Saturday preview: six things to keep an eye on

Cover image courtesy of Peter Rubery

G2 Australia Stakes - the up-and-comers take on the proven

It has been a little while - Holler in 2016 - since this race was taken on by a three-year-old but it is a horse of that age who is favourite to take out this year’s running of this 1200-metre feature.

Veight (Grunt {NZ}) is yet to taste defeat first-up and comes off a game last start fifth in the G1 Coolmore Stud S. down the Flemington straight. He kicked off that spring campaign with a G3 McNeil S. success and should prove hard to toss at this, his Moonee Valley debut.

Fellow 3-year-old Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon) is also in the market; last seen contesting the G1 Caulfield Guineas. He has jumped out nicely and was able to kick off his last campaign (his first) with an easy maiden win over this trip at Geelong.

Gallery: 3-year-old up and comers take on the proven

He is a member of the Maher/Eustace stable who won this race two years ago with Marabi (I Am Invincible) en route to her G1 Oakleigh Plate success.

Several of his older rivals have good Strathayr form; namely Snapper (NZ) (Power {GB}) who has been out of form for a while but who has won four of his nine starts at the track.

Crosshaven (Smart Missile) and Curran (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) are also winners at the course and they could not be split when sharing second prize behind the exciting Sghirripa (Lonhro) in the G3 Standish a couple of weeks ago.

Maher and Eustace also saddle up Recommendation (Shalaa {Ire}), another Moonee Valley winner who brings consistent Sydney form to the race.

R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO - Te Akau again?

Te Akau have absolutely dominated this race in recent years and the tangerine and royal blue silks are once again very well-represented in this NZ$1 million feature… by three very nice juveniles.

The NZ$340,000 yearling Cool ‘N’ Fast (NZ) (Savabeel) who created a fine impression storming home to win at his Pukekohe Park debut on Boxing Day, the NZ$400,000 colt When Stars Align (NZ) (Zoustar) who was green but too good when kicking off his career at Trentham and the NZ$200,000 filly Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) who is also one start, one win.

Opie Bosson boasts the best record on Te Akau horses in this race (five wins) and he takes the ride on Cool ‘N’ Fast whose sire Savabeel has provided the team with two of their winners - Cool Aza Beel (NZ) and Probabeel (NZ).

Gallery: Cool ‘N’ Fast's (NZ) sire, Savabeel, has provided the team with two of their winners

Hardest for them to beat maybe a horse in different colours, but who is also a member of the Mark Walker and Sam Bergeson stable - Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) who was so gutsy overcoming trouble in running to take out the G2 Eclipse S. on New Year’s Day.

Adding interest with his good Australian form is Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan), winner of the Listed Phelan Ready S. at Eagle Farm in December.

R. Listed Karaka Millions 3YO - gelding vs filly?

The last race on an exciting evening card sees $1.5 million on offer for 3-year-old New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale graduates and it is a contest with plenty of winning form - including Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) who has won his last three and Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) who has two wins next to her name.

The NZ$110,000 purchase Pendragon was green but still too strong in the G2 Auckland Guineas having won his two previous races in easy fashion. He makes his own luck on pace and from the inside draw should prove hard to run down.

Molly Bloom has a wider draw to contend with but is also racing in flying form, proving herself the best of her age and gender with tough performances taking out the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas and the G2 Eight Carat Classic.

In the first of those races, she defeated Impendabelle (Impending) who has been Group 1-placed since. Pendragon also takes on horses he has already beaten including Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) who had excuses when last in the G2 Auckland Guineas.

His stablemate Talisker (NZ) (Embellish {NZ}) has been performing consistently as has Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) who enjoys the services of the in-form travelling jockey James McDonald.

Group racing action at Ellerslie - three strong races

Half of the races being contested at Ellerslie on Saturday evening are Group races - the G3 Almanzor Trophy (Race 1 over 1200 metres for 3-year-olds), the G3 Concorde H. (Race 2, a 1200-metre open spring) and the G2 Westbury Classic (Race 3 over 1400 metres for fillies and mares).

It is an odds-on favourite opening proceedings in the Almanzor Trophy with Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) expected to continue on his winning way having made it six from six with his tough all-the-way victory (off an awkward start) in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

The only other runner at single-figure odds is Merchant Queen (Merchant Navy) who is also undefeated though she faces her toughest test; her first black-type assignment on the back of her three game wins in differing conditions.

The Concorde is a much more even race with seven of the nine runners opening at single-figure odds! It is a definite check out the parade ring sort of race with this group of sprinters hard to split on form.

Gallery: Some of the strong contenders to race at Ellerslie on Saturday morning, images courtesy of Race Images

Imprevu (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}), Pertrucci (I Am Invincible) and Master Fay (Deep Field) are all last-start winners whilst Maven Belle (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) has drawn better than she did when finishing close up in the G1 Railway.

First-up since her Listed Matamata Cup third in October is the classy La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) who looks the likely favourite in the Westbury Classic.

Faraglioni (NZ) (El Roca) is fresh and down in grade of a G1 TAB Classic second in early December whilst Luberon (NZ) (Embellish {NZ}) was strong to the line when placed in the G2 Auckland Guineas won by Pendragon.

Listed Carrington S. - a historic feature

This 1400-metre Listed contest is the feature on Saturday’s Randwick card, and it is a race with considerable history - first run in 1886 and not once undergoing a name change - quite the feat!

It has been a while - Sunalong Lass (Sungazer) in 1989 and 1990 - since a horse has won this twice, an undertaking being faced by Cuban Royale (Casino Prince) who comes off a similar lead-up run as last year when he was successful at double-figure odds.

Special Reward (Demerit) took out the previous year’s running and his trainer Kris Lees saddles up a nice chance this time around - Ucalledit (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) who boasts good fresh form and an excellent (nine wins) 1400-metre record.

Tamerlane (Golden Horn {GB}) also comes to this with winning form, the Godolphin homebred too good in The Buffering at Doomben in late December. He has a trickier gate to contend with this time but is rarely far away.

The same can be said for the consistent Felix Majestic (Smart Missile) who was so game on pace in a fast run race last time out.

Adding interest to the race is the classy import Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) whose last two runs have been in the 2022 G1 WS Cox Plate and the G1 Mackinnon S. The 6-year-old is yet to win first-up but has tackled stronger races - kicking off his latest campaign in the G1 George Main S. won by Anamoe. He has been off the scene for a while but his latest trial ws solid.

Listed Durbridge S. - memories of the bold chestnut

Named after one of South Australia’s favourite sons - the handsome and classy chestnut Durbridge (Durham Ranger {USA}) whose 21 wins included six at Group 1 level - this 1100-metre Listed dash at Morphettville was first run in 1978.

Kicking off as the Waterford S., it has had a few name changes - known as the Durbridge since 1996 and since then won by such smart gallopers as Royal Ida (Star Pyramul) who made the race his own between 2005 and 2007, Kemalpasa (Magnus) who was first across the line in 2019 and 2022 and the multiple Group 1 winner Behemoth (All Too Hard).

Favourite to add his name to the honour roll this year is Aitch Two Oh (Headwater) who is first-up having kicked off her last campaign with a game on-pace second in similar company. Her trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly cheered home Kemalpasa in this race and they also saddle up Shaquero (Shalaa {Ire}) who was not far away when debuting for them (ex-Chris Waller) with gear changes.

The very fast and very well-travelled Savatoxl (Kuroshio) is a four-time winner at Morphettville - the highlight of his 19-win career coming in the 2021 G1 Goodwood H.

Picargo (Oamaru Force) also races well at the track and from seven second-up runs has been out of the placings only once. Also fond of Morphettville is Validated (Valentia) who ran on well in Melbourne last time out, Starlite Valley (Valentia) who had no luck at her last two starts in Victoria.

He is yet to win at the track, but Larimer Street (Brazen Beau) has a touch of class, last seen finishing a close second to Savatoxl in last year’s G3 DJ McKay S.- finishing third behind Aitch Two Oh in a recent Murray Bridge trial.