The final Group 1 race of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival takes place as Randwick Race 8 on Saturday with an open All Aged Stakes 2024 field set to face off.
Espiona is narrow favourite to return to winning form in the 2024 All Aged Stakes this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.
The weight-for-age event has drawn 14 final acceptors with markets on the $1.5 million showdown led by the Chris Waller-trained Espiona.
She pays $4.20 in the latest All Aged Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au drawn gate eight in the 1400m clash with Nash Rawiller to ride.
Fourth-up and fit, Waller’s five-year-old daughter of Extreme Choice has to win her first race since last October’s $2 million The Invitation at this track and trip.
She has been competitive in plenty since including back-to-back Group 1 thirds earlier this year behind the since retired Imperatriz in Flemington’s Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) and Lady Laguna only 1.35 lengths beaten in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
A truly versatile mare, Espiona was last seen running under a length third in a blanket finish in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) behind upset winner Chain Of Lightning.
The 1400m distance now looks ideal (8:5-0-1) and she is doing plenty right to suggest she can win and hand Waller his third win in the event.
The danger occupying the second line of All Aged Stakes betting at a close $5 is fellow mare, the Annabel Neasham-trained Sunshine In Paris.
Ryan Maloney rides the Invader four-year-old from a favourable gate two draw third-up on the weekend with Sunshine In Paris a Group 1 winner at the track and trip in last year’s Surround Stakes.
She resumed on March 23 beaten a whisker in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill before her close fifth one ahead of Espiona in the TJ Smith setting up an exciting rematch in the All Aged field.
There are currently four other single-figure fancies in the All Aged Stakes markets including the Ciaron Maher-trained Written Tycoon colt Southport Tycoon ($6.50).
The young gun is looking to go back-to-back for the three-year-olds following Giga Kick’s win in last year’s All Aged Stakes.
Saturday is Southport Tycoon’s first Sydney assignment.
He was last seen winning the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington in early March at big odds.
Kept fresh since, he now takes on the older horses the other way of going and has showed potential in two nice lead-up Warwick Farm trials with Jamie Kah aboard.
Kah retains the ride in the All Aged Stakes jumping from gate five.
Other standouts in the mix include the Grahame Begg-trained Group 1 winning Hellbent mare Magic Time ($8), Joe Pride’s Private Eye ($8.50), and the TJ Smith Stakes winning mare Chain Of Lightning ($9).
Click here for the latest All Aged Stakes 2024 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2024 All Aged Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05x132x260 | PRIVATE EYE | Joseph Pride | James McDonald | 10 | 59kg | 112 | ||
| 2 | 901393×784 | GOLDEN MILE | James Cummings | Adam Hyeronimus | 13 | 59kg | 107 | ||
| 3 | x1382x4909 | BUENOS NOCHES | Matthew Smith | Mark Zahra | 3 | 59kg | 106 | ||
| 4 | 765824×702 | BANDERSNATCH | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 12 | 59kg | 103 | ||
| 5 | 1410×33346 | BUFFALO RIVER (USA) | Michael Moroney | Tim Clark | 9 | 59kg | 103 | ||
| 6 | 11x3128x37 | AIRMAN | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Tommy Berry | 11 | 59kg | 102 | ||
| 7 | 54x1564x29 | AMENABLE | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Chad Schofield | 14 | 59kg | 99 | ||
| 8 | 64x370x011 | CHAIN OF LIGHTNING | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Ms Rachel King | 4 | 57kg | 115 | ||
| 9 | x21714x336 | ESPIONA | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 8 | 57kg | 113 | ||
| 10 | 13121x1x25 | SUNSHINE IN PARIS | Annabel Neasham | Ryan Maloney | 2 | 57kg | 113 | ||
| 11 | 13x5131x67 | MAGIC TIME | Grahame Begg | Michael Dee | 6 | 57kg | 109 | ||
| 12 | 1129×221 | SOUTHPORT TYCOON | Ciaron Maher | Ms Jamie Kah | 5 | 56.5kg | 108 | ||
| 13 | 23125×3256 | ENCAP | Gary Portelli | Tyler Schiller | 7 | 56.5kg | 96 | ||
| 14 | x11169x688 | TIZ INVINCIBLE | Ciaron Maher | Zac Lloyd (a) | 1 | 54.5kg | 9 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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