The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Royal Patronage has retained favouritism for Saturday’s 2024 Epsom Handicap despite a wide draw for the French-bred import.
A capacity field of spring milers is engaged for this year’s Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) which steals the show as the marquee race at Royal Randwick on the weekend.
Drawn gate 17 with Tim Clark to ride is the six-year-old top elect Royal Patronage paying $6 to win in the latest Epsom Handicap odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.
The former European has had two lead-up runs down under for a win fresh in the Group 2 Tramway over Amelia’s Jewel before a last start third only a length off Fangirl carrying 59kg in the $1 million 7 Stakes at this track and trip.
Third-up and fit Royal Patronage comes back to 56kg and even from the wider draw can play a big part in this year’s Epsom finish.
Waterhouse & Bott also saddle-up Major Beel third-up at $12 with Winona Costin aboard the former Australian Derby champ who was only 1.26 lengths back fifth in the 7 Stakes at weight-for-age.
He comes back to 51.5kg this weekend in the Epsom and can outstay a few of these rivals.
Occupying the second line of Epsom Handicap betting at $7 following the favourite closely is the Joe Pride-trained Ceolwulf in gate 14 for Chad Schofield.
This Kiwi-bred Tavistock four-year-old was runner-up to Riff Rocket in this year’s ATC Derby and comes out of a nice form line for this year’s Epsom.
Last time out he crossed a half-length second to Eliyass in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) from a wide gate with a drop back in distance now looking to get him back in the winner’s stall.
The only other runner currently at single figure Epsom Handicap odds is another $7 fancy with the rails-drawn Chris Waller-trained Kovalica.
Star hoop James McDonald chases his second Epsom success in the saddle this year aboard Ocean Park five-year-old Kovalica from barrier one.
The horse hasn’t won since his Queensland Derby success back in May of 2023 but has been competitive at the highest level over the past year.
He comes off a third to Royal Patronage in the Tramway and is better drawn for the rematch here over the Randwick mile.
Master horseman Waller has won the Epsom Handicap five times in the past 11 years and chases a sixth this season saddling up not only Kovalica but also six others from the stable.
The other Waller trained hopes in the mix are Group 2 winner Democracy Manifest ($14), a last start Flemington stakes winner in Chrysaor ($16), narrow Bill Ritchie Handicap winner Mchale ($21) looking to be the second from the stable in as many years to do the double, the defending champion Rediener ($23), in-form outsider Firestorm ($41) chasing a hat-trick, and New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Molly Bloom ($61).
Of those, Rediener represents value in the Epsom markets looking to go back-to-back for the first time since Desert War (2004-05).
The galloper completed the Bill Ritchie – Epsom double with a light-weight last year at big odds before coming undone in the King Charles.
He had plenty of time on the sidelines to recover and showed promise first up in Rosehill’s Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) running a close third with 58kg.
Back to 55.5kg on Saturday he will defend his title from barrier 12 with Josh Parr in the saddle this year.
The 2024 Epsom Handicap is set to run as Randwick Race 9 at 4:45pm (AEST) as the penultimate event on the card.
Click here for the latest markets from Ladbrokes.com.au.
2024 Epsom Handicap Final Field & Barrier Draw
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6x64730x02 | MY OBERON (IRE) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Nash Rawiller | 21 | 56.5kg | 110 | ||
| 2 | 567x154x13 | ROYAL PATRONAGE (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 17 | 56kg | 109 | ||
| 3 | 17x3628x54 | DETONATOR JACK (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Jason Collett | 16 | 56kg | 108 | ||
| 4 | x4095365x3 | KOVALICA (NZ) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 1 | 55.5kg | 107 | ||
| 5 | 1211x110x4 | REDIENER | Chris Waller | Joshua Parr | 12 | 55.5kg | 107 | ||
| 6 | 544x618x40 | DEMOCRACY MANIFEST | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 10 | 55kg | 106 | ||
| 7 | x66228x612 | CEOLWULF (NZ) | Joseph Pride | Chad Schofield | 14 | 54kg | 106 | ||
| 8 | 04x73407x8 | NUGGET (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Dylan Gibbons | 11 | 54kg | 104 | ||
| 9 | 1x65464x15 | TOM KITTEN | James Cummings | Tommy Berry | 19 | 54kg | 104 | ||
| 10 | 56x5089x63 | BERKSHIRE SHADOW (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Ashley Morgan | 8 | 53kg | 102 | ||
| 11 | 218600×608 | LOCH EAGLE | Kris Lees | Jay Ford | 18 | 52.5kg | 101 | ||
| 12 | 609x740x15 | MAJOR BEEL (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Ms Winona Costin | 9 | 51.5kg | 102 | ||
| 13 | 1x20x766x1 | CHRYSAOR | Chris Waller | Craig Williams | 5 | 51.5kg | 99 | ||
| 14 | 1171x258x0 | MOLLY BLOOM (NZ) | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd (a) | 3 | 50.5kg | 101 | ||
| 15 | x70520x273 | ARCTIC GLAMOUR | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | Andrew Adkins | 6 | 50kg | 99 | ||
| 16 | x1153403x1 | MCHALE | Chris Waller | Ms Rachel King | 15 | 50kg | 99 | ||
| 17 | 0x616926x5 | AUSBRED FLIRT | Brad Widdup | 2 | 50kg | 98 | |||
| 18 | 3343113×54 | KINTYRE | Gary Portelli | Ms Cejay Graham | 7 | 50kg | 95 | ||
| 19 | x143030x11 | FIRESTORM (NZ) | Chris Waller | Mark Du Plessis | 13 | 50kg | 94 | ||
| 20 | x270552623 | GALERON (IRE) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Ms Alysha Collett | 4 | 50kg | 91 | ||
| 21e | 421414×951 | FLOATING | Matthew Smith | Reece Jones | 20 | 50kg | 91 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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