The bookies are having a hard time separating the top two chances in the Albury Gold Cup 2017 field and odds for Friday afternoon with Cool Chap and Goldstream sharing favouritism in the markets.
Cool Chap is one of the best in Albury Gold Cup 2017 betting for Friday afternoon. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Due to run as Race 6 at 4:25pm (AEDT), this season’s $180,000 Listed Commercial Club Albury Gold Cup (2000m) field features the full sixteen stayers.
Sitting top of the latest Albury Gold Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying an equal $5 for the win are the Lee & Anthony Freedman-trained Cool Chap and Darren Weir’s import Goldstream.
High Chaparral four-year-old Cool Chap comes into the race on the back of a string of consistent summer – autumn runs including his narrow second to Dark Eyes on March 5 in the Listed Canberra Cup (2000m).
He has strong form over the distance, is well-weighted again getting on the 54kg minimum with Brenton Avdulla to ride from gate eight and if the ground is rain-affected should get through the going without a worry.
His biggest danger according to the bookies is the five-year-old Goldstream, formerly prepared in Italy before his transfer to Australia twelve months ago.
Two back he won over the distance at Flemington before his last start second behind Boom Time in the Listed Victoria Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day.
The only other single-figure hope in the Albury Gold Cup betting markets this season at $6.50 and firming is Green Sweet.
Goulburn horseman Jean Dubois prepares the Smart Strike five-year-old who is second-up after a second over 1900m under big kilos at Rosehill on March 11 in his Australian debut.
Stripping fitter second-up here, Green Sweet drops from 59kg to 54kg and is chasing his first win over further than a mile.
Carrying the 58.5kg top weight and drawn the outside barrier on Friday is Extra Zero at $11 to overcome the kilos and gate.
Lindsay Park’s evergreen veteran may be a ten-year-old, but he has run second in his two latest starts under even more weight and shapes up as a place chance again.
The other best fancied of the double-figure hopefuls in the mix are the consistent Coolcat Dancer ($11) and Red Alto ($12) drawn in barriers six and two respectively.
Tale Of The Cat six-year-old Coolcat Dancer won four races on the trot before his last start third beaten just over a length in the Canberra Cup, which could prove the form line to follow into Friday’s clash.
The Paul Banks-trained Red Alto is another in-form High Chaparral four-year-old in the field who could prove the value in the race.
The gelding enjoyed three Victorian wins in January and February and is out to atone for his last start eighth over 1800m at Flemington a fortnight back.
A proven mudlark, from three runs on Heavy tracks he has enjoyed a win and two placings so if it is bottomless he’ll be the best in the going.
Check out the full Albury Gold Cup 2017 field, barriers, jockeys, weights and latest Fixed Win odds below provided by Ladbrokes.com.au.
