Today’s Randwick racing preview, tips and picks, April 18, 2020


Welcome to our preview and tips for racing at Royal Randwick on Saturday, April 18, the final day of the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

We finish the carnival on a high with two Group 1 races: the Champagne Stakes over a mile for two-year-olds and the All Aged Stakes, a weight-for-age contest over 1400 metres.

The Champagne Stakes is the final leg of the two-year-olds triple crown of the Golden Slipper, ATC Sires’ Produce and Champagne Stakes. The Slipper winner Farnan was sent for a spell after winning that race, but the Sires’ winner King’s Legacy is backing up to try to capture a second Group 1 race.

Australian racing is continuing in all states bar Tasmania in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, with racing’s strict biosecurity measures having been tightened further over the past few months. No non-essential people are allowed to enter the racecourses for thoroughbred, harness racing and greyhound meetings.

Our racing specialists at the World Gambling List were on the money with their selections on Day One and Day Two of The Championships, which are the jewel in the crown of the Sydney Autumn.

This week we will cover the two Group 1 races at Randwick in some depth and also provide our tips for some of the support races which include another four  group 3 races.

In the weeks to come, provided the racing in Australia continues, we will provide previews for the quality racing in Sydney, and also in Melbourne, South Australia and Queensland.

Read on for our free Randwick tips for Saturday, April 18, 2020.

Randwick Race 5: Champagne Stakes, 2.20pm local time (1600m)

This race dates back to 1861 and it’s always an intriguing contest with an eye to racing in the (southern hemisphere) spring. The Champagne Stakes is contested by many beautifully bred colts, geldings and fillies which are near the start of their careers. They step out the demanding Randwick 1600m which can quickly sort out the strong from the weak. Horses which have emerged in this race have often gone on to be contenders in many of the bigger races during their three-year-old classic year.

1.King’s Legacy fits the profile of a classic contender and is the hot favourite to add the Champagne Stakes to his group 1 ATC Sires’ win. In that race the blueblood son of Redoute’s Choice thundered home from back in the field to overhaul the impressive Prague, which looked to have the race in his keeping. Prague is not backing up in this race, while King’s Legacy looks even better suited out to 1600m. It’s hard to see any of the runners which finished behind him in the Sires’ turning the tables, with the possible exception of 6.Ole Kirk, which ran home well into fourth placing. King’s Legacy is in great hands; he is trained by Peter and Paul Snowden and is to be ridden by Hugh Bowman of Winx fame.

A couple of horses which skipper the Sires’ in 4.Holyfield and 5.Untamed, the latter which is a stablemate of the favourite. Holyfield and Untamed ran the quinella in a 1400m race at Rosehill three weeks ago, and Untamed has won again since to frank the form.

Suggested bet: We can’t knock the favourite but he is pretty short in the market at around $2.50. We think the better bet might be to try Holyfield or Untamed each-way at around the $8 and $12 mark respectively. Holyfield should be right on the pace throughout in what could be a slowly run race, while Untamed has already won over the Randwick mile and was strong through the line.

Randwick Race 7: All Aged Stakes, 3.40pm local time (1400m)

This is a race that often pits the out-and-out sprinters against the more middle-distance types, with 1.Pierata back to defend his All Aged title after winning the race in 2019. He is a high-class sprinter and bookmakers have made him favourite alongside the Godolphin three-year-old 11.Bivouac and 2.Santa Ana Lane.

Pierata is probably at his best at 1400m; from five starts over the distance he has two wins, two seconds and a third. He tends to get too far back against the real flyers over 1200m and just can’t make up the leeway, but at 1400m with not such a frenetic pace he should be in the first half-dozen here and get his chance in the big Randwick straight.

Santa Ana Lane returned to something like his best last start to run second in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes over 1200m but may not be best suited by barrier one in this race. He may well need luck to get a clear run through in the straight but there is no doubting his ability. When races are run to suit, he has a devastating turn of foot.

We are unabashed fans of Bivouac though he has become somewhat unreliable this campaign. His super win in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington has been surrounded by three other less than stellar performances this campaign.

Best bet: We are confident Pierata will be in the finish and he is at each-way odds. If you are looking for outsiders at big odds to give you a sight, we expect 3.Dreamforce to lead for a long way and he is at juice odds of better than 10-1. 13.Super Seth also has plenty of ability though might not be quite to these horses at this stage of his career. He does have champion jockey James McDonald on board for the first time so could improve at around the 20-1 mark.

 

Free tips for the support races at Randwick

Race 3: JHB Carr Stakes (Group 3):  2.Rubisaki is an outstanding filly and just a real winner, with seven wins and two seconds from her only nine starts. The only knock we have on her is the $1.50 price offered with bookies. She will probably win the race, but we are happy to have a small each-way bet on the untapped 8.Rocha Clock. She is also a highly promising type which has won three of her four starts in dazzling fashion and is prepared by former Godolphin Australian head trainer John O’Shea. WGL  tip: You should not go far wrong backing Rocha Clock each-way at around 12-1.

Race 8: TAB Hall Mark Stakes (Group 3):  This is a race for the second-tier sprinters and the market is dominated by the three Godolphin entries: 1.Trekking, 2.Kementari and 5.Deprive. The James Cummings-trained trio are all around the 4-1 mark in early betting, with 4.In Her Time the only other runner under double figures. We think Deprive is clearly the one to beat on the strength of his phenomenal record at Randwick. The five-year-old gets weight off both his stablemates and has won six of his seven starts at Randwick.  The 1200m is also his best distance. WGL tip: Back Deprive with confidence. We think the danger might be the promising 13.All Too Royal, though the wide gate is no help.

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