SuperCoach Racing: Rob Sutherland’s Mackinnon Stakes Day stable picks

It’s the final round of SuperCoach Racing for the season and it’s a tough way to go out with plenty of awkwardly priced runners.

Who will you pick in your SuperCoach Racing stable on Mackinnon Stakes Day?

It’s the final round of SuperCoach Racing for 2021 and we’ve two quality Group One races to see us out along with a particularly tricky Group Two and a couple of Group Threes - one of which has just six runners!

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For those who are new to this column, each week I rank the leading contenders that offer a, hopefully, winning blend of popularity in the betting market and cheap SuperCoach price.

To compare apples with apples I have added a weighting to reflect the different points on offer for Group 1, 2, 3 and non black type races.

Below I list the 20 top rated horses, run through the stable I have selected and then throw in a bit of bonus analysis on the jockeys too.

THE 20 TOP-RATED HORSES FOR MACKINNON STAKES DAY (GROUP 1 IN BOLD)

Horse	Price	Odds	Metric	Race
Nature Strip	$500K	$1.33	0.67	G1 Darley
Hosier	$200K	$2	0.88	BM90
Alcyone	$175K	$2.4	0.93	Pin & Win
Zaaki	$450K	$2.4	1.08	G1 Mackinnon
Our Heidi	$125K	$4.4	1.21	Springtime Stks
Duchess Of Dorset	$175K	$3.2	1.23	Grand Hcp
Warning	$350K	$2.6	1.55	G3 QE Stks
Mimi's Award	$175K	$7	1.58	G2 Matriarch
Lunar Flare	$200K	$5	1.7	G3 QE Stks
Ranch Hand	$150K	$12	1.8	G1 Darley Sprint
Chaillot	$275K	$4	1.87	G3 Chatham
Dr Drill	$275K	$4.6	2.15	G3 QE Stks
Wentwood	$275K	$5	2.34	G3 QE Stks
Colette	$500K	$4.8	2.4	G1 Mackinnon
Only Words	$225K	$8.5	2.47	G2 Matriarch
Nimalee	$325K	$6	2.52	G2 Matriarch
Starelle	$200K	$10	2.58	G2 Matriarch
Bella Nipotina	$275K	$9.5	2.61	G1 Darley Sprint
Private Eye	$275K	$9.5	2.61	G1 Mackinnon
Mo'unga	$375K	$7.5	2.81	G1 Mackinnon

Preview

FROM THIS LIST I HAVE SELECTED THE FOLLOWING STABLE OF 8 HORSES

Horse	Price	Odds	Metric	Race
Nature Strip	$500K	$1.33	0.67	G1 Darley
Hosier	$200K	$2	0.88	BM90
Alcyone	$175K	$2.4	0.93	Pin & Win
Zaaki	$450K	$2.4	1.08	G1 Mackinnon
Our Heidi	$125K	$4.4	1.21	Springtime Stks
Lunar Flare	$200K	$5	1.7	G3 QE Stks
Bella Nipotina	$275K	$9.5	2.61	G1 Darley Sprint
Mo'unga	$375K	$7.5	2.81	G1 Mackinnon

First up is Everest winner Nature Strip in the G1 Darley Sprint. The Waller/McDonald combination scored success in the Cup and they look to have this race at their mercy too. Nature Strip has only lost twice in his last six runs; each time it was Eduardo who beat him and I don’t think any of the other runners here are up to Eduardo’s class. With just nine runners and Group One points up for offer you need to double up (at a minimum) here and I’ve taken Bella Nipotina in the race too. The mare has never won at Group One level (nor do I expect her to on Saturday), but she has not missed a place from her last six starts - and on a day when the asking price into G1 points is steep - her price is right.

I must admit to a bit of a quandary in the other Group One, the Mackinnon Stakes. I’m a big fan of Colette and if the rain comes she’ll relish the wet. However, Zaaki is clearly next on the metric and so in the metric I shall trust - even if he is now a month between runs after being a late scratching from the Cox Plate.

As a backup to Zaaki I have scrimped and scraped and found enough money to add Mo’unga to my stable. He’s a quality horse who was not far off them in the Cox Plate and kept Incentivise honest earlier this spring in the Makybe Diva.

I’ve dodged the only G2 of the day, the Matriarch Stakes has plenty of chances and none of them come cheap.

The G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes has just six runners and with your ‘worst’ result being eight points you really had best double up here. The favourite, Warning, was impressive winning his last start but at $350K is a bit expensive and with last start G2 MV Gold Cup winner Lunar Flare available for just over half that she represents far better value.

I like the look of Chaillot in the other G3 of the day, The Chatham, but can’t find the cash and so it’s too the non Group races I go.

Hosier, who runs in the first race of the day, may be competing for minimum points but the Hickmont/Williams import has done nothing but win since brought to Australia and I’ll take the 18 points.

I’m hoping it’s a similar story for Alcyone in the Pin & Win and Our Heidi in the Springtime Stakes - cheap(ish) runners who can pick up some easy points.

AND NOW TO THE JOCKEYS

I’m conceding defeat here – just pick James McDonald and be done with it, the Cup winning hoop has eight rides today and all are under double figures.

Originally published as SuperCoach Racing: Rob Sutherland’s Mackinnon Stakes Day stable picks