A Day On The Punt - The Championships Day One

Australian money

5.25pm
Our tip Arabian Gold ($6.50) gets home in the last at Randwick to round off a winning day at The Championships.
Hope you found a few winners. Summing up the day's highlights, Lankan Rupee was super in the TJ Smith, Sacred Falls made it back-to-back Doncasters, and Criterion was brave in winning the AJC Derby on a testing, wet track.
Sportal will have another race-by-race guide to day two of The Championships up on the website Friday afternoon.
And our raceday blog will return next Saturday, with the Queen Elizabeth Stakes the feature race of the day.

5.02pm
Back-to-back Doncaster Mile victories for Sacred Falls and Chris Waller trains the first four home. Hope you followed the tip, with our on-top selection Sacred Falls in from $12 early in betting to $10 at the jump. Royal Descent ($8.50) was second, with Weary ($4.40) third. Hopefully we can round things off with another winner in the last. Like Arabian Gold and Amanpour in this at around the $7.50 mark, but New Zealander Lady Cumquat holds favouritism at $4.40 for the last on a super day of racing.  RACE REPORT


4.20pm
Bad news for blokes everywhere. That's TJ Smith winner Lankan Rupee's sixth straight win and third successive Group 1 since being gelded. My personal view is that winning isn't everything… But seriously, what a great performance by the best sprinter in the country. Lankan Rupee ($3.80) absolutely smashed them. Rebel Dane ($9) just nutted Buffering ($10) for second. The big one next - the Doncaster Mile - as the rain continues to drizzle down.
Much of the business betting-wise was done prior to raceday here. Weary ($5.50) has clearly been the best backed runner this week with Sportingbet, and will start favourite. Sacred Falls ($12) also hasn't moved. Messene, Royal Descent, Hawkspur and El Roca are all between $6 and $11. A great race awaits.

 


3.45pm
Criterion ($2.90) proved himself the country's best staying three-year-old with a brave win in the Group 1 AJC Derby (2400m) for jockey Hugh Bowman. Tupac Amaru ($16) fought hard for second, with Hooked ($31) third. Australia's in-form sprinter Lankan Rupee heads the market at around $4 for race 7, the Group 1 TJ Smith (1200m). He's won six of seven since being gelded, including two Group 1s. Overseas visitor Gordon Lord Byron ($5.50) is rock-solid in betting, while Buffering and Sweet Idea ($9) are next best among a field packed with Group 1 winners. The field is being led out by now-retired star Takeover Target, who won this race superbly a few years ago in perhaps his best career performance.

3.05pm
The first of the day's Group 1s is run and won by Peggy Jean ($3.80), who fought doggedly to beat Scratch Me Lucky ($26). They gapped the rest, with Cornrow ($26) third. Eventual favourite Believe Yourself was struggling from the turn and looks to have had enough this prep. Clearly her big Golden Slipper run last week has taken its toll. Betting for race 6, the Group 1 AJC Derby, is dominated by Criterion. The Rosehill Guineas winner is around the $3 mark with Sportingbet, and has been well backed all week from $3.80 at the open. Thunder Fantasy ($7) and Singing Flame ($9) are the only others under double figures.

 


2.22pm
The market got race 4 absolutely right. Heavily-backed The Offer ($2.50) just ploughed through the mud for a comfortable win. Tremec ($17) was second, and Hippopus ($8.50) third. Winning jockey Tommy Berry's twin brother Nathan died 10 days ago, and his blown kiss to the heavens passing the winning post showed what the victory meant to him. Race 5, the AJC Sires Produce, has spun right around betting-wise. Peggy Jean is now a heavily backed favourite at around the $3 mark, displacing stablemate Believe Yourself who ran so well in last week's Golden Slipper. Plenty of money yesterday and earlier today for Peggy Jean. Still like Believe Yourself if she handles the seven-day backup and the distance rise.

 

1.42pm
Big race 3 win to Victorian visitor Politeness ($9), who finally delivered on her promise with a Group victory. She beat Cosmic Endeavour ($15) and Miniature ($15) in a race showing us the swoopers can have an impact at Randwick today, and being drawn wide may not be as big a disadvantage as you might think. Another Victorian, Sertorius, and The Offer dominate betting for race 4. Both opened at $2.50 and should drift a little. Little bit of money for Opinion ($6 into $5.50).

1.20pm
Excellent win to Gypsy Diamond ($2.70) in race 2, from Casino Dancer ($26) and Rock Sturdy ($6). What Gypsy Diamond did is hard to do - give weight to males, miss the start, and beat them. Top effort. Follow Rock Sturdy next time out. He was a bit unlucky. Randwick has been hit by more rain between races as race 3 looms. Really keen on Bound For Earth and Calming Influence here, who are both getting out to nice odds. Betting-wise, Northern Glory will go to the post favourite around the $5 mark. Support for Flight Academy, and Scatcat and Mesmereyeser at odds.

12.45pm
Good win to Hallowed Crown ($12) in the opening race, beating Washington Heights ($7.50) and Klammer ($7.50). But a sad way to start the day as leader I Am Snippety broke down badly in the straight. Rain has started again ahead of race 2. Gypsy Diamond has been heavily backed in recent days, and opened at $2 on track. A filly being asked to carry more weight than the males and beat them is a tough ask, but she's won at Group 2 level before.
Sinjoren ($17) is my top pick here, and don't leave Rock Sturdy and roughie Cast In Stone out of your multiples. Betting-wise, most of the business has been done before raceday, and most of it's been for Gypsy Diamond. Little nibble for Malice ($9 into $8.50).
 

12.05pm
Not much doing betting-wise ahead of race 1, with three first starters doing battle with a seemingly even bunch of two-year-olds on exposed form. Gai Waterhouse's Donelle will go to the post favourite around the $4.20 mark. First starters Kaepernick and Redoutable Heart have really drifted in betting, but another first starter Washington Heights is reasonably solid. Still like Redoutable Heart and Washington Heights at odds in a difficult race. Both trialled really well.

11.30am
It's Day One of The Championships at Randwick racecourse in Sydney. Four Group 1s, and all Group races on a nine-race card. It's just rained, and there's more on the way. Track is a genuine heavy (9), and don't expect it to get any better than heavy all day. But the redeveloped Randwick looks great, and the track does look in decent order ahead of the first at 12.15pm. Two key scratchings to be aware of. Boban is out of the Doncaster Mile, which is Race 8 at 4.30pm. Trainer Chris Waller says he doesn't want to run Boban on a heavy track ahead of his main target next week, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Also Zoustar, who had been supported in the TJ Smith Stakes (race 7, 3.50pm), is scratched. I'll try to update you ahead of each race with any market moves, and you can find Sportal's race-by-race betting guide here . So bookmark this page, return often, and hopefully we can find you a winner.

 

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