Ace Kiwi galloper Te Akau Shark is nearing odds-on territory in 2020 George Ryder Stakes betting at Rosehill on Saturday with the galloper well-backed to continue his winning ways down under this prep.
Te Akau Shark is the one to beat in Saturday’s 2020 George Ryder Stakes on Slipper Day. Photo: Steve Hart.
A small but elite field of nine weight-for-age gallopers are set to face off in the Group 1 $1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m) this Golden Slipper Day including the flying Jamie Richards-trained favourite.
Having finished out of the top three just once in his dozen starts to date, the Rip Van Winkle five-year-old was last seen taking out the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on February 29.
That followed his first-up Group 1 win at Te Rapa back across the Tasman earlier that month, Te Akau Shark showing he had lost none of his shine post-spring following his Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) third at The Valley.
He sees the Rosehill track for the first time in the George Ryder Stakes this weekend and is out to follow in the footsteps of the mighty Winx who completed the Chipping Norton – George Ryder Stakes double four years straight from 2016-19.
Drawn gate eight with Opie Bosson continuing associations, Te Akau Shark is at $2.05 in the latest George Ryder Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.
He presents fit and ready to fire again and has an ace record on Soft – Heavy tracks making for perfect conditions for him again on Saturday.
The danger looking at the latest George Ryder Stakes markets at $5 is the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth in the outside barrier (9).
The Anthony Freedman-trained Dundeel colt is also third-up in the event looking to go one better than his close second behind Streets Of Avalon last time out in Caulfield’s Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) on Blue Diamond Day.
Super Seth has been the picture of consistency over his nine-start career, but Saturday has him racing the Sydney way for the first time so that is the only query.
He did perform well on March 12 in an official Randwick trial over 1045m when second to Kementari suggesting a big performance on Saturday as he gets up in distance.
There are two other three-year-olds in the George Ryder Stakes field this season with Brandenburg ($18) and Team Hawkes’ last-start Flemington winner Spend ($61) drawn in barriers three and five respectively.
The John Sargent-trained colt Brandenburg could prove the value bet in the race, the consistently overlooked youngster having won the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill first-up as a $41 roughie by a half-length.
He then put in an outstanding performance in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) to run third behind Shadow Hero under a length beaten ahead of his return to Rosehill taking on the older horses in the George Ryder.
Outside of Te Akau Shark and Super Seth, there are two other single-figure hopes ins the mix with The Bostonian ($7.50) and Dreamforce ($8.50).
Tony Pike’s multiple Group 1 champ The Bostonian is another New Zealand-trained raider in the mix coming off a lead-up elite level win down under.
James McDonald rides the in-form Jimmy Choux five-year-old on Saturday replacing Nash Rawiller who was aboard for the horse’s 1.3 length Randwick win in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) a fortnight back.
Rawiller meanwhile partners the John Thompson-trained Dreamforce who has outstanding form at the track (8:2-2-3) and distance (4:1-0-2) including his third to Winx in the George Ryder Stakes results last year.
He is out to atone for the luckless eighth in the Chipping Norton Stakes, with plenty to suggest he can improve on that run here in the rematch.
Click here for the latest 2020 George Ryder Stakes betting markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 George Ryder Stakes Field
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 284x231x35 | HAPPY CLAPPER | Patrick Webster | Tommy Berry | 6 | 59kg | 116 |
| 2 | 11x2223x11 | TE AKAU SHARK (NZ) | Jamie Richards | Opie Bosson | 8 | 59kg | 116 |
| 3 | 110x9358x1 | THE BOSTONIAN (NZ) | Tony Pike | James McDonald | 7 | 59kg | 114 |
| 4 | 32x1205x28 | DREAMFORCE | John Thompson | Nash Rawiller | 4 | 59kg | 112 |
| 5 | x73803523x | BEST OF DAYS (GB) | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 1 | 59kg | 108 |
| 6 | 6x1374x215 | ALIZEE | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 2 | 57kg | 115 |
| 7 | 13x1651x12 | SUPER SETH | Anthony Freedman | Mark Zahra | 9 | 56kg | 108 |
| 8 | 3x22122x13 | BRANDENBURG (NZ) | John Sargent | Glen Boss | 3 | 56kg | 101 |
| 9 | 1×431 | SPEND | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tim Clark | 5 | 56kg | 78 |
