The key act on Saturday’s Randwick Guineas Day card in Sydney sees a class field of Doncaster Mile types face off in the Canterbury Stakes 2018, betting tips and the updated odds on the weight-for-age feature detailed below.
Foxplay is the Races.com.au team’s upset tip to win the Canterbury Stakes 2018 at Royal Randwick this Saturday in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
Set to run as Randwick Race 6 at 3:35pm (AEDT) one race before the three-year-olds do battle in the Randwick Guineas 2018, this season’s Group 1 $500,000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) features a small but class line-up of nine runners.
The latest Canterbury Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au show just how open a race this is with all but two of the runners under double figures and only one over $10 for the win.
Narrow favourite at $4.80 is Clearly Innocent in gate three with Hugh Bowman riding the Kris Lees-trained six-year-old who comes off a first-up sixth in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) from February 17.
That race produced last year’s Canterbury Stakes winner with Le Romain (2017) doing the double and 12 months on Clearly Innocent is out to frank the form again having recorded the best final sections after a luckless run.
The son of Not A Single Doubt was only two and half-lengths beaten carrying 60.5kg after getting into trouble at the 300m and will relish coming back to a WFA affair here, fitter for the run and boasting an outstanding record over the distance (4:3-0-1).
Looking to be the first Canterbury Stakes favourite to salute since Cosmic Endeavour (2015), Clearly Innocent also has the superior Soft-track form undefeated on the going (3:3-0-0) so should thrive on the wet course.
The next best fancied in Canterbury Stakes betting are the rails-drawn dual Doncaster Mile runner-up Happy Clapper ($5.50) and dual Group 1 winning mare Global Glamour ($6).
Drawn the rails first-up, Happy Clapper was fourth in this race two years ago and chases his first victory since saluting here in September’s Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m).
He has had two lead-up Randwick trials at his pet track (16:5-4-1) and will only improve on whatever he does here getting back up to a mile this autumn.
Global Glamour meanwhile is prepared by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, the four-year-old daughter of Star Witness out to turn the tables on Endless Drama after finishing second in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) on February 17.
The early Canterbury Stakes market mover backed in from $8 to $6.50 to salute fresh meanwhile is Invincible Gem, Lees’ mare runner-up on a Heavy (10) track in the Randwick Guineas as a filly on this day last autumn.
With so many livewire chances, who are the horses to back and sack in the Canterbury Stakes results for 2018?
1st
#5 Foxplay ($9)
Going for a bit of value and think the price offered on Chris Waller’s Group 1 winning mare Foxplay is generous. The four-year-old daughter of Foxwedge is out to add to the gun recent record of mares in this race with four saluting since 2011. She hasn’t won since taking out last year’s Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) on a Soft Randwick track, but has been competitive n plenty since. The first-up third in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) saw her beaten only a quarter-length with 58kg and she is well suited to WFA. Fitter for the run, loves the track (3:3-2-1) and has superior Soft track form (6:3-2-0). Just needs to match it with the boys.
2nd
#2 Clearly Innocent ($4.80)
Narrow favourite in a wide-open market and has genuine claims at the title. Undefeated on Soft going (3:3-0-0) so will appreciate the track conditions and is three-from-four over the distance. Improves on the luckless Southern Cross Stakes sixth where there were plenty of excuses and he lost more ground than any other horse before finishing off better than all his rivals. This distance on Soft going and fitter? Ticks lots of boxes.
3rd
#9 Tulip ($10)
Another female galloper at good odds, this Lindsay Park-trained Pierro filly is looking to be the first of her kind to win since Emancipation (1983). A host of other three-year-olds however have been successful and her Group 3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m) win at The Valley last start was eye-catching. She is third-up here and back in Sydney for the first time since running only two and a half-lengths back fifth in The Everest (1200m) – a race the Canterbury Stakes favourite Clearly Innocent was eighth in.
Whether you’re backing or sacking our insider Canterbury Stakes 2018 tips get the right Randwick Guineas Day racing odds now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
