (12:25pm) – $300,000 Group 2 Affinity Shipping Reisling Stakes (1200m)

• #1 Houtzen (5)

If the meeting does get called off, at least we’ll be treated to the two Golden Slipper lead-ups kicking off the card. She Will Reign is ($1.35) the odds-on market mover and the one to beat. She has done nothing wrong, remains undefeated, comes off the Silver Slipper Stakes win and handles the Heavy going. She’s good. Value in the place from Lucky Louie ($18) in barrier one.

Race 2 (1:05pm) – $300,000 Group 2 UNSW Todman Stakes (1200m)

• #1 Chauffeur (10)
• #3 Jukebox (3)
• #5 Khan (13)
• #7 Trekking (12)
• #10 Muraaqeb (14)
• #13 Cuba (6)

The colts and geldings turn in the second and the field has been cut right down with a huge number of scratchings. Makes Gerald Ryan’s Menari ($1.90) hard to beat after the luckless second to subsequent Blue Diamond runner-up Pariah in the Canonbury Stakes last time out.

Read full 2017 Todman Stakes Betting Tips

Race 3 (1:40pm) – $125,000 Listed Bradley Australia Fireball Stakes (1100m)

• #2 Zelady’s Night Out (10)
• #5 Demolition (8)

Black-type sprint for the second tier three-year-olds and of the remaining runners the Gai Waterhouse-trained Scarlet Rain ($2.90) in the gun barrier coming off two good runs is the one to beat. Very tough second last start under 62kg and comes back to 57kg and is still at a backable price.

Race 4 (2:15pm) – $150,000 Group 3 Schweppes Wenona Girl Quality (1200m)

• #7 Frill Seeking (8)

Group 3 for the older mares has some nice types in the mix for the fourth including the Anthony Cummings-trained Hieroglyphics ($4.60) coming off back-to-back Sydney wins over 1100m. She’s on fire and well-weighted with Joao Moreira aboard from the rails draw. Nancy ($5) the danger second-up off a Triscay Stakes second.

Race 5 (2:50pm) – $500,000 Group 1 Canterbury BMW Stakes (1300m)

• No current scratchings

Can Chautauqua ($3) beat these horses over 1300m and press onto the Doncaster Mile? He’ll be in the top three but there’s better value including the Kiwi three-year-old on debut down under for Gai Waterhouse – Ugo Foscolo ($7.50) – who is five-from-six back in NZ and out to give Waterhouse her eighth Canterbury Stakes win.

Read full 2017 Canterbury Stakes Betting Tips

Race 6 (3:30pm) – $500,000 Group 2 Hyland Race Colours Challenge Stakes (1000m)

• #8 Heatherly (9)

Half-a-million dollar sprint for the short-distance specialists. English ($4) and Redzel ($4) battle for top spot in betting and both have claims first-up, but the fitness edge belongs to the Joe Pride-trained Ball Of Muscle ($7) who is the value here.

Read full 2017 Challenge Stakes Betting Tips

Race 7 (4:10pm) – $1 million Group 1 Girvan Waugh Randwick Guineas (1600m)

• #1 Prized Icon (14)
• #4 Echo Effect (2)
• #8 Land Of Plenty (3)

Three are out of the Randwick Guineas field due to the wet weather opening things up even further. The wet shouldn’t be a problem for the favourite Comin’ Through ($3.80) from the Waller stable who is a half-brother to known mudlark Criterion. Man From Uncle ($5) is the danger after the good Hobartville Stakes win, while the filly Invincible Gem ($4) is flying and also has massive claims.

Read full 2017 Randwick Guineas Betting Tips

Race 8 (4:50pm) – $150,000 Group 3 City Ford Group Aspiration Quality (1600m)

• #4 Circular (12)

Aspiration Quality for the fillies and mares shapes up as a top mile clash and markets are led by Top Of My List ($4.80) who could be hard to beat on the light weight off a win from the good draw. Algeria ($7) a danger in the wet, while Elle Lou ($5.50) is fit and handled a soft Rosehill track for a win last start.

Race 9 (5:30pm) – $125,000 Listed Girvan Waugh Randwick City Stakes (2000m)

• #3 Classic Uniform (1)
• #5 Our Century (12)
• #8 Lord De Air (3)
• #10 Impavido (11)

Card comes to a close with a 2000m black-type for the staying types and plenty have come out. If we get right through to this race the money is on Astronomos ($3.10) second-up dropping right back in weight but enjoying a step up in distance from a mile. Two-from-three at the track and over 2000m, undefeated over Randwick and this distance.

*All times quoted are AEDT and odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au – subject to change