Royal Randwick will host the premier race meeting in NSW for a fourth consecutive weekend with the rescheduled Sydney Cup (Race 8) the headline act of Saturday’s meeting at headquarters.
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For the first time in history, the two-mile event has to be re-run following the controversial decision of stewards to enforce a mid-race abandonment following the life-ending injury sustained by Almoonqith.
While Assign and Venger Masque will stay at home, the remainder of the original field are back for another crack at it.
Total numbers have swelled to 14 through the inclusion of three additional runners.
Darren Weir’s Big Duke was one of a number of horses pulled up a long way from home.
While there’s been an interesting change of jockey (Glen Boss replaces the suspended Craig Williams), there’s been no significant alteration to his position atop betting markets.
While there’s no faulting what the horse has done since arriving in Sydney, we’re inclined to think his trainer’s reservations about the three-week gap since his Chairman’s win are well founded and are looking to take him on.
Corey Brown was one of a number of jockeys to criticise the stewards after riding Polarisation to ‘victory’ in the no-race and would love nothing more than asserting his horse’s staying superiority for a second time.
He’ll start a lot shorter in betting than the double figure quotes that were once available and looks pretty durable despite a minor fetlock complaint earlier in the week.
The stable’s other runner, Penglai Pavilion, also figures prominently in betting and should benefit from the addition of winners for the re-run.
The new inclusions should add a different dimension to the race with Lasqueti Spirit likely to take up a front-running role in the same fashion that carried her to victory in last year’s Crown Oaks.
While she has plenty of race fitness on her side, we can’t help but feel she’ll struggle to run out a strong two miles against some proven stayers.
Boom Time, meanwhile, enters this off the back of an emphatic win at Caulfield last weekend and will be making his first ever start in the harbour city.
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Tips:
- Big Duke
- Polarisation
- Penglai Pavilion
- Lasqueti Spirit