3 minute read
Racing returns to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday with no less than seven Group races with the feature the $600,000 Group 1 Coolmore Classic.
There's plenty of value on offer with only one event featuring an odds-on pop (Zougotcha in the Phar Lap Stakes) and many being $4 and $5 the field.
The babies get their last chance to get into the Golden Slipper line-up with the running of two Group 3's, the Pago Pago for the boys and Magic Night for the girls.
The Pago Pago looks to have a few chances at the top of the board with last-start winner Maharba being well in the market from the in-form Grahame Begg yard. Introducing was a strong winner on debut and Shinzo has been right there in both runs to date. Regardless of the result I'm not sure the Slipper winner will be coming from this lot.
The Magic Night features our best bet of the day with Steel City looking to bounce back from a chequered passage in the Blue Diamond a fortnight ago. Some say she still hasn't gotten out. She draws the inside alley here with Bayliss on board and with any luck should be fighting out the finish. This contest looks to have a bit more depth than the colts and geldings edition and the winner could play a role in the world's richest race for two-year-olds on March 18.
The Group 1 Coolmore Classic is a wide open affair with a stack of chances, but we've lobbed with Annavisto who couldn't have been more impressive when resuming at Flemington. Drawn a bit sticky but gets Nash on top and should be in for a very nice campaign. There are plenty in the mix however with Hinged, Hope In Your Heart, Ruthless Dame and Espiona all live hopes.
Our each-way bet of the day comes in the form of Bandersnatch in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes. He returned in fine fashion with a closing third behind what might turn out to be a pretty smart one in Think About It. He gets an extra furlong here and is drawn perfectly for Ryan Maloney in gate two. At the odds he looks a decent 1 x 3 type prospect.
SYDNEY SPECIALS
Best: Race 4 #6 Steel City
Each-way: Race 9 #1 Bandersnatch