Ladbrokes Tip: Sydney stayers have a dominant recent record in The Metropolitan over interstate runners

The Metropolitan is a well-known handicap race conducted at Randwick Racecourse in early October each Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. Worth $750,000 in prize money, the staying classic is conducted over 2400m and The Metropolitan winner takes out over $430,000 in prize money. Held on Epsom Handicap Day that features three Group 1 races, The Metropolitan Handicap was first run in 1863 and has held elite level status since 1979. Originally called the Great Metropolitan Stakes it was run on the Labour Day holiday on the first Monday in October until 2004. Many top stayers have enjoyed success in The Metropolitan over the years including Magic Hurricane (2015), Railings (2005), Ming Dynasty (1978) and Redcraze (1956).

Each spring The Metropolitan winner is exempt from ballot for the following autumn’s $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes race in Sydney.

This year The Metropolitan Handicap ran on Saturday October 5, 2019 and was won by Come Play With Me for trainer Chris Waller. 

2019 The Metropolitan Handicap Results

The official The Metropolitan 2019 results and race finishing order will be provided below once the race takes place on Saturday October 5, 2019.

• 1st: #8 Come Play With Me
• 2nd: #2 Gallic Chieftain
• 3rd: #11 Sir Charles Road

Trainer Chris Waller posted four Group 1 wins in Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday including The Metropolitan 2019 victory by Come Play With Me.

The Metropolitan Race Info

• Date: Saturday October 5, 2019
• Track: Royal Randwick Racecourse
• Distance: 2400m
• Conditions: Handicap
• Status: Group 1
• Prize Money: $750,000
• First Run: 1863

The Metropolitan Handicap Betting

The Metropolitan Handicap betting markets open as soon as the nominations for the mile and a half classic close in late August each Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. Futures betting on Group 1 races like The Metropolitan give you the chance to lock in juicy prices on potential runners. Many punters however prefer to wait until the field is released and The Metropolitan odds are often led by horses that ran well in races like the Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup, the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality or Caulfield’s Group 3 Naturalism Stakes.

Horses that come off nice lead-up runs in Sydney, are well-weighted in The Metropolitan weights and older gallopers traditionally sit at the top of The Metropolitan odds each season.

2019 The Metropolitan Odds

The season’s updated The Metropolitan 2019 betting odds and links to our markets will be available below so make sure you stay tuned for access to the best Group 1 Randwick racing odds online.

The Metropolitan Handicap Field

The Metropolitan field has a capacity of 18 starters but hasn’t had the maximum number of runners line up on race day since 2005 when Railings won from barrier 14 of 18. The final field of The Metropolitan acceptances is out on the Wednesday before the race runs on the Saturday and is considered a nice lead-up for Melbourne-bound hopefuls that could back-up in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup. The Metropolitan nominations meanwhile close in late August with up to 100 runners making up the early entries.

The Verminator (2011) scored a big upset win at The Metropolitan odds of $21. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

Horses come into The Metropolitan field via a number of different lead-up races, a number of which offer a ballot exemption to the winner into the Group 1 including the Newcastle Gold Cup. The last galloper to complete the Newcastle Cup – The Metropolitan double without another run in between was Glencadam Gold (2012).

2019 The Metropolitan Field

The official The Metropolitan 2019 Final Field & Barrier Draw is set for release the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below, so stay tuned to see what spring stayers make the starting line-up in the mile and a half feature.

Trainer Chris Waller dominates the 2019 The Metropolitan field saddling-up six of the 17 final acceptors including the clear favourite, Naturalism Stakes winner Brimham Rocks.

Scratchings: #16 Supernova (13), #17 The Good Fight (6) and #10 Haripour (16) have been scratched. All three horses instead head to Flemington on Saturday chasing the Melbourne Cup ballot exemption in the Group 3 Lexus Bart Cummings.

2019 The Metropolitan Nominations

Early nominations for The Metropolitan 2019 are taken by Racing NSW in early September and the full list of entries will be published below once announced.

The 2019 The Metropolitan nominations drew 94 gallopers including Chris Waller’s Chelmsford Stakes third placed mare Girl Tuesday and the autumn’s ATC Derby winner Angel Of Truth.

The Metropolitan Handicap Tips

The Metropolitan tips are often a mixed affair with the race know to attract a big field. Winners of the race in recent years have come via a host of different lead-ups and the only last start winner to back up and take out The Metropolitan since Railings (2005) was Glencadam Gold (2012). He was trainer Gai Waterhouse’s eighth champion in the event making Waterhouse-trained runners a good The Metropolitan Handicap tip each spring.

Other key The Metropolitan betting tips include looking for horses weighted 55.5kg and under and those coming off a Sydney lead-up run.

2019 The Metropolitan Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive The Metropolitan 2019 tips and Randwick exotic betting selections will be detailed for punters below the week of Epsom Handicap Day.

The Metropolitan Handicap Form Guide

The Metropolitan Handicap form guide lists all of the final acceptors, their barriers, jockeys, trainers and allocated weights. The winning weight range in the race over the past decade ranges from a light 50.5kg to 56kg that Opinion (2014) carried to victory for trainer Chris Waller. Junoob originally won the 2014 race but was later disqualified for a failed drug test. The race favourites meanwhile aren’t always the most likely to win in this spring major with just two saluting since 2005 with plenty of long-priced roughies scoring an upset including Newport (40/1 in 2008) and The Verminator (20/1 in 2011).

The Metropolitan Form Facts

• Foundry (2017), Seville (2013) and Newport (2008) were the only The Metropolitan winners from 2008 – 2019 to come off a non-Sydney lead-up race
• Since 2005 just one horse came off a victory before winning The Metropolitan with Glencadam Gold (2012) who took out the Newcastle Gold Cup
• Favourites have a poor recent record in The Metropolitan results with only two saluting from 2006-19
• Since Railings (2005) no The Metropolitan winner has been younger than five-years-old
• Trainer Gai Waterhouse holds the record with eight The Metropolitan winners

2019 The Metropolitan Form

A link to our detailed The Metropolitan 2019 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

The Metropolitan Handicap Results

The Metropolitan results display the exact finishing order of all the starters, any scratched horses, the winning margin, time, weight and starting price of each galloper. In recent years The Metropolitan Handicap results have been dominated by Sydney-trained horses coming off lead-up runs in New South Wales. Favourites only have an average record in The Metropolitan results of the past decade, with the last to salute for the punters being Magic Hurricane (2015).

Notable recent The Metropolitan winners include Coco Cobanna (2000) who is the last mare to win, Glencadam Gold (2012) and Sir John Hawkwood (2016).

Winners of The Metropolitan