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Awesome foursome: Ray Thomas’ verdict on Group 1s on Day 2 of The Championships at Royal Randwick this Saturday

Ray Thomas analyses four key Group 1s on Day 2 of The Championships at Royal Randwick, nominating his horses to watch and giving his verdict on who’ll win.

Ray Thomas
8 min read
April 7, 2025 - 6:30AM
The stars of the show on Day 2 of The Championships at Royal Randwick will include (clockwise from top left) Via Sistina (Queen Elizabeth Stakes), Alalcance (Sydney Cup), Treasurethe Moment (Australian Oaks) and Fangirl (Queen Of The Turf Stakes).
The stars of the show on Day 2 of The Championships at Royal Randwick will include (clockwise from top left) Via Sistina (Queen Elizabeth Stakes), Alalcance (Sydney Cup), Treasurethe Moment (Australian Oaks) and Fangirl (Queen Of The Turf Stakes).

Ray Thomas analyses four key Group 1s on Day 2 of The Championships at Royal Randwick, nominating his horses to watch and giving his verdict on who’ll win.

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$5 MILLION QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (2000m): THE CONTENDERS

VIA SISTINA – Trainer Chris Waller
The imported mare has been the nation’s dominant weight-for-age horse this season, winning six Group 1 races including the Cox Plate last spring, and the Verry Elleegant Stakes and Ranvet Stakes in recent weeks. Champion mare who has already secured Horse of the Year honours but a Queen Elizabeth Stakes success would literally be her crowning moment. She ran second in this race last year and gets her chance to go one better on Saturday.

DUBAI HONOUR – Trainer William Haggas
Picked up where he left off in 2023 when he won the Group 1 Tancred Stakes brilliantly last week. This is the English raider’s third Group 1 win in as many Australian starts after he swept the Ranvet Stakes-Queen Elizabeth Stakes double two years ago. Dubai Honour looks to be going as well as ever but the Tancred Stakes was over 2400m and there is a suspicion that is his preferred race distance now.

CEOLWULF – Trainer Joe Pride
Came of age in Sydney last spring with his successive Group 1 wins over the Randwick 1600m course in the Epsom Handicap and King Charles III Stakes, unleashing brilliant finishing bursts in both races. He is building towards a peak performance again but had to struggle to win the Neville Sellwood Stakes last week. He’s a proven big-time performer and one of the main chances.

BUCKAROO – Trainer Chris Waller
Showed his class last spring winning the Chelmsford Stakes and Underwood Stakes before stretching Via Sistina in the Turnbull Stakes. He then contested the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups finishing second and ninth respectively. His first-up ninth in the George Ryder Stakes was a lot better than it reads on paper as he never had clear galloping room and was only beaten just over two lengths. He’s capable of an upset.

LIGHT INFANTRY MAN – Trainer Ciaron Maher
Won the Railway Stakes in Perth late last year but has gone to a new level this autumn with his good win in the Group 1 Australian Cup. His opposition in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes will be tougher again but he’s a competitive racehorse at the top of his game.

PRIDE OF JENNI – Trainer Ciaron Maher
Reigning Horse of the Year, a title she secured with her unforgettable frontrunning effort to win the Queen Elizabeth Stakes last year. She’s won twice at Group 2 level this season but her form has been mixed due to injury. Her presence in this race will make for a stunning spectacle.

ROUSHAM PARK – Trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka
Top class Japanese galloper who is a multiple stakeswinner and Group 1 placegetter in his home country. He was given his chance in the US Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar late last year where he contested the 2400m turf race and beat all but Godolphin champ Rebel’s Romance. He hasn’t won for 18 months but on his best form he can run a very competitive race.

RAY THOMAS SAYS: The Queen Elizabeth Stakes brings together the very best middle distance weight-for-age horses, most of them already Group 1 winners. Via Sistina is a dominant favourite after a stellar season where she has won six of her eight starts, all at Group 1 level. She won’t lack for opposition against the likes of English raider Dubai Honour, Ceolwulf, Buckaroo, Light Infantry Man, Pride Of Jenni and Japan’s Rousham Park.

TAB FIXED ODDS BETTING
$1.70 Via Sistina
$4.50 Dubai Honour
$8 Ceolwulf
$15 Buckaroo, Light Infantry Man, Pride Of Jenni, Rousham Park, Vauban

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$2 MILLION SYDNEY CUP (3200m): THE CONTENDERS

ALALCANCE – Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott
An imported Irish mare, Alalcance is in her first Australian preparation and is showing plenty of staying ability. She scored successive stakes win in the Randwick City Stakes, Group 3 Manion Cup by more than four lengths, before she romped home in the Chairman’s Quality, winning easing down by more than two lengths. Exciting and tough, frontrunning mare who stays all day.

ZARDOZI – Trainer James Cummings
Hasn’t won this season but continues to race very competitively in the best staying races. She ran second in The Metropolitan and then fourth in both the Caulfeld and Melbourne Cups last spring. She’s racing well this autumn including her close third in the Australian Cup last start. Zardozi has to jump from 2000m to 3200m but she is a natural stayer.

CIRCLE OF FIRE – Trainer Ciaron Maher
Former English stayer who came out of nowhere to win the Chairman’s Quality-Sydney Cup double last year. He hasn’t won since but did run sixth in the Melbourne Cup last spring and his recent runs have been very good including his fifth in the Tancred Stakes. He’s a great chance of winning successive Sydney Cups.

ATHABASCAN – Trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton
Ran second in the Sydney Cup last year and is arguably going better this autumn. He won the St Leger over 2600m last spring and has been working his way back to top form in recent starts including his Manion Cup second placing before he ran only ninth Chairman’s Quality when he simply got too far back early. He’s a resolute stayer and one of the main chances.

BIRDMAN and VALIANT KING – Trainer Chris Waller
The former Irish stayers are yet to win in Australia but they have very similar profiles going into the Sydney Cup. Both ran their best races since joining the Waller stable when Birdman finished second and Valiant King third in the Chairman’s Quality last Saturday. They will both stay a strong 3200m.

RAY THOMAS SAYS: This is shaping as a strong Sydney Cup with many chances. Alalcance is an exciting frontrunner who just keeps winning. Zardozi ran a very good fourth in the Melbourne Cup last year and she will stay a strong 3200m. Circle Of Fire, last year’s Sydney Cup winner, seems to be striking top form at just the right time to defend his title. Athabascan had excuses in the Chairman’s Quality but he is one of the main chances along with Arapaho, Birdman, Land Legend and Valiant King.

TAB FIXED ODDS BETTING
$2.50 Alalcance
$6 Zardozi
$8 Circle Of Fire
$11 Berkshire Breeze, Birdman, Duke De Sessa
$15 Arapaho, Athabascan, Land Legend, River Of Stars, Tajanis, Valiant King, Warmonger

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$1 MILLION AUSTRALIAN OAKS (2400m): THE CONTENDERS

TREASURETHE MOMENT – Trainer Matt Laurie
Melbourne’s wonder filly has swept all before her this season winning seven races in succession including Group 1 wins in the VRC Oaks last spring and the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill last week. She has tactical speed to take up a position in a race, then has the acceleration to break clear of her chasing rivals in the straight.

AELIANA – Trainer Chris Waller
Aeliana showed promise last spring winning the Carbine Club Stakes and finishing a luckless second in the Thousand Guineas. She’s taken on the boys in her four starts this autumn and been competitive every time with a third in the Hobartville Stakes, fourth in the Randwick Guineas, luckless second in the Rosehill Guineas before her monstrous win in the ATC Australian Derby by more than five lengths. She’s right in this race if she does back-up in the Oaks.

LEICA LUCY – Trainer Chris Waller
New Zealand’s version of Treasurethe Moment has put together a five-race winning streak culminating with her Group 1 NZ Oaks success last start. Leica Lucy had been winning her races easily but she was made to work hard for her Oaks success. She has joined the stables of Chris Waller for the ATC Australian Oaks.

BENAGIL – Trainer Glen Thompson
Didn’t quite measure up to the top fillies in the spring but she has continued to improve this autumn. She was impressive winning the VOBIS Platinum Guineas then tried very hard when beaten just over a length by Treasurethe Moment in the Vinery Stud Stakes. She deserves her chance in the Oaks.

VERONA ROSE – Trainer Gary Portelli
Won her first three starts including the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic, producing fast-finishing efforts in each win. She was given her chance at Group 1 level in the Vinery Stud Stakes and again impressed hitting the line hard to finish fourth. On the evidence of her last start effort, the underrated but rapidly improving Verona Rose will hold her own in the Oaks.

BELLE DETELLE – Trainer Chris Waller
A close relation to former champion Verry Elleegant, winner of the Oaks in 2019. Belle Detelle showed she has inherited plenty of her sister’s staying ability with her strong win in the Adrian Knox Stakes last Saturday. Lightly raced filly with obvious staying potential. She’s a definite chance if trainer Chris Waller decides to back her up in the Oaks.

RAY THOMAS SAYS: Treasurethe Moment is an outstanding filly and just keeps winning. Leica Lucy comes off her New Zealand Oaks win and is proven at the classic distance. Aeliana has been taking on the “boys” all autumn but if she backs up after her Derby win she will be hard to beat. The likes of Benagil, Verona Rose and Belle Detelle add depth to the Oaks field.

TAB FIXED ODDS BETTING
$1.70 Treasurethe Moment
$4 Aeliana
$5 Leica Lucy
$8 Benagil, Verona Rose
$11 Belle Detelle
$15 Declichy Boulevard
$26 Dominetta, Inevitable Truth, Movin Out, You Wahng

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$1 MILLION QUEEN OF THE TURF STAKES (1600m): THE CONTENDERS

FANGIRL – Trainer Chris Waller
Outstanding mare who should have won the George Ryder Stakes. She was three wide without cover throughout and still had the temerity to charge late and just miss behind Gringotts. Earlier this autumn, Fangirl defeated champion Via Sistina in the Apollo Stakes. At set weights against her own sex, Fangirl is a dominant favourite and clearly the one to beat.

ATISHU – Trainer Chris Waller
Another top class mare from the Waller stable who loomed up to win the Australian Cup but faded near the line to finish fourth. She drops back to 1600m for the Queen of the Turf Stakes which is the same preparation as last year when she ran second, beaten narrowly by Zougotcha. Atishu did win this race two years ago and is going as well as ever.

LAZZURA – Trainer Chris Waller
Strengthens Waller’s stable presence in this Group 1 race. She’s a talented filly improving with racing and followed her third to top fillies Lady Shenandoah and Lady Of Camelot in the Surround Stakes by winning the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes easily. Lazzura took on the older mares last start and was unlucky not to run down Lekvarte in the Emancipation Stakes.

AMELIA’S JEWEL – Trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald
Went winless for 18 months but had a string of placings at the top level before she stormed back to the winner’s list when leading throughout in the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes. She then carried topweight of 58kg in the Coolmore Classic and found that beyond her when sixth to Lady Shenandoah. Amelia’s Jewel should be at her peak now and on her best form she is a major player.

LEKVARTE – Trainer Joe Pride
Returned to top form with her last start win in the Emancipation Stakes, holding off the late surge of Lazzura. She goes into the Queen of the Turf Stakes third-up from a spell and should be at her peak. Lekvarte has won four races over the Randwick mile course including the Group 3 Angst Stakes last spring.

RAY THOMAS SAYS: Fangirl is one of the nation’s best mares and she excels over the Randwick mile course. She has elite finishing speed and is the one to beat. Trainer Chris Waller has a powerful entry in this Group 1 race with Fangirl, Atishu and Lazzura the top three in betting. Amelia’s Jewel is more than capable on her day and this race has made a habit of producing upset results in recent years.

TAB FIXED ODDS BETTING
$2.50 Fangirl
$6 Atishu
$8 Lazzura
$11 Amelia’s Jewel, Moira, Pride Of Jenni
$15 Declichy Boulevard, Firestorm, OIentia, Stefi Magnetica

Originally published as Awesome foursome: Ray Thomas’ verdict on Group 1s on Day 2 of The Championships at Royal Randwick this Saturday

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