Randwick inside mail: Sydney race looks ideal for Ducasse after draw dents Brisbane bid
Freedman had Ducasse entered for the $300,000 Listed Brisbane Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm but when the gelding drew barrier 17 he decided to race for half the prizemoney at Randwick.
'We kept Ducasse in Sydney because of the wide barrier he drew at Eagle Farm,'' Freedman confirmed.
'He seems to be in good order and the rain around won't hurt him, either.
'Randwick is his favourite track and this is about his best distance so potentially this race sets up nicely for him.''
TAB price assessors agree with Ducasse the $4.40 favourite to continue his form surge this autumn.
Ducasse resumed with a strong win over 1400m at Rosehill then ran competitively at stakes level in successive starts when fifth to Iowna Merc in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes before a close third to Just Folk in the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude.
• Ray and Duff's Randwick tips: Best bet 'jumps out at me'
Freedman, who prepared Marhoona to win the Golden Slipper during the Sydney autumn carnival, also has emerging three-year-old Colophon as the $4 favourite for the NSW Bookmakers Co-Operative Handicap (1400m).
Colophon comes to Randwick after a monstrous win at Kembla Grange when he led throughout and put a margin of more than five lengths on his chasing rivals.
But Freedman does have concerns about the rain-affected track conditions and doesn't want Randwick to get much worse than its current Soft 7 rating.
'I need to keep an eye on the track conditions,'' the trainer explained.
'Colophon once ran on a Heavy 9 and wasn't at his best.
'He'll run on the proviso the track stays in the soft range. If he gets a track that is suitable then he is quite a progressive young horse and might earn himself a ticket to Queensland if he keeps going the right way.''
• Import has class to win but Kent Jr still wary
Freedman will be at Eagle Farm where he has the superbly-bred Seascape chasing stakes success in the Listed $160,000 Mick Dittman Plate (1000m).
Seascape, who is by super sire I Am Invincible out of the Group 2 winner Adrift, has won three of her nine starts including her recent Kensington win a month ago.
'With her pedigree we are hoping to get some black type,'' Freedman said.
'It is just a shame she has drawn off the track but she is going well.''
â– â– â– â– â–
RANDWICK BIG BETS AND MARKET MOVERS
RACE 4: Zealously $2.30-$1.90 after a bet of $2000 at $2
RACE 5: Saganti $4.60-$3.40
RACE 6: Lisztomania $4.60-$3.90, Piastri $8-$5
RACE 9: Colophon $8-$3.90, Engine Room $6-$5
RACE 10: Know Thyself $3.50-$2.30
EARLY QUADDIE
RACE 3: 3, 6, 9, 15
RACE 4: 1, 6
RACE 5: 4, 5, 7, 8
RACE 6: 3, 6, 8, 10
QUADDIE
RACE 7: 1, 2, 8
RACE 8: 2, 3, 5, 13
RACE 9: 3, 9, 10, 15
RACE 10: 1, 2, 8
PRICE CHECK
SUNRISE (race 2) has been a significant shortener with TAB after the scratching of early favourite Photographics. Sunrise, who set a course record to win at Kembla last start, was $2.80 but is now into $1.90 favouritism. Zealously (race 4) has also shortened from $2.30 to $1.90 after a bet of $2000 at $2.
SECTIONAL STARS
SUNRISE (race 2) produced a stunning comeback effort at Kembla Grange over 1000m last month, leading throughout to win by more than seven lengths and stopping the clock at a track record-breaking 55.58sec. She ran her final 600m in a flying 32.23sec.
KNOW THYSELF (race 10) was able to sustain a strong final 600m sprint to win the Country Championships Final. Despite being caught three-wide albeit with cover, then forced even wider on the turn, Know Thyself ran his final 600m in 34.28sec including a closing 200m sectional of 11.61sec to score a narrow but impressive win.
Never doubt yourself!
A finish for the ages in the Country Championships Final, and Know Thyself wins it by a whisker for @Paulmessara and @LGavranich with @Aaronbullock90 aboard! ðŸ'� @aus_turf_club | @WorldPool pic.twitter.com/GPLIwD8z0Q
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2025
TRIAL POINTERS
PASSEGGIATA (race 4) has looked more like her old self racing away to successive barrier trial wins by big margins in recent weeks. She romped home by four lengths from classy mare Olentia in a 900m Rosehill heat then ran her rivals ragged to win by more than five lengths at Warwick Farm over 822m. She hasn't won for nearly two years but looks to be coming up really well for this preparation, she's drawn the rails and handles rain-affected going.
WOOTTON VERNI (race 8) won five of his nine starts in France including a Group 3 in France. He's had two barrier trials for new trainer Chris Waller and was particularly impressive at Warwick Farm last week when he came from near last, hugged the rail and finished strongly for second behind the speedy Oh Diamond Lil. Champion jockey James McDonald rode Wootton Verni in his latest trial and sticks with the horse for his Australian debut.
BEST BET
ZEALOUSLY (race 4) raced through his grades late last year with three successive wins, leading throughout and winning by comfortable margins. He was then given his chance in The Sunlight and ran very well for fourth behind subsequent Group 1 winner Private Harry back in January. Zealously resumed at Warwick Farm earlier this month and trailed leader Wondereach into the straight, ranged up to win but could not get past his race-fit rival, losing narrowly. Zealously will be fitter for that run and is not badly treated at the weights after the claim. He looks placed to advantage.
What a finish! 😮
Wondereach salutes by a nose to grant the @mcsmithracing stable a double! ✌� pic.twitter.com/LisKJrWMx1
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 2, 2025
VALUE BET
INVADER ZIM (race 6) is resuming but he invariably sprints well fresh as he showed at his last two comeback runs with both second placings at Randwick. Last winter he endured a wide run and was unlucky not to have won over 1300m on a heavy track then last December he was first-up at 1200m and beat all but Disneck who was in rampant form. Invader Zim handles wet tracks and is over the odds around $12.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Roosters stay unbeaten, Titans, Cowboys rope NRLW wins
The Sydney Roosters have cruised to a 42-22 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs to stretch their unbeaten NRLW streak to four matches. Victory was even more impressive considering it was achieved without Golden Boot-winning halfback Tarryn Aiken, who is expected to return next week from a shoulder injury suffered in State of Origin. Her return will only add to the Roosters' attack, though they produced eight tries at Allianz Stadium on Saturday without her. In other results on Saturday, the Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys enjoyed back-to-back wins as the 12 clubs fight for a top-six spot. A double by Roosters skipper Isabelle Kelly alongside 239 metres and four line-breaks was part of a 32-0, six-try haul in the opening half, which set up Sydney's victory. But the Bulldogs didn't fall in a heap, outscoring the Roosters 22-10 in the second half - which did not please Sydney coach John Strange. "It was a really good first half, we completed high, executed well and I was happy. But the second half ... not happy," Strange said. "It was just disappointing we got to that lead and couldn't go on with it." The Bulldogs' fightback came from an unlikely source, with 18-year-old debutant winger Elizabeth MacGregor crossing twice in four minutes, before centre Monica Tagoai and half Ash Quinlan scored. Roosters prop Rima Butler kept the wolves from the door with a double, but fellow forward Olivia Kernick has a nervous wait after she was put on report for a hip-drop tackle on Holli Wheeler. A commanding performance by Titans fullback Jaime Chapman helped Gold Coast score consecutive wins on the road with a 20-10 victory over the Warriors in Auckland. Saturday's win in New Zealand followed their victory over Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval last week. Chapman's try complemented her 166 metres, three line-breaks and 12 tackle-busts. Playing the short side proved profitable, with both Titans wingers Lily Patston and Georgia Gray scoring for an early 10-0 lead. That buffer increased to 14-0 after a dummy-half run from utility Lily-Rose Kolc coming off the bench. The Warriors snuck in two tries, including one to winger Payton Takimoana - her fifth this year to take her to the top of the NRLW leaderboard. It's been a welcome bounce back to form by the Titans, who started 2025 with two straight losses. "We didn't have the best start to our season, and the Warriors are a very physical team, but the internal focus lies in the belief within this group,'' said skipper Georgia Hale.' Even more striking is the rebound of the Cowboys from seventh on the ladder after round two to second spot in round four after their third win - a 26-0 whitewash of the Canberra Raiders. Coach Ricky Henry will be pleased his side's 12-0 halftime scoreline more than doubled in the second stanza. All five tries came from the Cowboys' back five, with winger Krystal Blackwell and centre Abigail Roache scoring doubles. Fullback Jakiya Whitfeld wasn't among the scorers but left her mark with 22 runs for 202 metres, 73 post-contact and four tackle-busts. The Sydney Roosters have cruised to a 42-22 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs to stretch their unbeaten NRLW streak to four matches. Victory was even more impressive considering it was achieved without Golden Boot-winning halfback Tarryn Aiken, who is expected to return next week from a shoulder injury suffered in State of Origin. Her return will only add to the Roosters' attack, though they produced eight tries at Allianz Stadium on Saturday without her. In other results on Saturday, the Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys enjoyed back-to-back wins as the 12 clubs fight for a top-six spot. A double by Roosters skipper Isabelle Kelly alongside 239 metres and four line-breaks was part of a 32-0, six-try haul in the opening half, which set up Sydney's victory. But the Bulldogs didn't fall in a heap, outscoring the Roosters 22-10 in the second half - which did not please Sydney coach John Strange. "It was a really good first half, we completed high, executed well and I was happy. But the second half ... not happy," Strange said. "It was just disappointing we got to that lead and couldn't go on with it." The Bulldogs' fightback came from an unlikely source, with 18-year-old debutant winger Elizabeth MacGregor crossing twice in four minutes, before centre Monica Tagoai and half Ash Quinlan scored. Roosters prop Rima Butler kept the wolves from the door with a double, but fellow forward Olivia Kernick has a nervous wait after she was put on report for a hip-drop tackle on Holli Wheeler. A commanding performance by Titans fullback Jaime Chapman helped Gold Coast score consecutive wins on the road with a 20-10 victory over the Warriors in Auckland. Saturday's win in New Zealand followed their victory over Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval last week. Chapman's try complemented her 166 metres, three line-breaks and 12 tackle-busts. Playing the short side proved profitable, with both Titans wingers Lily Patston and Georgia Gray scoring for an early 10-0 lead. That buffer increased to 14-0 after a dummy-half run from utility Lily-Rose Kolc coming off the bench. The Warriors snuck in two tries, including one to winger Payton Takimoana - her fifth this year to take her to the top of the NRLW leaderboard. It's been a welcome bounce back to form by the Titans, who started 2025 with two straight losses. "We didn't have the best start to our season, and the Warriors are a very physical team, but the internal focus lies in the belief within this group,'' said skipper Georgia Hale.' Even more striking is the rebound of the Cowboys from seventh on the ladder after round two to second spot in round four after their third win - a 26-0 whitewash of the Canberra Raiders. Coach Ricky Henry will be pleased his side's 12-0 halftime scoreline more than doubled in the second stanza. All five tries came from the Cowboys' back five, with winger Krystal Blackwell and centre Abigail Roache scoring doubles. Fullback Jakiya Whitfeld wasn't among the scorers but left her mark with 22 runs for 202 metres, 73 post-contact and four tackle-busts. The Sydney Roosters have cruised to a 42-22 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs to stretch their unbeaten NRLW streak to four matches. Victory was even more impressive considering it was achieved without Golden Boot-winning halfback Tarryn Aiken, who is expected to return next week from a shoulder injury suffered in State of Origin. Her return will only add to the Roosters' attack, though they produced eight tries at Allianz Stadium on Saturday without her. In other results on Saturday, the Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys enjoyed back-to-back wins as the 12 clubs fight for a top-six spot. A double by Roosters skipper Isabelle Kelly alongside 239 metres and four line-breaks was part of a 32-0, six-try haul in the opening half, which set up Sydney's victory. But the Bulldogs didn't fall in a heap, outscoring the Roosters 22-10 in the second half - which did not please Sydney coach John Strange. "It was a really good first half, we completed high, executed well and I was happy. But the second half ... not happy," Strange said. "It was just disappointing we got to that lead and couldn't go on with it." The Bulldogs' fightback came from an unlikely source, with 18-year-old debutant winger Elizabeth MacGregor crossing twice in four minutes, before centre Monica Tagoai and half Ash Quinlan scored. Roosters prop Rima Butler kept the wolves from the door with a double, but fellow forward Olivia Kernick has a nervous wait after she was put on report for a hip-drop tackle on Holli Wheeler. A commanding performance by Titans fullback Jaime Chapman helped Gold Coast score consecutive wins on the road with a 20-10 victory over the Warriors in Auckland. Saturday's win in New Zealand followed their victory over Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval last week. Chapman's try complemented her 166 metres, three line-breaks and 12 tackle-busts. Playing the short side proved profitable, with both Titans wingers Lily Patston and Georgia Gray scoring for an early 10-0 lead. That buffer increased to 14-0 after a dummy-half run from utility Lily-Rose Kolc coming off the bench. The Warriors snuck in two tries, including one to winger Payton Takimoana - her fifth this year to take her to the top of the NRLW leaderboard. It's been a welcome bounce back to form by the Titans, who started 2025 with two straight losses. "We didn't have the best start to our season, and the Warriors are a very physical team, but the internal focus lies in the belief within this group,'' said skipper Georgia Hale.' Even more striking is the rebound of the Cowboys from seventh on the ladder after round two to second spot in round four after their third win - a 26-0 whitewash of the Canberra Raiders. Coach Ricky Henry will be pleased his side's 12-0 halftime scoreline more than doubled in the second stanza. All five tries came from the Cowboys' back five, with winger Krystal Blackwell and centre Abigail Roache scoring doubles. Fullback Jakiya Whitfeld wasn't among the scorers but left her mark with 22 runs for 202 metres, 73 post-contact and four tackle-busts.
The Australian
2 days ago
- The Australian
$51 roughie Investment shocks rivals at Randwick but trainer Joe Pride gave her a ‘sneaky chance'
Investment was a genuine roughie starting at $51 but trainer Joe Pride gave the mare a 'sneaky chance' before she caused a huge boilover at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The four-year-old was her sire So You Think's third winner of the day, following on from Glad You Think So and Oh Diamond Lil, when taking out the TAB F&M Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m). 'I thought she could improve a bit today. I said to a few people she had a sneaky chance,' Pride said. • 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! 'She was fitter, she looked really healthy and a bit of cut in the ground were all pointers to a better performance.' Pride rated Andrew Atkins steer aboard Investment as a '10 out of 10 ride' praising the jockey's boldness during the middle stages of the race as the key to victory. 'Plan A was to be midfield or forward but that was short lived as there was quite a bit of pressure early but she adapted to Plan B which was to get back and let her settle,' Adkins said. 'I thought if I could make a move at a point of the race when they were not making ground it would be to her advantage and that point was at about the 600m when I got on my bike and my the time we got into the straight I'd passed half of the field and we had a bit of momentum up. 'I was able to idle up, she was more than willing to do it and it saved us about five lengths. 'In the straight she really wanted to do it, she tried really hard and we just got the better of the other horse late in the piece.' • 'Very exciting' Glorious Moments can end trainers' black-type wait Investment ($51) defeated the Brad Widdup-trained Hasty Honey ($10) by a long head with Nana's Wish ($5.50) three-and-a-quarter lengths back in third. Pride has no ambitious plans lined up for Investment this preparation but he hopes the mare can continue to strengthen and improve over the next year and when winter roles around again in 2026, he may have his sights on bigger targets. 'She's always been a reasonably promising staying type of mare so it's nice to get a Saturday win with her,' he said. 'You'll see her at her best over 2400 metres and this was only her 18th start so I still don't think we've seen the best of her. 'Maybe this time next year is when she'll be at the absolute top of her game. 'While ever the tracks remain wet, she should continue to race well now as she appreciates these types of track.' The $2.60 favourite in the race She's Unusual struggled in the testing conditions, one of the first runners beaten when weakening in the straight to finish seventh.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Trainer Joe Pride's faith in Investment was rewarded as the $51 outsider claims victory at Randwick
Investment was a genuine roughie starting at $51 but trainer Joe Pride gave the mare a 'sneaky chance' before she caused a huge boil over at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The four-year-old was her sire So You Think's third winner of the day, following on from Glad You Think So and Oh Diamond Lil, when taking out the TAB F&M Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m). 'I thought she could improve a bit today. I said to a few people she had a sneaky chance,' Pride said. 'She was fitter, she looked really healthy and a bit of cut in the ground were all pointers to a better performance.' Pride rated Andrew Atkins steer aboard Investment as a '10 out of 10 ride' praising the jockey's boldness during the middle stages of the race as the key to victory. 'Plan A was to be midfield or forward but that was short lived as there was quite a bit of pressure early but she adapted to Plan B which was to get back and let her settle,' Adkins said. 'I thought if I could make a move at a point of the race when they were not making ground it would be to her advantage and that point was at about the 600m when I got on my bike and my the time we got into the straight I'd passed half of the field and we had a bit of momentum up. 'I was able to idle up, she was more than willing to do it and it saved us about five lengths. 'In the straight she really wanted to do it, she tried really hard and we just got the better of the other horse late in the piece.' Investment delivers a massive return for punters! ðŸ'° The @PrideRacing galloper finishes strong to salute at juicy odds in Race 6 at Randwick! â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 26, 2025 • 'He's a very exciting horse': Glorious Moments shines bright Investment ($51) defeated the Brad Widdup -trained Hasty Honey ($10) by a long head with Nana's Wish ($5.50) three-and-a-quarter lengths back in third. Pride has no ambitious plans lined up for Investment this preparation but he hopes the mare can continue to strengthen and improve over the next year and when winter roles around again in 2026, he may have his sights on bigger targets. 'She's always been a reasonably promising staying type of mare so it's nice to get a Saturday win with her,' he said. 'You'll see her at her best over 2400 metres and this was only her 18th start so I still don't think we've seen the best of her. 'Maybe this time next year is when she'll be at the absolute top of her game. 'While ever the tracks remain wet, she should continue to race well now as she appreciates these types of track.' The $2.60 favourite in the race She's Unusual struggled in the testing conditions, one of the first runners beaten when weakening in the straight to finish seventh.
