On Saturday the esteemed Royal Randwick Racecourse will host the closing meeting of the Sydney autumn carnival, featuring an elite eight-event programme.
Aside from the big four Group 1 features, another excellent race to watch will be the $150,000 Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1600m) to be contested by 16 quality three-year-old fillies and mares.
Just one runner under a capacity field, the 2010 Emirates Emancipation Stakes is shaping up to be a fierce competition headlined by the hot pre-race favourite Gold Water, currently at $2.90 with IASbet.
Drawn out wide in barrier 14, the Gai Waterhouse-trained mare is coming off two valiant second placed runs in the Coolmore Classic and the Royal Parma Stakes and is looking well positioned to do one better on Saturday.
The Joseph Pride-trained Sacred Choice, second favourite with IASbet at $7, has secured the prized barrier one and will have in-form hoop Michael Rodd aboard.
Premier Sydney trainer Anthony Cummings has two runners in the 2010 Emancipation Stakes, Prima Nova in barrier three and Messenger in barrier nine. Of the two, Danehill Dancer mare Prima Nova is the more fancied at $8.50, despite her two lacklustre last starts running 13th in both the Doncaster Mile and Coolmore Classic.
Other exciting females seeking glory in the Emancipation Stakes include Encosta De Lago mare Strawberry Field (barrier seven) and imported stablemate Music Review (barrier 11), and the Grahame Begg-trained Pagan Princess drawn well in gate two.
Meanwhile Rosehill-based trainer Gerald Ryan will be represented by three of his top females as More Than Ready mare Ready To Lift (barrier five), Beaucoup (barrier six) and Mysterious Light (barrier 15) all line up on Saturday.
The Group 1 races lighting up the Randwick track on Saturday are the $400,000 Sydney Cup (3200m) where last start The BMW winner Littorio will face off against Zavite and Precedence; the $350,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) featuring Doncaster Mile top two duo Rangirangdoo and Road To Rock; the $300,000 Champagne Stakes (1600m) for two-year-olds; and the $300,000 All Aged Stakes (1400m) where Danleigh, Mic Mac and Hot Danish are fighting for the punters’ favouritism.
The 2010 Emirates Emancipation Stakes takes place early on in the day as race three at 1:40pm.
2010 Emirates Emancipation Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw:
No. |
Horse |
Trainer |
Jockey |
Barrier |
Weight (kg) |
| 1 |
NEROLI |
Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 10 | 58 |
| 2 |
READY TO LIFT |
Gerald Ryan | Glyn Schofield | 5 | 57 |
| 3 |
GOLD WATER |
Gai Waterhouse | Nash Rawiller | 14 | 57 |
| 4 |
BERNICIA |
Guy Walter | Blake Shinn | 13 | 56.5 |
| 5 |
PRIMA NOVA |
Anthony Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 3 | 56.5 |
| 6 |
HAIRY |
Gary Portelli | Kathy O’Hara | 16 | 56.5 |
| 7 |
MESSENGER |
Anthony Cummings | Damien Oliver | 9 | 56.5 |
| 8 |
STRAWBERRY FIELD |
John O’Shea | Joshua Parr | 7 | 56 |
| 9 |
SACRED CHOICE |
Joseph Pride | Michael Rodd | 1 | 56 |
| 10 |
MUSIC REVIEW (GB) |
John O’Shea | Craig Newitt | 11 | 55.5 |
| 11 |
BEAUCOUP |
Gerald Ryan | Craig Williams | 6 | 55 |
| 12 |
PAGAN PRINCESS |
Grahame Begg | Brenton Avdulla | 2 | 54 |
| 13 |
GLOWLAMP |
Clarry Conners | Stathi Katsidis | 4 | 54 |
| 14 |
HALLEYS |
Bart Cummings | Luke Nolen | 8 | 54 |
| 15 |
ESTANCIA RIOS |
Kevin Moses | Tim Clark | 12 | 54 |
| 16 |
MYSTERIOUS LIGHT |
Gerald Ryan | Daniel Ganderton | 15 | 54 |
