The action of Adelaide’s Autumn Racing Carnival steps up a notch this Saturday, May 2, with a double shot of Group 1 racing heading the Morphettville race card.
A total of four Group status races are on the Australasian Stakes Day program including the meeting’s namesake race for three-year-old fillies, the $400,000 Group 1 Schweppes Australasian Oaks (2000m).
Three last-start winning fillies dominate the capacity field for the Oaks including our favourite in the Adelaide Race 5 markets here at Ladbrokes, Fontein Ruby ($3.40).
Get a Bonus Bet on the Oaks at Morphettville this weekend if your horse runs 2nd or 3rd with us at Ladbrokes!
The other elite level, and arguably the better quality race, is the fillies-and-mares-only $400,000 Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m).
A weight-for-age sprint famously won by the mighty Black Caviar during her South Australian raid of 2012, this year’s Robert Sangster jumps as Morphettville Race 7 and our markets are dominated by Vain Queen ($4.60) and former Blue Diamond winner Miracles Of Life ($6).
Feature Races
Race 5 – $400,000 Group 1 Schweppes Australasian Oaks (2000m)
Robert Smerdon’s flying Turffontein filly Fontein Ruby is the clear favourite in Oaks betting this weekend after back-to-back Melbourne wins over the mile. She’s been up to the 2000m before and boasts a win at the distance, but this is a rise in class. She’s handled good fields before though and gate two aids her cause with a likely firm track. She’s followed in the odds by the value bet of the race Fenway ($4.80) coming off a Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) win over the distance against a class line-up. Adding intrigue is Perth raider Delicacy ($6) coming off back-to-back 2400m wins at home in the WA Oaks and WATC Derby. Chris Waller’s Frank Packer Plate runner-up to Hi World Wine Tales ($9) rounds out the single figure hopes.
Click here for our Australasian Oaks betting market
Race 7 – $400,000 Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m)
A sprint for the female gallopers who could back-up in The Goodwood, the Robert Sangster features 17 runners this autumn including John Sadler’s widely-drawn favourite Vain Queen ($4.60). The Artie Schiller five-year-old remains our top pick despite drawing gate 13, her Group 1 second in the William Reid in Melbourne last time out a very nice run. The main danger in our markets is the now Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Miracles Of Life ($6) who actually began her career in SA and who was good in her The Galaxy third last start. Four-year-olds have the best Robert Sangster record, but aside from Miracles Of Life all the top chances this year are older. That includes the two other single figure hopes Avoid Lightning ($8) and Platelet ($9) who are both six-year-olds. Avoid Lightning ran 10th in The Galaxy before atoning at Randwick on April 11 with a Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) win, while 2013 Robert Sangster winner Platelet is looking to improve on her second in the race from 12 months ago.
Click here for our Robert Sangster Stakes betting market
Supporting Races
Race 6 – $175,000 Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m)
Plenty of livewire chances in the day’s other fillies-and-mares’ feature, including the widely-drawn Girl In Flight out in barrier 13, the recent Group 2 Sunline Stakes runner-up having her third start at the track. Third in the Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley in late March, Marianne is another Melbourne raider with claims in this race, Hugh Bowman riding the consistent Leon & Troy Corstens-trained four-year-old who comes off a Listed Anniversary Vase (1400m) third at Caulfield. Fourth in the same race, the Neville Parnham-trained Perth visitor Bippo No Bungus backs up in this also, while the top local hope looks to be Cavaloce. The Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas-trained four-year-old has Clare Lindop riding and was runner-up against easier company at this track and distance last start. In the outside gate (12) meanwhile is the John Sadler-trained Choisir filly Japhils who won at Morphettville Parks last start in the Listed Nitschke Stakes (1400m) to earn this assignment.
Click here for our Queen Of The South Stakes betting market
Race 8 – $115,000 Group 3 DC McKay Stakes (1100m)
Last on the card at Adelaide is the fourth Group race, a handicap clash for the genuine sprinters. The Richard Jolly-trained Karacatis has the 59kg top weight, but a nice barrier four draw for his second-up assignment. His first-up fifth in the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) here on April 18 left a bit to be desired, but his record at the track and distance is imposing (9-4-3-0). Daytona Grey is the big challenger, Clare Lindop in the saddle of the five-year-old who is still a big hope from barrier 10 after his strong RN Irwin victory over a similar class of rivals. He is joined in this field by stablemate Nearest To Pin, on 57kg along with Vatican. David Jolly also has a dual-pronged attack on this race with his last start Oakbank Stakes winning mare Streetcar Isabelle and likely roughie Spirits Dance. Yesterday’s Song is also a last start winner seeking another victory here, Michael Moroney’s Melbourne visitor having carried 60.5kg to victory at Geelong over this distance last start from the outside alley (12), so from gate one with only 55kg in this has genuine claims on Saturday.