The 2017 Premiere Stakes is one of the key acts in Sydney on Saturday for Epsom Handicap Day and the latest betting markets on the Randwick sprint are led by six-time Group 1 winner Chautauqua.
Champion sprinter Chautauqua is the one to beat second-up in Saturday’s Premiere Stakes 2017 betting markets. Photo: Steve Hart.
Running as Randwick Race 6 at 3:20pm (AEST), this spring’s Group 2 $500,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m) features a dozen hopefuls and leading the field is the Hawkes Racing-trained Chautauqua.
Drawn ideally in barrier three and meeting his rivals even at weight-for-age, the champion seven-year-old dubbed the ‘Grey Flash’ boasts over $8.3 million in prize money and looks the one to beat on the weekend.
Heading Premiere Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au at $3, Chautauqua is after his first win since become history’s first three-time TJ Smith Stakes winner at the same track and distance during the autumn.
First-up he finished just over two lengths back for seventh behind Redzel in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) when flashing home late.
He’ll be fitter second-up and gets back to his pet distance on the weekend giving the Premiere Stakes favourite every hope to salute on way to the $10 million The Everest (1200m) on October 14.
Following in Premiere Stakes betting this Sydney Spring Racing Carnival are fellow 2017 The Everest-bound English ($5) and early market mover In Her Time ($6 into $5.50) drawn the rails with barrier one.
The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained English is also second-up following the mare’s good fourth in The Shorts.
The five-year-old daughter of Encosta De Lago hasn’t won since her Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) victory in the wet over Redzel back in March.
Her form around Chautauqua is also very good, English finishing third in the 2016 TJ Smith Stakes and second in the race this year beaten only a neck.
With Group 1 winning form over 1400m, the mare will also enjoy stepping-up to the 1200m on Saturday and looks the danger.
There’s been early money for another mare in the Premiere Stakes field with the Benjamin Smith-trained In Her Time set to get the run of the race.
Jockey Corey Brown partners the consistent Time Thief mare for her five-year-old debut, In Her Time last seen finishing third in Brisbane’s Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1350m).
She was also runner-up to Impending just a quarter-length second in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) over the winter and has trialled well twice since including a nearly four length winning heat at Rosehill on September 19.
Cleary Innocent ($8) is on the drift and rounds out the single-figure fancies, Hugh Bowman riding the Kris Lees-trained six-year-old in his first start since a third in the Stradbroke Handicap.
The Not A Single Doubt gelding has a credible record when fresh, the versatile sprinter looking for his first win since the three length romp home over Jungle Edge in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) on a bog Eagle Farm track in late May.
Check out the full Premiere Stakes 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and latest Randwick racing odds below, betting open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
