Spring racing heats right up this Saturday in Sydney with Chelmsford Stakes Day at Randwick. A crack bunch of gallopers will take their place, with a couple of key runners being Entirely Platinum, who gets his first taste at WFA level, and Hawkspur, who caught the eye second up in the Warwick and gets back the services of Jim Cassidy.

Special Offer: $250 FREE BET – Sportsbet

Race One (12:40pm) : TAB Early Quaddie Handicap (80) 1600m

Back Me: Hunter Jack for me in the opener. His three runs this time in have been very good and full of merit. First up he ran a closing sixth to Cluster at Rosehill, then ran fourth here to up and coming star As Needed before running that same position to Black Revolver. He is looking for the mile now, gets a wet track and should now be cherry ripe fitness wise. Hard to beat at respectable odds.
Big Danger: Devonshire Duke toughed it very strongly last time out at the Valley when on the speed and battling on for a narrow third to inform galloper Relentless. He comes to Sydney now to tackle easier company, and most importantly, get onto a wet track. Carries only 56kg after the claim, maps well, looks as if he’ll take some beating.
Roughie: Former country galloper Sonro made his debut for Con Karakatsanis in the Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury and I thought he was quite good there, making up ground late to run seventh to Mr Chard, beaten just over two lengths. He has won 14 races, so when you consider that, he is just about thrown in at the weights after the claim of Ichikawa.

Race Two (1:15pm) : National’s Jockey Trust Handicap (85) 2000m

Back Me: Slivovitz had little luck when racing over the mile here two back behind Bouzy Rouge, then stepped up to 2000m and was given a gun ride by Andrew Gibbons to win the Taree Cup after being well backed late. He has always promised to figure prominently in town, and that cup triumph might just be the confidence boost he needs to take the successful step to Saturday company. Finds a great race to take that step.
Big Danger: Brodie Loy pulled off a 12/10 steer on Surpass to get the horse home here a fortnight back, hugging the rails and lunging best to win. Normally, sticking near the inside on a heavy Randwick surface can be murder, but given this former kiwi is an absolute swimmer, it didn’t matter. He is tough, and with this being his fifth run back, he is at about his peak right now, and that should be good enough to see him go close here.
Roughie: Lucky Lucky Lucky has had two runs back from a break and has been quite solid at each outing. First up he ran fifth to Perfect Weapon at Warwick Farm, then charged home late at Rosehill when third to Black Revolver. 1500m quickly up to 2000m is the slight concern, but he is a good horse when right, and even though he is yet to be tested on wet ground, he did trial well on a slow surface late last year.

Race Three (1:50pm) : Coolmore Furious Stakes 1200m

Back Me: Despite the heavy track, Earthquake should be taking care of this bunch. She was simply breathtaking during the Autumn, kicking off with a win in the Blue Diamond Prelude before easily accounting for her rivals in the big one a fortnight later. She was then given a freshen up and set for the Golden Slipper. The race was hers to lose it seemed after her dominant Reisling triumph, and in the running of the Slipper, she looked home on the turn, but she couldn’t withstand the finishing burst of Mossfun and had to settle for second. Hasn’t trialled publicly, but from all reports, she has come back very well and is in for a big Spring. She can handle a wet track, even though it’s not an ideal starting point. Should win.
Big Danger: I’m very interested in how Memorial lines up here against her stablemate. She’ll always be number two to Earthquake as the best Godolphin filly, but from all reports she came back much bigger and stronger, and that was evident in her barrier trial at the start of the month behind Valentia. She then ran an excellent first up second to Bring Me The Maid in teh Silver Shadow. She does have the fitness edge on her stablemate, so a win from her wouldn’t 100% shock me.
Roughie: Sultry Feeling was crunched late in betting when resuming at Canterbury and didn’t let her supporters down with a dominant win, coming from off the pace. Takes a pretty good filly to beat the older mares so early into the new season, so while I doubt she can beat the top two, she’ll run a bold race for an in-form stable.

Special Offer 2: $250 FREE BET – Ladbrokes

Race Four (2:25pm) : Ming Dynasty Quality 1400m

Back Me: Really good race. I think Meursault is a star, and after his stunning debut win on the Hawkesbury stand alone meeting, he was immediately tipped out and set for the Spring. He could have easily gone north and won the J J Atkins, but Godolphin have their eyes on bigger and more juicy fish. He resumed in the Up And Coming, or the ‘Demolition Derby’ as it turned out thanks to Liberation. Meursault had no luck and it was best to forgive and forget. Giving him another chance.
Big Danger: Washington Heights tried very hard when resuming in the San Domenico, running second to Nostradamus. I think forget that Nostradamus went around last week due to the wet track, he is a good horse, so don’t think that form isn’t reliable. Washington Heights did run home powerfully on debut during the Randwick Carnival, running second to Hallowed Crown, the now Golden Rose favourite. He’ll give this a shake.
Roughie: He might not be the best three year old going, but one thing Valentia does have is plenty of toughness, as we saw in the Up And Coming. He got flattened pillar to post by his stablemate, Liberation, but kept finding for Tommy and ended up getting promoted to third on protest. I think he can roll forward here and possibly dictate, because there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of early speed engaged here, and if he can pinch a cheap furlong, he’ll take some running down.

Race Five (3:05pm) : Tatt’s Club Chelmsford Stakes 1600m

Back Me: I thought there was plenty of merit in the second up performance of Hawkspur in the Warwick Stakes. He was second up since the Queen Elizabeth and he was quite good I thought near the fence, sticking on quite solidly to run fifth to Tiger Tees. He loves the sting out of the ground, loves racing at Randwick and bolted home in last years edition of this race. He’ll take a power of beating.
Big Danger: Sacred Falls wouldn’t have lost any admirers with his fourth to Tiger Tees in the Warwick Stakes. He sat outside a very slow speed, and for a horse who is being set for the Cox Plate, he couldn’t produce the turn of foot to run down the leader and eventual winner. As we know, he absolutely loves the Randwick mile, especially if there is any give in it, and the aggressive Tye Angland takes the ride. Expecting a big run from him heading forward.
Roughie: Entirely Platinum is the interesting runner. He was nommed to run last week in the Premier’s Cup, but Team Hawkes didn’t accept and have instead saved him for the tougher assignment. His first up win at Rosehill was quite soft, aided by a gun McDonald ride. That form has been franked with the third placegetter winning the Premier’s Cup last Saturday. It’s his first go at WFA against some very good horses, which is the query, but there is a stack of upside with him.

Race Six (3:45pm) : Concorde Stakes 1000m

Back Me: Really good race. Rain Affair however looks the way to go for mine. Quite simply, he was horrendous in the Autumn, running dismally in three runs. In saying that, two of those runs were behind Appearance and the other behind stablemate Tiger Tees. Trials have been encouraging, runs well fresh and races well at Randwick. Only problem is that he won’t get it his own way in front with our Roughie, Didntcostalot, sure to keep him company out in front, and we know that he struggles when he is pressured. I’m just gambling that his class will get him home.
Big Danger: Big watch on the first up run of Sessions here. He was okay during the Autumn, but was plagued by wet tracks and we never really saw his best. He looked to trial exceptionally well recently behind Rain Affair, but it was on a good track. The weather is the key to this horse. If we can get a dead5/slow6, he’ll take a power of beating. Anything worse and he is a risk.
Roughie: Didntcostalot hasn’t raced since finishing near last in the W.J. Adams at Caulfield in February behind Shamal Wind. His form prior to that was solid without being spectacular, but his two trials to tune up for his return to raceday have been very impressive. Yes, he is a very fast horse, but he has beaten good horses with ease in both trials. Last 100m will be the query, but you’ll get a great run for your money.

Special Offer 3: $500 FREE BET – Luxbet

Race Seven (4:25pm) : Tatt’s Club Tramway Stakes 1400m

Back Me: One horse who won’t need the run and will prove awfully hard to hold out is Tiger Tees. it was a typical Tigers Tees effort in winning the Warwick Stakes- he didn’t look pretty in the straight, and looked a beaten horse several times, but he didn’t want to turn it up and kept digging under the urges of Schofield. He drops big time in class here and seemingly looks so well in at the weights. In saying that, he did carry 59.5kg to win first up at Flemington.
Big Danger: Forgive and forget that Weary went around in the Warwick Stakes. He was mapped and expected to run close to the speed, but he missed the kick and lost all chance after that, virtually handing Tiger Tees the race. His first up run was very good, and he earned enough credits in the bank to forgive him for last time out. In saying that, he does need to run top three here to warrant any serious consideration in the better races later on this Spring.
Roughie: Kirramosa resumed from her Crown Oaks triumph in the Spring last year with an outstanding sixth in the Missile Stakes behind Sweet Idea. When she got the gap 300m out, it looked as if she was going to be right in the finish, but given she was first up from a nine month break, she just tired late in the straight. I was concerned about her running flat second up, but she looked sharp in work last Tuesday, and given she is a Group l winner, I think she is so well in at the weights. Massive threat.

Race Eight (5:05pm) : TAB Rewards Handicap (85) 1400m

Back Me: Rock Sturdy didn’t look 100% happy in the going when racing here a fortnight back, but his class and sheer ability got him home by just under a half length in what was an even benchmark 85. He is heading towards better races, and despite the hefty impost of 60kg, he looks one of the better bets on the card.
Big Danger: Any signs of a wet track and Dowdston Charlie always has to come into serious contention, simply because he improves 5+ lengths when there is give in the ground. Forget he went around last start at Rosehill given he got too far back and the ground was quite firm when down the track to Black Revolver. Gets down to the minimum here and gets back to Randwick, where he seems to race best.
Roughie: Dream Choice made his debut for Team Snowden at Rosehill three weeks back and was very good there when fifth to Territory, beaten just over a length in a blanket finish. He did bolt in second up last time out before going on to perform quite well in town. Albeit that race second up last time was much weaker. Still, stable is flying and this will get every chance from a good draw.

Best Bet: Race Eight Number 1 Rock Sturdy

Next Best: Race Five Number 3 Hawkspur

Best Roughie: Race Four Number 7 Meursault

Quaddie Tips (Races Five Through To Eight):

Leg One: 1, 3, 7

Leg Two: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10

Leg Three: 1, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14

Leg Four: 1

$50 Investment = 34.01% of the dividend if successful.

We recommend BET365 for all Quadrella punters.