3 minute read

Group One racing is back in Sydney this week with the Surround Stakes headlining the card.

Big day of feature racing at Randwick but we're waiting until the last for the best of the day.

That comes in the form of Coal Crusher who is a thoroughly likeable animal. He's come back in super form having just had the best preparation of his life last time in, fourth in the Giga Kick Stakes and then winning The Hunter at Newcastle in fast time.

He was too good for King Of Sparta that day who turned the tables first up in the Expressway, but Coal Crusher was off a longer spell compared to King Of Sparta, and we've got him running right up to his Hunter win there.

If he runs to that sort of level here the others will find it hard to catch him, with a few first-uppers that are easy to pass over, including the very talented but also impossible to back Kovalica.

The up-and-comer is Whinchat who has won his past two very nicely but this is a big jump again from Bm88 grade to a Group 3, and even with the 7kg weight difference we have Coal Crusher a length or so to the good, with proper form on the board.

They should land 1-2 in run here with Whinchat outside Coal Crusher and especially with a slightly better price, I'm happy to back in Coal Crusher to out-tough him.

Found a value bet tough but the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) certainly has plenty of angles you could take. Not so much different form lines, but I think there is one runner the market has largely gotten rid of out of the Light Fingers, and that is Arctic Glamour.

She didn't have a good run, wide for the majority and copping a bump at the top of the straight which really put her on the backfoot and allowed Tiz Invincible to get the break on her. I thought she was strong through the line with the fastest last 200m of the race and 1400m looks her sweet spot.

Second up last preparation she was far too good for Joliestar who then went to Melbourne and won the Thousand Guineas over Kimochi so it all ties in nicely.

Despite all that, Arctic Glamour, who did start $6.50 in the Light Fingers, is out to $17 having run, I think, just as well as a couple of the others. If she can land a spot midfield I think she's very capable of getting into the finish.
 

SYDNEY SPECIALS

Bet of the day: Race 10 #2 Coal Crusher at $4.60

Each-way play: Race 8 #11 Arctic Glamour at $17/4.50