Ladbrokes Tip: The Chairman’s Handicap – Sydney Cup double is popular with punters each autumn

The ATC Chairman’s Handicap – or Chairman’s Quality – is a Group 2 status race for stayers held on Day 1 of Sydney’s ‘The Championships’ on the first Saturday in April* at Royal Randwick Racecourse.

*In 2021 the Chairman’s Handicap ran on the second Saturday of April with all race meetings of the autumn in Sydney from Slipper Day onwards postponed a week due to the weather.

One of the major Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival meetings, Doncaster Mile Day is headlined by four Group 1 races plus the Chairman’s Handicap contested over 2600m. The highlights on the card that the Chairman’s Handicap supports are the: Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m), Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m), Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) and the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

Offering a lucrative $300,000 in total prize money and open to horses aged three-years-old and above, the Chairman’s Handicap is a set weights clash and is a traditional lead-up to the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) back at Randwick the following Saturday.

Plenty of Sydney Cup winners and placegetters have come out of the Chairman’s Handicap in recent years with the last to complete the double being The Offer (2014). Other recent Chairman’s Handicap – Sydney Cup double winners include Jessicabeel (2010), No Wine No Song (2008) and Henderson Bay (2002).

Most recently in 2020 the Chairman’s winner Raheen House ran a next-up third in the Sydney Cup results.

The latest edition of the Chairman’s Handicap ran on Saturday April 10, 2021 and was won in an upset by the Kiwi Quick Thinker at 14/1. 

ATC Chairman’s Handicap Race Info

• Date: Saturday April 10, 2021
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 2600m
• Conditions: Quality Handicap
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $300,000
• First Run: 1979

2021 Chairman’s Handicap Results

The complete ATC Chairman’s Handicap 2021 Results and race finishing order will be available right here once the race is run and won on Saturday April 10, 2021.

• 1st: #4 Quick Thinker
• 2nd: #10 Rondinella
• 3rd: #12 Paths Of Glory

Quick Thinker ($15) enjoyed his first victory since his ATC Derby success on the same day 12 months earlier when scoring a narrow upset in the 2021 Chairman’s Handicap results on Doncaster Day.

Chairman’s Handicap Odds

Chairman’s Handicap betting markets favour proven stayers with form in Sydney over at least 2400m. Gallopers with winning form up or over the mile and a half have a top record stepping up to the 2600m of the Chairman’s Handicap, and the odds favour the best runners coming out of the NE Manion Cup the month before.

The Chairman’s Handicap – Sydney Cup betting double is also popular each Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, and the results of the former can impact the odds on the latter during ‘The Championships’.

2021 ATC Chairman’s Handicap Betting

Betting on the Chairman’s Handicap 2021 and odds for the Sydney Cup lead-up will be available below the week of the race so stay tuned for markets on the staying showdown.

Chairman’s Handicap Field

The Chairman’s Handicap field attracts proven stayers that are looking for the Sydney Cup ballot exemption on offer to the winner in the next Saturday’s iconic two mile clash.

The key lead-up for Chairman’s Handicap horses is Rosehill’s Group 3 NE Manion Cup (2400m) run the previous month over the mile and a half.

In recent years, Libran (2016) won both races before backing-up with a Sydney Cup second to Gallante while Big Duke (2017) also completed the NE Manion – Chairman’s Quality double the following year ahead of his third in the Sydney Cup results.

ATC Chairman’s Handicap nominations close the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday with the final field and barriers released on the Wednesday.

Libran (2016) won the Chairman’s Handicap before his second in the Sydney Cup next start over the two miles. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

2021 Chairman’s Handicap Field

The official ATC Chairman’s Handicap 2021 final field and barriers are set to be released by Racing NSW on Wednesday April 7, 2021 and will be announced in full below.

The 2021 Chairman’s Quality field has attracted 13 stayers chasing a final spot in Saturday week’s Sydney Cup field including the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Sacramento who ran third in the NE Manion Cup last start.

2021 Chairman’s Handicap Nominations

The early Chairman’s Quality 2021 nominations close the Monday leading-up to Doncaster Mile Day and will be available in full below once released.

Chairman’s Handicap Form Guide

The Chairman’s Handicap form guide details all the crucial info punters need before placing a bet like saddlecloth numbers, jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs.

Looking for horses that come off a run in the NE Manion Cup on the form guide is important as that Rosehill lead-up has provided lots of Chairman’s Handicap winners in recent years including Big Duke (2017), Libran (2016) and The Offer (2014) who all completed the double.

The Chairman’s Handicap form often stacks up the following Saturday back at Randwick Racecourse in the classic Sydney Cup. Both the 2017 (Big Duke) and 2018 (Sir Charles Road) Chairman’s Handicap winners ran third in the Sydney Cup next start.

In 2016 Libran backed up from a Chairman’s Handicap win to run second in the Sydney Cup, while The Offer (2014) completed the Chairman’s Handicap – Sydney Cup double. Jessicabeel (2010) also won the Sydney Cup after success in the Chairman’s the run before.

2021 Chairman’s Handicap Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Chairman’s Handicap 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Chairman’s Handicap Tips

Chairman’s Handicap tips favour horses with proven staying ability, previous form at Randwick and those that ran well in a lead-up race like the NE Manion Cup.

Favourites have a solid record in the race, with recent top fancies saluting for the punters being Libran (2016) and The Offer (2014) who both jumped at around $2 in the Chairman’s Handicap odds.

Big Duke ($2.45 in 2017) was the last favourite in Chairman’s Handicap betting to salute for the punters.

Tipping the favourite and backing the NE Manion Cup winner are top Chairman’s Stakes betting tips historically speaking.

2021 ATC Chairman’s Handicap Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive ATC Chairman’s Handicap 2021 best bets will be detailed below before the race takes place on the first Saturday of April so bookmark this page for the stayers to back and sack this autumn.

• To Win: #6 Sacramento ($4.40 at time of publish) 

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Pierro four-year-old looks a hard to beat favourite after his last start conqueror in the NE Manion Cup, English raider Favorite Moon, was a non-acceptor for the Group 2. Is ultra-consistent and doesn’t know how to run a bad race. Has winning form up to 2800m so the rise in distance here suits, plus he drops two kilos from last start.

Chairman’s Handicap Results

Proven Sydney stayers coming out of the NE Manion at Rosehill sitting in the top half of betting have dominated the Chairman’s Handicap results in recent years.

Chairman’s Handicap winners of note from the past decade include Libran (2016), The Offer (2014), Jessicabeel (2010) and No Wine No Song (2007-08).

Chairman’s Handicap Winners