Ten races will be run and won at Royal Randwick this Saturday with their Surf To Turf Day race meeting officially marking the start of the 2025 Sydney Everest Carnival.
With $1m up for grabs, the 7 Stakes will headline the premiere raceday and with nine of the eleven acceptors having triumphed at Group 1 level, it’s certainly a high class field.
Also to be contested is the Group 2 The Shorts which is a vital lead up event to The Everest, to be run on October 18th.
A further three black type events will be contested on the program ensuring a brilliant day of racing and I’ve provided my best bets for each race below.
OTONO just looked to peak on her run late when resuming over 1400m here a fortnight ago and she will have taken plenty of benefit from the outing.
A daughter of The Autumn Sun, she put the writing on the wall last campaign, notching up three wins from her five starts.
Two of those victories were over the mile and they were full of merit as she settled well back and powered home over the top of them to score.
With that first run under her belt, she looks ideally placed stepping out to 1600m.
| 9. Otono (8) J: Jason Collett 55kg 411×6T: Kerry Parker |
SOCIAL CIRCLE is unbeaten in two career starts and looks to have plenty of upside.
The daughter of Maurice made her debut in fine style, with a four-length romp at Quirindi back in February and she was equally as impressive as she made her return at Scone earlier this month.
Sent straight to the front off the outside draw, she travelled strongly in the lead and when given a squeeze at the top of the straight, she kicked away to score.
The official margin was 3.9 lengths as she was eased down in the final stages.
She does rise in grade, but she looks above average and gate six should see her afforded every chance under Zac Lloyd.
| 15. Social Circle (5) J: Zac Lloyd 54kg 1×1T: Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich |
GUMDROPS returns to the races.
The Written Tycoon mare just had the three runs in Brisbane last preparation, which was her first under Chris Waller and not a lot went right for her.
Given time, I think she can bounce back to her best.
A talented mare on her day, she recorded her first stakes win when taking out the Listed Crockett Stakes at just her third race start and following a break, she returned in top order to take out the Group 3 Typhoon Tracey Stakes at her second run back.
She cruised through a line in a recent Gold Coast trial, and she’s obviously going well for the team to bring her back to Sydney.
She’s proven first up, the 1200m looks to be her ideal distance and Nash Rawiller will take the reins.
| 5. Gumdrops (10) Scratched: | |||
TUILERIES comes of a deserved win at Warwick Farm and I think she can go on with it.
She failed to let down on the heavy track at her prior start and just got too far back when resuming.
Whilst the margin wasn’t grand last start, she did it comfortably and it was solid effort in soft conditions under the 60kg impost.
Only lightly raced, the So You Think mare has shown plenty of talent, but wide draws have proven costly.
She does draw tricky here, but the 1400m suits and if Kerrin McEvoy can slot her in and find cover early, she’s sure to be strong late.
| 13. Tuileries (12) Scratched: | |||
There was a lot to like about the first up run of VAUBAN, and he’ll certainly relish stepping up in trip for the 2025 Kingston Town Stakes.
The former European galloper kicked off his Spring campaign in the Chelmsford, where he travelled beautifully behind the leading pack and worked home strongly into third.
His second preparation on Australian soil having joined the Waterhouse / Bott team following last year’s Melbourne Cup, he had no trouble settling in as he saluted first up in Sky High back in back in March before a solid effort to finish third in the Tancred Stakes.
He looks to have returned in top order, and I think he’ll continue to improve as he steps out over more ground.
Tim Clark takes the reins, and he draws to get the right run.
| 3. Vauban (5) J: Tim Clark 57kg 130×3T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
TUPAKARA was simply brilliant when resuming in the Furious Stakes and she looks well placed to get her first win on the board.
The daughter of Trapeze Artist settled well back off the wide gate and when she balanced up at the top of the straight, she powered home down the outside to claim second, beaten only a neck.
She’s now been placed in four of her seven starts, all of which have been at stakes level and she’s certainly knocking on the door.
The rise to 1400m second up for the 2025 Tea Rose Stakes looks ideal and most notably, the blinkers go on for the first time.
James McDonald stays aboard for team Archibald, and the low draw can see her settle within striking distance.
| 2. Tupakara (3) J: James McDonald 56kg 323×2T: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
BOSUSTOW resumes.
The Blue Point entire has put in some top performances in his last couple of campaigns and I think he’ll continue to progress through the grades.
He kicked of his winter preparation with a dominant six length victory in the Group 3 Ken Russell at the Gold Coast and whilst he was a touch plain second up, he produced a terrific effort in the Stradbroke Handicap, charging home into fifth after finding trouble in the straight.
He lines up here off two solid trials and the 1400m first up looks ideal in the 2025 Bill Ritchie Handicap.
| 4. Bosustow (9) J: Josh Parr 57kg x165xT: Annabel & Rob Archibald |
FANGIRL returns to Sydney after kicking off her campaign in the Memsie Stakes, where settled a long way back closed off nicely into fourth.
I thought it was a very encouraging effort given that she never looked overly comfortable around Caulfield.
She strips fitter for the run, and she’ll relish getting back to Randwick, where she’s recorded eight of her eleven career victories.
A high-class mare, she boasts an excellent second up record and the rise to the mile suits.
James McDonald knows how to get the best out of her, and I think she’s the one to beat.
| 11. Fangirl (3) J: James McDonald 57kg 221×4T: Chris Waller |
PRIVATE HARRY will launch his Everest campaign here in The Shorts and I think he can keep his unbeaten record intact.
The Harry Angel entire worked his way from a maiden win to group one glory in just a handful of runs and there’s no telling how far he’ll go.
He stamped himself as a star sprinter with a strong win in the The Galaxy before a well-earned break and his recent trials show that he has returned in fine order.
He takes on some very smart gallopers but over the 1100m, I think he’ll prove too sharp for them.
| 2. Private Harry (5) J: Ashley Morgan 58kg 11x1xT: Nathan Doyle |
There was plenty to like about the first up run of LORD PENMAN and the former Kiwi will have taken plenty of improvement from it.
Having his first start on Australian soil, the son of Contributor was restrained to settle in the second half of the field over the 1200m at Randwick and finished off strongly to claim second, beaten only a neck.
Lightly raced, he’s working through his grades with relative ease having recorded four wins and three second placings from just eight starts and I think he’ll keep improving.
He steps out to the mile for the first time but the way he finishes off his races suggests it will suit and he gets James McDonald to steer from the inside draw.
| 5. Lord Penman (1) J: James McDonald 59kg 191×2T: Chris Waller |