More Group 1 glory could be in store for Chris Waller’s Victoria Derby winner Riff Rocket who is tipped to take out the Australian Guineas 2024 over the Flemington mile on Saturday.
Riff Rocket is out to keep the wins going up to a mile in the 2024 Australian Guineas second-up for Chris Waller. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The time-honoured Group 1 $1 million Australian Guineas (1600m) steals the show in Melbourne this weekend with the mile classic attracting a capacity field of outstanding three-year-olds.
Sitting top of the Australian Guineas field and betting markets at a current quote of $2.60 through Ladbrokes.com.au is the ultra-consistent and versatile American Pharoah gelding Riff Rocket from the Waller stable.
A winner of five of his eight starts to date the galloper is best known for his Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) win at headquarters in the spring.
He surprised a few fresh over an unsuitably short 1400m when winning the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes first-up last time out and is now short-priced to do the double.
Jockey Craig Williams continues associations second-up on Riff Rocket looking to hand Waller with the trainer’s first Australian Guineas victory.
Despite a full field only two other runners are currently under $10 for the win with the early Australian Guineas market mover Veight ($7 into $5.50) and the Ciaron Maher-trained King Colorado ($7).
Grunt colt Veight looks for his fifth win at start number 10 with the spring’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas runner-up back up to a mile third-up and fit this prep.
He was a narrow first-up winner at The Valley in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) and lost few irers last time out against the older horses when fourth only 1.3 lengths off superstar Mr Brightside in the Group 1 CF Orr (1400m).
King Colorado has also been good this prep with the Kingman colt coming off back-to-back Group 3 seconds in the Manfred and CS Hayes.
At longer Australian Guineas odds for punters chasing the value are the likes of Maher’s consistent Written Tycoon colt Southport Tycoon ($11) coming off a Group 2 Autumn Stakes second drawn well for the in-form Jamie Kah, close victor in that important Group 2 lead-up from February 10 Snow Patrol ($13), and hist lightly-raced stablemate Otago ($19) who ran fourth in the CS Hayes at just his third career start with improvement to come.
The Australian Guineas 2024 is scheduled as Flemington Race 8 at 4:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race card with full markets from Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.
2024 Australian Guineas Final Field & Barrier Draw
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17x12121x1 | RIFF ROCKET | Chris Waller | Craig Williams | 9 | 57kg | 107 | ||
| 2 | 14x1525x14 | VEIGHT | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Damian Lane | 6 | 57kg | 105 | ||
| 3 | 11x9740x22 | KING COLORADO | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | 12 | 57kg | 96 | ||
| 4 | 42x128412x | APULIA | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Luke Currie | 15 | 57kg | 100 | ||
| 5 | 43x11413x3 | ZIPAWAY | Neville Parnham | Steven Parnham | 10 | 57kg | 100 | ||
| 6 | 335x9732x6 | CAP FERRAT | Chris Waller | Joshua Parr | 2 | 57kg | 85 | ||
| 7 | 44×01112 | THE PENDRAGON (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Jordan Childs | 14 | 57kg | 95 | ||
| 8 | 6111×9 | RUN HARRY RUN | Michael Moroney | Daniel Stackhouse | 16 | 57kg | 88 | ||
| 9 | x52512413x | SUNSETS | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | John Allen | 13 | 57kg | 90 | ||
| 10 | 12625×3 | VERDAD | Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock | Jye McNeil | 3 | 57kg | 81 | ||
| 11 | 134×1 | SNOW PATROL (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Blake Shinn | 7 | 57kg | 90 | ||
| 12 | 1129×22 | SOUTHPORT TYCOON | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Kah | 4 | 57kg | 90 | ||
| 13 | 114 | OTAGO (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Ben Melham | 5 | 57kg | 74 | ||
| 14 | 6086×11455 | HEY FAT CAT | Robbie Laing | Ethan Brown | 1 | 57kg | 81 | ||
| 15 | 1x11x2214 | QUINTESSA (NZ) | Mark Walker | Michael Dee | 8 | 55kg | 105 | ||
| 16 | 91908×3 | VIESTE | Benjamin Smith | Brock Ryan | 17 | 55kg | 64 | ||
| 17e | x5167669x2 | MAH ALI | Benjamin Smith | Fred Kersley | 11 | 55kg | 63 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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