The returning Anthony Cummings-trained Libertini is all the rage in 2020 Light Fingers Stakes betting for her first-up run at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Libertini is hot favourite in 2020 Light Fingers Stakes betting this weekend at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart.
A quality field of 11 three-year-old fillies is engaged for this year’s Group 2 $200,000 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m), the set weights sprint set to run as Race 7 on the Apollo Stakes Day card.
Drawn the outside barrier with Tommy Berry – the winning hoop aboard Sweet Idea back in 2014 – to ride, class I Am Invincible filly Libertini dominates the Light Fingers Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.
After opening at $2.60 she has been well backed into $2.45 to salute fresh in her first run since the third behind Exceedance in Flemington’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on Derby Day.
Libertini is undefeated over the track and distance having won all three of her previous 1200m Randwick runs including completely in the Group 2 Silver Shadow – Furious Stakes double last year.
In the past 10 years three Light Fingers Stakes favourites have saluted for the punters with Alizee ($2.15 in 2018) the latest.
Four other fillies are under double figure Light Fingers Stakes odds this season including the $5 second elect Kiamichi who is one of three Group 1 winners in the mix for the powerhouse Godolphin stable.
The James Cummings-trained Golden Slipper winning filly is drawn barrier two with Rachel King aboard.
Kiamichi was last seen finishing a distant fifth behind Libertini in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) last September after back-to-back 10ths at the Randwick track in a disappointing spring.
She has finished third once from five starts at the track with her better racing being at Rosehill.
Still, she is being kept safe in betting on the back of two good January trials and her excellent wet track form.
Kiamichi scored a huge upset at $26 in the Group 1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) on a Heavy (8) last March and was also a brave third when under a length off the winner Microphone at Randwick in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) as a juvenile on a rain-affected track.
Stablemate Flit is the next best in betting at $6.50 drawn the rails with Hugh Bowman aboard for the daughter of Medaglia D’Oro’s first-up run of the year.
Narrow victor in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield last October, Flit was last seen running fourth when stretched on in distance at Flemington on Derby Day in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m).
Both her previous Randwick runs produced second place finishes behind Anaheed in the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) and then Libertini in the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m).
Trainer Anthony Freedman saddles-up the third filly donning the famous Royal Blue silks with Lyre ($8) drawn barrier three for jockey Nash Rawiller who chases his first win since that on More Joyous (2010) a decade ago.
It has been a while between drinks for Lonhro filly Lyre whose last win was in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old 12 months ago.
She has had five subsequent runs including the Golden Slipper third and Thousand Guineas fourth.
The other runner under $10 is Sangria ($9) for Team Snowden, the up-and-coming I Am Invincible filly having won a Class 2 at Gosford first-up on February 4 by over four lengths carrying 58kg.
Click here for the latest Light Fingers Stakes 2020 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 Light Fingers Stakes Field & Barriers
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x41130x05x | KIAMICHI | James Cummings | Ms Rachel King | 2 | 56kg | 100 |
| 2 | 1113x4274x | LYRE | Anthony Freedman | Nash Rawiller | 3 | 56kg | 100 |
| 3 | 312x2914x | FLIT | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 1 | 56kg | 103 |
| 4 | 211x1133x | LIBERTINI | Anthony Cummings | Tommy Berry | 11 | 56kg | 100 |
| 5 | 11x5552x | MISSILE MANTRA | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tim Clark | 7 | 56kg | 95 |
| 6 | 23x2111x | AKARI | Brad Widdup | Christian Reith | 5 | 56kg | 81 |
| 7 | 22x1653x | REGIMENTAL BAND | Kris Lees | Brenton Avdulla | 10 | 56kg | 68 |
| 8 | 0x21346x | EMERALDS | John Sargent | Tom Marquand | 9 | 56kg | 70 |
| 9 | 3011×1 | SANGRIA | Peter & Paul Snowden | Jason Collett | 6 | 56kg | 73 |
| 10 | 231 | ELECTRIC GIRL | Gwenda Markwell | Glen Boss | 8 | 56kg | 64 |
| 11 | 2x163x | DARLING POINT | Brad Widdup | Joshua Parr | 4 | 56kg | 62 |
