Chris Waller’s in-form stablemates Metal Bender and Triple Honour are the two betting favourites in this Saturday’s $175,000 Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Metal Bender and Triple Honour finished 1-2 in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes last start and will face off again when they contest the 2010 Chelmsford Stakes, which is the next feature race of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.
Five-year-old Metal Bender was super impressive in his first-up win a fortnight ago and will be hard to beat again on Saturday having drawn ideally on the rails.
Presenting the biggest danger to Metal Bender making it back-to-back Group 2 success is Triple Honour.
Making their third straight appearance in the Chelmsford after finishing second in 2008 and third last year, Triple Honour is already a Group 1 winner having taken out the Doncaster Mile two years back and looks in career best form.
Both of these geldings are likely to top the [sportsbet] markets on the race when the betting opens this afternoon.
In a quality nine-horse final field for the Chelmsford Stakes, other horses with claims are Peter Snowden’s improving mare Purple who ran an eye-catching fourth in the Warwick Stakes last start, and the Gai Waterhouse-trained Theseo to be ridden by Nash Rawiller from barrier four.
The 2010 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes is due to jump as race five at Randwick’s eight-event meeting on Saturday.
Two other great Group features will also take place on the day with the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1400m) featuring Silver Shadow Stakes winning filly Parables, and the Group 3 Tramway Handicap (1400m) attracting a capacity field including 2010 Melbourne Cup hopeful Jessicabeel.
Punters looking for the best odds on all of these Randwick Races should avoid the TAB and sign up to online bookie [sportsbet]. When you win with [sportsbet] you win more and to get you started they have a free $100 be waiting for new customers!
2010 Chelmsford Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
| # | Horse | Trainer | Rider | Br. | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | THESEO | Gai Waterhouse | Nash Rawiller | 4 | 59 |
| 2 | METAL BENDER (NZ) | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 1 | 59 |
| 3 | TRIPLE HONOUR (NZ) | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 6 | 59 |
| 4 | NO WINE NO SONG | Kevin Moses | Tim Clark | 5 | 59 |
| 5 | RAINBOW STYLING (NZ) | M, W & J Hawkes | – | 8 | 59 |
| 6 | GET UP JUDE | Kevin Moses | – | 9 | 59 |
| 7 | COUNT ENCOSTA | John P Thompson | Brenton Avdulla | 2 | 58.5 |
| 8 | PURPLE | Peter Snowden | – | 7 | 57 |
| 9 | RUN FOR NAARA | John P Thompson | Tye Angland | 3 | 56.5 |
