NewsBite

Shayne O’Cass’s race-by-race tips, analysis for 2024 Spring Champion Stakes Day at Royal Randwick on Saturday

Form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses Saturday’s 10-race card for Spring Champion Stakes Day at Royal Randwick.

Shayne O’Cass
5 min read
October 24, 2024 - 2:33PM
Hold All Tickets – Punters (Episode 9) 26-10-24

Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses Saturday’s 10-race card for Spring Champion Stakes Day at Royal Randwick.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 1: KIRKHAM PLATE (2yo, 1000m)

COMEDY (2) is a three-quarter-brother to Bacchanalia, this colt a Snitzel. That’s a good headstart in life and both trials were impressive to say the least. Could be the most likeable thing about him on Saturday is his kind draw. There’s a bunch of dangers behind him, in no particular order, but the Godolphin stablemate GAELIGE (3) is by the best 2YO sire in the world (Exceed And Excel) from the Easy Date female-line. Big watch on the Tony and Calvin McEvoy visitor, ARABELLA STAR (6).

BET: Comedy to win.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 2: MIDWAY BENCHMARK 72 (1200m)

FRENCH RULER (15) is another one of these very lightly-raced 3YOs that Sarge sends around in the Midways and he usually hits the target. This son of the mighty Nicconi chased subsequent Up And Coming Caulfield Guineas Prelude medallist Wanaruah home on debut, spelled, and came back with a narrow still some authoritative Kembla 1200m win. MISS HADES (2) has four wins and three placings from nine starts and one eye-catching first-up eighth behind Pharari on October 12. Gong ambassador Mitchell Beer has LOS PADRES (8) flying.

BET: French Ruler to win, quinella 2,15.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 3: HIGHWAY HANDICAP (Class 3, 1600m)

STRAIGHT FIRE (17) was bred by Gerry Harvey who we should salute as the breeder of last week’s Kosciuszko winner, Far Too Easy. The Baramul boss has had this family for decades; just for the record, Straight Fire’s fourth dam is Skating. As for this Todd Smart-trained mare, it could be third time lucky in the Highway(s); her lead-up pair were beauties. Chances a plenty as always, chief among them being VOLCANIC LOVE (4) who ran well at Doomben 14-days ago.

BET: Straight Fire each-way, quinella 4,17.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 4: LISTED BRIAN CROWLEY STAKES (3yo, 1200m)

Here’s a little bit of trivia for the breeding buffs; my Brian Crowley pick AMAZING EAGLE (8) was bred by Ron Gilbert up at Highgrove Stud in Queensland. Ron bred the 2004 Brian Crowley winner, Legally Bay, aka the mother of Merchant Navy and grandmother of Joliestar. Now as for Amazing Eagle, if he runs up to his trials, he will be hard to beat, unless the wide barrier does that for him. DON’T FORGET JACK (7) has a dream draw (3). Forgive and forget that first-up run in Brisbane. SMASHING TIME (4) is a very, very interesting horse!

BET: Amazing Eagle to win.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 5: GROUP 2 CALLANDER-PRESNELL (3yo, 1600m)

DECONSTRUCTION (4)’s value will soar if he wins the Group 2 Callander-Presnell being a son of Snitzel of out a half-sister to Yes Yes Yes. The Vinery colt was good at Wyong first-up, better again at the midweeks after that and fantastic in the Tapp-Craig over 1400m; mile suits now. That goes double for TOTOKA (8). Makes perfect sense given she is a daughter of Doncaster winner Brutal and her own pattern. Not giving up on ALTHOFF (5) yet, but we need to see something from the big colt now. ANODE (1) has form in all the right races.

BET: Deconstruction to win, box trifecta 1,4,5,8.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 6: GROUP 3 CRAVEN PLATE (1800m)

NAVAL COLLEGE (9) came a very long way last preparation. Long story short, he went from a Kensington winner to January Cup and Australia Day Cup winner from one preparation to the next. Granted he is perhaps a ‘handicap stayer’ but he did run fifth in the Doomben Cup at WFA and his chances went up considerably with all these scratchings. Nugget the main one! If we knew – for sure – that DEMOCRACY MANIFEST (6) runs out a strong Randwick 2000m; he probably ‘just wins’.

BET: Naval College each-way.

• “It was an incredible moment’: Max Presnell, Ken Callander memories of a truly Super win

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 7: GROUP 1 SPRING CHAMPION STAKES (3yo, 2000m)

EL CASTELLO (1) was much handier in the run than SWIFTFALCON (2) when they quinellaed the Gloaming Stakes over 1800m. I can understand and respect the argument that the extra 200m brings them even closer together and therefore on face value, Swiftfalcon is better suited at 2000m. With all that said, El Castello has the stamina to see off Swiftfalcon IMHO provided he (El Castello) gets that same ride/run as last start. HENLEIN (3) wants 2000m as much as any of these and more than most.

BET: El Castello to win, exacta 1 to beat 2.

• ‘He’s the horse to beat’: Form guru’s Spring Champion Stakes tip

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 8: GROUP 2 THE INVITATION (Fillies & Mares, 1400m)

ARCTIC GLAMOUR (12) has been fantastic all campaign from that inch-second in the Missile through to her fifth of 20 behind Ceolwulf in the Epsom and you could argue that she is much better at 1400m than a mile. The outside barrier is not a plus but it is not a huge negative. I will say though, she is pretty close in the weights to some very, very good mares. Perhaps not surprisingly, MAKARENA (7) has run her best races when she has drawn barrier (s) 1 or 2. Bet Team Hawkes is happy with box one in a $2 million race.

BET: Arctic Glamour to win (best bet) exacta 12 to beat 7, DD 1st Leg (14), 2nd Leg (6).

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 9: LISTED FIVE DIAMONDS PRELUDE (1500m)

YELLOW BRICK (7)’s fourth dam, Boardwalk Angel won a Goodwood, his sixth dam Fairy Walk won the Slipper. To top it all off, his 11th dam, Entreaty, is the mother of Phar Lap. This Queenslander has such a fine record; 8 wins, 6 seconds and a third from 17 starts. He’s won from 1100m to a mile and that win at Eagle Farm two weeks ago was bursting with merit. No one could have missed TERRITORY EXPRESS (12)’s return in the Alan Brown. OSIPENKO (5) is better than the majority of this field – at his best.

BET: Yellow Brick to win.

• Five Diamonds fancy gives trainer ‘something to fight for’

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

RACE 10: FILANTE HANDICAP (1600m)

Was hoping CAFE MILLENIUM (6) might have run in the Craven Plate; it’s fallen away big time as it happens but I guess the mile is ‘easier’ for him than a 2000m WFA. Whatever the case, I think we can all agree that the horse is going so much better than a ‘0’ and a ‘6’. He drops 5kg on his last run in a 94 that was every bit as strong as this one. ZOOLOGY (7) was $41/$31/$41 first-up and ran 15th of 17 but he drew 17 and had 61 on his back. Smaller field, mile, 7kg less this time; two words – expect better!

BET: Cafe Millenium to win, Zoology each-way, quinella/duet and exacta 6,7.

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s race-by-race tips, analysis for 2024 Spring Champion Stakes Day at Royal Randwick on Saturday

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

More related stories

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/horse-racing/tips/shayne-ocasss-racebyrace-tips-analysis-for-2024-spring-champion-stakes-day-at-royal-randwick-on-saturday/news-story/19824277e6fadaac59ca20a29255ac79