A line-up of potential The Goodwood hopefuls faces off in Saturday’s 2017 RN Irwin Stakes at Morphettville Racecourse, betting tips and the latest odds on the Adelaide sprint found below.
2017 The Goodwood-bound sprinter Illustrious Lad is tipped to return to winning form in the RN Irwin Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
Set to run as Morphettville Race 6 at 3:33pm (local time), this year’s $120,000 Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) field features just the nine runners.
A traditional lead-up to the $1 million Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) back at the track on May 20, favourite in RN Irwin Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au this autumn is Illustrious Lad ($3.10).
Early money is coming in for the Peter Gelagotis-trained five-year-old who is out to atone for a recent poor patch of form.
The son of I Am Invincible hasn’t won since the Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes (1200m) down the Flemington straight last Victoria Derby Day, but is two-from-three at the Morphettville track.
He returns to South Australia for the first time since saluting in back-to-back races last season and comes off successive eleventh place finishes in Group 1 Melbourne sprints.
The latest saw him beaten just over five lengths by the winner Silent Sedition in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley and there’s little doubt the galloper will relish the easier assignment this weekend.
The bookies also have Illustrious Lad safe in pre-nomination 2017 The Goodwood betting at a current quote of $10, markets led by Darren Weir’s reigning champ Black Heart Bart ($2.60).
Following Illustrious Lad in the RN Irwin Stakes odds are the early market mover Viddora ($4.20) drawn barrier one and the Ciaron Maher-trained mare Petits Filous ($4.40) having just her second start since last Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival.
Locally prepared by Lloyd Kennewell, four-year-old I Am Invincible mare Viddora gets the run of the race on Saturday from the inside alley with Chris Parnham coming aboard for the ride.
She has finished runner-up in her latest three starts going back to Eagle Farm in late December, including her second to Target In Sight in the $1 million Magic Millions Sprint (1200m) at the Gold Coast.
Her lead-up into the Group 3 Irwin Stakes was a devastatingly close second when beaten only a short half-head in the Listed Manihi Classic (1100m) on April 1 back home.
Petits Filous is a now four-year-old daughter of Street Boss who finished well back when 13th to Precious Gem in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville last May.
Her only run since was a first-up fourth under a half-length beaten over 955m at Moonee Valley on William Reid Stakes night.
She will relish the step-up in distance this Saturday, Petits Filous undefeated with three previous 1100m wins to date.
In a wide-open race the Darren Weir-trained Group 3 winning Snitzel stallion Sooboog ($6) and Lee Creek’s Morphettville specialist Casino Wizard ($9) drawn alongside each other in barriers seven and six respectively round out the single-figure fancies.
See below for the latest RN Irwin Stakes 2017 betting markets, fixed win odds now open at Ladbrokes.com.au.
