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Way To The Stars to ensure Randwick 1100m course record is in danger in The Shorts

There are few faster horses out of the barriers and into stride than Way To The Stars … and his presence in Saturday’s The Shorts will ensure a tempo that could challenge a record that’s stood for five years.

Ray Thomas
5 min read
September 21, 2024 - 7:00AM
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The Royal Randwick 1100m course record could be under threat when Way To The Stars leads a crack field of sprinters over the famous rise in the Group 2 $1 million The Shorts on Saturday.

There are few faster horses out of the barriers and into stride than Way To The Stars as he demonstrated last start when he led most of the way before his third to I Am Me and Bella Nipotina in the Concorde Stakes.

Way To The Stars’ presence in The Shorts will ensure another fast race tempo that could challenge the 1100m track standard of 1m 01.67s set by Prophet’s Thumb five years ago.

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Trainer Matthew Smith maintained $41 bolter Way To The Stars would give his rivals “something to chase” in The Shorts.

“Way To The Stars is great, he’s worked well since the Concorde, he hasn’t missed a beat,’’ Smith said.

“He didn’t really surprise me last start because I thought he would run well because of the way he ‘profiled’ in his last preparation, his first-up was excellent, and he is a very sharp horse.

“With Way To The Stars, it is just a matter of getting the first half of his race right because he can fire up when he has other horses around him.

“This is why we have put the ear muffs on him and he’s a better horse wearing them.

“The 1100m is his best trip, we will just let him do his thing and that is run fast.

“One day, they will leave him alone in front and he is capable of pinching one of these races.’’

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Smith is also saddling up $13 chance Floating in the Shoot Out Mile (1600m) and Anythink Goes ($21) in the Nick Moraitis Trophy (1400m).

Floating was entered for the Cameron Handicap at Newcastle on Friday but Smith preferred to wait for Randwick.

“I just felt Randwick would suit Floating as he’s drawn a better barrier on Saturday and the horse is going super,’’ Smith said.

“Anythink Goes is working well and I’ve just got to hope he shows his best form.’’

Meanwhile, Smith hasn’t given up on another The Everest start for Buenos Noches after the sprinter’s eye-catching comeback effort when a close third to Arkansaw Kid in the Bobbie Lewis Quality at Flemington last week.

“Buenos Noches ran a great race first-up and the plan is to go to the Premiere Stakes in two weeks,’’ Smith said.

“We will keep chipping away in that direction (The Everest), we have to put him in the mix as you just never know.’’

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Maher’s mare chasing Sydney sprint riches

Brilliant mare I Am Me is looking to extend her lead in the lucrative $3 million Sydney Sprint Series when she contests The Shorts.

I Am Me collected the maximum five points when she won the first leg of the series, the Concorde Stakes in a fast 55.97s for the 1000m at Randwick two weeks.

The Shorts is the second race of the six-race series that also includes the Group 2 $1 million Premiere Stakes, $20 million The TAB Everest, $2 million Sydney Stakes and $3 million The Russell Balding.

Points are allocated on a 5,4,3,2,1 basis for finishing first to fifth respectively in each qualifying race with the exception of the final leg, The Russell Balding, which carries double points.

The sprinter with the most points at the end of the series collects a $1 million bonus with further payments for those that finish second to fifth on the points table. To be eligible for the bonus, a horse must contest a minimum of three of the six designated races.

There are additional payments including $700,000 for the winner of the Russell Balding if that sprinter has contested either The TAB Everest, Sydney Stakes or The Kosciuszko.

The bonus is increased to $1 million if a sprinter wins the Everest-Russell Balding double.

Racing NSW is also offering a $1.5 million Emerald Mile Bonus earned out of the Epsom Handicap and King Charles III Stakes.

• I Am Me takes Shorts cut to The Everest

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Plenty of Pride in this sprinter’s record

Private Eye can vault into the top 10 all-time prizemoney earners if he can win The Shorts.

The Joe Pride-trained Private Eye will take his earnings to $11,253,190 and move above Bella Nipotina ($11,166,625) into 10th on the rankings behind all-time great Winx with $26,451,174.

Fangirl ($7,826,565) can become the 26th horse to break the $8 million prizemoney barrier if she wins the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m).

Mazu ($7,945,600) only needs a top three finish in The Shorts to also take his earnings over $8 million.

• ‘As good as he’s gone’: Pride has Eye on history in The Shorts

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Can Messara’s gun filly extend perfect record?

Boom filly Autumn Glow puts her unbeaten record on the line when she clashes with Manaal and Ameena in the Group 2 $300,000 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m).

TAB Fixed Odds price assessors have Autumn Glow at $2 with Manaal pressing at $4 and Ameena at $6.50.

“This looks like being a great race, there are some very top class fillies in the field,’’ said John Messara, owner of Autumn Glow.

“We have drawn barrier nine but I don’t mind that as we feel this filly needs galloping room.

“James McDonald riding her and hopefully he can get her across to midfield one off the fence then he can get her to the outside on the turn. If she is good enough, the filly will get her chance.’’

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Autumn Glow, the $1.8 million sale-topper at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale last year who is Arrowfield’s Stud’s boom young sire The Autumn Sun out of Via Africa, the dam of Golden Rose winner In The Congo, has only been to the races twice, scoring emphatically both times including the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes last start.

“Autumn Glow is the most I’ve ever paid for a yearling, she was a magnificent individual in every way and with a pedigree I really appreciated,’’ Messara said.

“We deliberately missed the two-year-old season with her, (trainer) Chris Waller didn’t push her to the races until she was ready last month. She is very exciting.’’

Messara said he was mindful Autumn Glow was in her first race preparation but the plan was to keep her in training for one more run this spring, the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 5, provided she came through the Tea Rose Stakes in good order.

Originally published as Way To The Stars to ensure Randwick 1100m course record is in danger in The Shorts

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/superracing/nsw-racing/way-to-the-stars-to-ensure-randwick-1100m-course-record-is-in-danger-in-the-shorts/news-story/23fc0da8ad174f851adc75d270048d0a