The money is coming for the Chris Waller-trained Star Of The Seas to continue his winning form this prep as the last start Group 3 winner sits top of the Doncaster Prelude 2020 odds.
Star Of The Seas is favourite to win the 2020 Doncaster Prelude at Rosehill on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
Waller has dominated the Doncaster Prelude results in recent times with five victories in the past 13 years including the last two on the trot with Cellarman (2018) and Mister Sea Wolf (2019).
The master horseman returns on Saturday with three remaining chances in the Group 3 $160,000 Doncaster Prelude (1500m) after scratching his mare Unforgotten (12) in favour of a run in the Group 2 $200,000 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) earlier on the card.
With the race’s first emergency also withdrawn, the Doncaster Prelude field is down to 14 starters and sitting top of the odds at $4.20 and firming through Ladbrokes.com.au is Waller’s Kiwi-trained Ocean Park five-year-old Star Of The Seas.
A Rosehill specialist, the gun chestnut took his record at the track up to four wins and a second from five starts fresh a fortnight ago when winning the Group 3 Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m) first-up.
He rises from 57kg in that to 58.5kg this weekend, but is drawn well in gate eight with Nash Rawiller coming aboard for the ride.
A Group 1 placegetter over the mile, the step-up to 1500m in the Prelude will suit Star Of The Seas as he looks to earn his spot in Saturday week’s Group 1 $3 million Doncaster Mile field at Randwick.
There are currently three other single-figure fancies in the Doncaster Prelude betting markets on Tancred Stakes Day including the close $5.50 second elect Cascadian who is on the drift.
The James Cummings-trained Godolphin galloper suffered a blow drawing out wide in 16 with last year’s winning hoop James McDonald booked for the ride.
The New Approach gelding has been in strong form this campaign following on from a solid spring that finished with his close third behind Fierce Impact in the Group 1 Cantala Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
He presents fit fourth-up this weekend having enjoyed two subsequent placings this autumn, his latest on March 14 at Rosehill when third in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) run on a Heavy (9).
The other dangers according to the bookies are the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained I Am Superman ($8) and the rails-drawn Desert Lord ($9.50).
Four-year-old entire I Am Superman is an Irish import having just his fourth run down under looking to improve on the seventh in the Ajax Stakes, while Desert Lord comes off a seventh in the Group 3 Newcastle Newmarket Handicap (1400m) from March 6.
Also in the mix are veteran nine-year-old Gailo Chop ($21) who is top class but looks out weighted carrying 61kg, John Thompson’s last start National Sprint winner in Canberra Cuba ($13) and four-year-old Dealmaker ($10) with just 53kg second-up off a Newcastle Newmarket fourth.
Click here for the latest Doncaster Prelude 2020 betting odds on for the last at Rosehill on Saturday courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 Doncaster Prelude Field
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42x037902x | GAILO CHOP (FR) | Matthew Williams | Glen Boss | 11 | 61kg | 110 |
| 2 | 11x49393x1 | STAR OF THE SEAS (NZ) | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 8 | 58.5kg | 105 |
| 3 | x54713x253 | CASCADIAN (GB) | James Cummings | James McDonald | 16 | 58kg | 104 |
| 4 | 71241×4315 | GAULOIS | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 5 | 58kg | 104 |
| 5 | 53403x600x | UNFORGOTTEN | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 12 | 55.5kg | 103 |
| 6 | x3246077x6 | MASK OF TIME (IRE) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Tom Marquand | 6 | 54kg | 96 |
| 7 | 56013x0x47 | I AM SUPERMAN (IRE) | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tim Clark | 9 | 54kg | 95 |
| 8 | 231141×681 | CUBA | John Thompson | Sam Clipperton | 14 | 54kg | 91 |
| 9 | x1x4399x57 | DESERT LORD | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tommy Berry | 1 | 54kg | 89 |
| 10 | 511×43213 | RAINBOW THIEF (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Jay Ford | 7 | 54kg | 73 |
| 11 | 725154x60x | ABDON (GB) | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla | 10 | 54kg | 96 |
| 12 | 062x00323x | MAURUS (GB) | John Thompson | Jason Collett | 2 | 54kg | 95 |
| 13 | 0x6694230x | MASTER OF ARTS (NZ) | John Thompson | Robbie Dolan (a) | 13 | 54kg | 92 |
| 14 | 3x346120x4 | DEALMAKER | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 4 | 53kg | 90 |
| 15 | 1151x211x7 | SOMETHING FAST | Anthony Cummings | Jean Van Overmeire (a) | 3 | 53kg | 86 |
| 16e | 490431x5x0 | PURPLE SECTOR (NZ) | John Thompson | – | 15 | 54kg | 86 |
