Randwick Preview: Epsom Handicap Day 1/10/16

Oct 1, 2016
5 min read

Palentino is a top chance to give Darren Weir his first victory in Sydney in the Epsom

Picture: Vince Caligiuri, Getty Images

It's AFL Grand Final Day but for those who are bitten by the racing bug there is still plenty of great racing to look forward to around the country. The highlight of the day is clearly the Epsom Handicap and Metropolitan Handicap from Randwick. As well as that there is a great edition of the Premiere Stakes for the sprinters, the 1600m G1 Flight Stakes and two 2 year old races, one for the girls and one for the boys.

Randwick

The track is rated a Good (4) and the rail is out +3m the entire circuit.

Race 3 2000m APN Outdoor Craven Plate

Three-Year-Olds and Upwards. Standard Weight For Age. No class restriction, No sex restriction.

This race fell away very quickly following scratching and we are left with just 4 runners here. I'd be shocked if It's Somewhat didn't win here. He was good 1st up over 1400m on a Heavy track in the Tramway when a close 4th to Hauraki. Following that he chased him Winx in the George Main. He was beaten 4.6L on that occasion but he still ran 3rd ang getting beaten that far by Winx really isn't bad for this. His last run at 2000m was a 1.2L 3rd to Our Ivanhowe in the Doomben Cup at G1 level. He's $1.60 but even that short quote looks overs in this event.

Race 5 1200m The Star Roman Consul - Group 2 $297k

Set Weights plus Penalties. Three-Years-Old. No class restriction, No sex restriction. Apprentices cannot claim.

Again, another one that every man and his dog could find, but sometimes it's about just taking the obvious and cashing in. Astern was brilliant 1st up in the Run To The Rose over 1200m before demolishing a high quality group of 3 year olds in the Golden Rose at 1400m. Impending ran 3rd in that race and then came out and won the Stan Fox. He's only $1.50 but he might be the best 3 year old in the country and should win this. The only thing standing in his way is the Golden Slipper winner Capitalist. He was very poor 1st up in the San Domenico and the Snowden team stated the Soft track may have been to blame. He had a 49 day freshen up and went to the trials (on a slow track..) and looked fantastic as he has done in the past. He's $3.50 and it's worth having a saver on him in case he gets back to his best.

Race 7 1600m TAB Epsom Handicap - Group 1 $990k

Three-Years-Old and Upwards. No class restriction, No sex restriction. Handicap.

Darren Weir is still looking for his first winner in Sydney and he is a great chance to get it here with Palentino. Not many horses have won the Epsom as topweight in recent times but he looks to have the class to buck that trend. His record at 1600m is superb, having won the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes and the G1 Australian Guineas at his only attempts at the trip. His last win in the Makybe was very impressive. He settled back in the field off a pretty hot speed and powered home to win, beating last week's Underwood Stakes winner (Black Heart Bart) comfortably in the process. He's 4th up from a spell here and should be spot on.

There are plenty of dangers, as you would expect in an Epsom Handicap. Of those, Hauraki was a very good winner 1st up in the Tramway and then ran very well behind Winx in the George Main to only be beaten 1.3L. A repeat of that performance would see him very hard to beat here. Le Romain's only try at 1600m was a win in the Randwick Guineas defeating Press Statement. He's been good over shorter trips at his first three runs this time in, running 2nd on each occasion. He's suited back to 55.5kg here under the handicap conditions. Happy Clapper has a good record at 1600m and has been aimed at this race from the beginning of his prep. He has had two runs at 1400m and has run very well in both. Out to the mile and back to handicap conditions here suits and he's a great chance. The best of the lightweight chances in my eye is the Gai Waterhouse trained Fabrizio. He is only an 83 rater and carries 50kg but on his last run he must be some chance. He set a cracking tempo from the front over 1600m at this track and ran the rest of the field off their legs yet still managed to run home 0.2s slower than the fastest last 200m of the race. He ran 1.5s quicker than Winx did in the George Main on the same day! He is a chance to do the same again here with the light weight.

Race 8 2400m McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan Handicap - Group 1 $743k

Three-Years-Old and Upwards. No class restriction, No sex restriction. Handicap.

A horse of Who Shot Thebarman's quality is thrown in this race with 57kg on his back. He's a genuine top line stayer and looks to have returned in good order based on his lead up runs. I loved the way he ran through the line last start behind Hartnell in the Hill Stakes. His last 100m of that race were particularly good and he was running away from many key rivals here. He was 2nd in the G1 BMW at his last go at this distance range, beaten 0.2L by Preferment. His record at this track looks bad on paper but I would ignore that as many of those runs have been over unsuitably short distances early in his preparations. He was as much as $10 early in the week but that was quickly snapped up, he's in to around $6 with most agencies now. That figure still represents good value for him here.

His dangers include Magic Hurricane, who won this race last year and has been ticking along nicely. Grand Marshal is an honest horse and was 3rd in the BMW in the Autumn. Sir John Hawkwood was 2nd in the Brisbane Cup over this trip in the winter and resumed with a good 2nd behind McReery in the Kingston Town Stakes over 2000m. Getting up to this distance range suits and the stable have reported he's in career best form physically. Sacred Master is a New Zealander who won the 2200m Newcastle Cup last time. That was his first win on Australian soil and he won the G2 Avondale Cup over this trip last time in work in NZ. Antonio Giuseppe is a progressive type and gets in with 51kg. He has won his last 4 but jumping from a BM78 to a Group 1 is a massive ask, even if he drops 8kg in weight. Allergic is in good form and won over this distance last start but I don't think he runs this trip strongly enough to win this class of race. He also dislikes the firm going and last week might have taken a bit out of him on that hard track.