Friday, March 16, 2012

Sydney Racing Carnival kicks off with the Randwick Guineas

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Manawanui – favourite for the Randwick Guineas – photo by Paul Rovere from The Age

There is no scheduled race meeting in Melbourne tomorrow, though there is a rather nice card at Moonee Valley tonight, which I shan’t be considering here.

I’ll be concentrating instead on the feature race at Randwick in Sydney tomorrow, the Group One Randwick Guineas, a race for three year olds over 1600 metres.  Manawanui is the current favourite, and deservedly so, as he technically won his last race, the Hobartville Stakes, only to lose out to an upheld protest. His biggest rival is  Mosheen, the only filly in the race, but what a super filly she is. She thrashed the boys in the Australian Guineas at her last outing and could well do it again. I’m really torn between the two of them and am reluctant to pick one above the other. 

However, it may not all go the favourites’ way as Hobartville Stakes eventual winner Wild And Proud from the Gai Waterhouse stable, could put up a fight, as might his unbeaten stable mate Lazer Hawk. Also worth consideration is Strike The Stars who has good, though not winning, form against Mosheen, running second to her in the Australian Guineas, albeit three lengths behind her.

The Peter Moody runner Moment of Change with the doughty Luke Nolen in the saddle is another in with a chance. He finished third behind Manawanui & Wild And Proud in the Hobartville. And then there’s  Ocean Park who has come from New Zealand with good form and Doctor Doom who won the Group One Spring Champion Stakes back in October last year.  Whatever eventuates, it looks a must watch race.

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