G1 George Main Stakes Day - 17.10.201

All eyes will be on Randwick this weekend with the running of the G1 Winx Retirement Fund Stakes George Main Stakes and we are looking at a firm track in Sydney for the first time in a long while.

With the scratchings of Tosen Stardom and Le Romain the great mare Winx will face off against just five rivals and start around $1.10. That says "no bet race" to me so I'll be focusing on the next biggest race on the card in the G2 The Shorts.

Who's Hot? 

In the last 20 days trainer Ciaron Maher has produced 29 starters for an amazing 12 winners.

Apart from his runners at Pakenham tomorrow he also has some strong chances at Caulfield such as Decoco (Race 2 No. 16), Kaching (Race 5 No. 13) plus Jameka (Race 8 No. 6) and Set Square (Race 8 No. 8) in the feature race.

RANDWICK

*** At time of publication the track was rated a Soft 5. The forecast was for a partly cloudy day. ***

The Shorts (Group 2, 1100m, w-f-a)

Current Sportsbet market

*** There are no early scratchings ***

English looks the best placed here at the weights. She's had five starts here at Randwick for wins in a G1 All Aged Stakes (beating Black Heart Bart below), a G2 Challenge Stakes (when first-up last prep) and a G2 Reisling Stakes. She also has a third here to Chautauqua in a G1 T. J. Smith Stakes. She's unbeaten fresh and looked good in her trial.

Clearly Innocent has seven wins and a second from nine starts so he is a winner. At the end of last campaign he won the Listed Luskin Star Stakes beating Music Magnate who went on at his next start to claim the G1 Doomben 10,000. His only failure was at this track and distance but he has won here and twice at the trip elsewhere.

Japonisme won three 1100m races in a row early in his career and went on to claim a G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (below) less than three months later. He's only won once in six subsequent starts but he was taking on open company at G1 level as a 3-y-o and placed three times. He was pretty average first-up though so I'm going to wait and see given the big weight.

Kaepernick was devastating first-up last prep when easily claiming the Listed Ortensia Stakes. His last 10 starts have yielded four wins and three placings with his only misses being two runs down the Flemington straight (which is  easily forgivable) and the G1 Stradbroke Handicap back in June on that shifty track. Loves 1100m and drawn to stalk the speed.

Dothraki won the Listed City Tatts Lightning Stakes fresh at this track and distance last October. He wasn't far off Chautauqua (below) when fifth in the G1 T.J. Smith Stakes back in April when he finished on the heels of English. He meets her 4kg better off here and he did just miss Malaguerra in the G1 B.T.C. Cup two starts ago.

Ball Of Muscle was narrowly beaten in this race last year and has only missed a place twice in 19 career starts. Those two runs were the only runs of his last campaign so if you write that off as just a bad prep he's a chance here. He's won two trails leading into this, has a good gate and he's placed behind G1 winners like Buffering, Azkadellia and Rebel Dane.

Takedown has had two starts at the Randwick 1100m - both of them first-up - for a third to Counterattack in the Listed Heritage Stakes and a second to Redzel in the Listed Fireball Quality. He was only half a length off Japonisme in the G2 Arrowfield Stakes four starts ago and meets him 1.5kg to the better here.

$21+ the rest.

Boss Lane has won five times at Randwick but never against this hot a field. I thought he had every possible chance last start and still couldn't get into the minor placings. This is harder and he's drawn poorly. Sarajevo was good fresh and might be the best longshot for exotics. He's got a good record at 1100m and the stable and jockey are airborne. Howmuchdoyouloveme has just turned eight and might have seen better days. He's hard to recommend given he's had eight starts at Randwick for no wins and just the one placing. Smart Volatility was well tried and well beaten last start but had an internal bleed so can be forgiven. Prior to that he won Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton at just his second run in Australia. Place only.

Locky's Selections

BEST        

9. Kaepernick

DANGER  

4. English

FOR EXOTICS

5. Dothraki
11. Sarajevo

2. Ball Of Muscle

10. Clearly Innocent

OTHER BETS

He's Our Rokki (Caulfield Race 9 No. 2) got us the chocolates two weeks ago in this blog at good odds and he looks a nice horse in the making so I am staying solid. He's had two goes here at Caulfield for a win and a second and his two best wins did come on soft tracks - the G3 Packer Plate and the G3 Carbine Club Stakes. He should get a good trail here from the positive draw. Well backed.

Preferment (Randwick Race 5 No. 2) could cause an upset here. I know Hartnell thrashed him last start but he was on a surface that suited and this bloke wasn't and I doubt he'll get the same head start tomorrow. This horse always goes to another level second-up. Last prep he won a G1 Australian Cup (below) by sitting on the speed in a slowly run race. He won this race last year when second-up too. $9 into $7 in early markets.

Tsaritsa (Randwick Race 8 No. 8) will appreciate some weight relief here after conceding 2.5kg - 5kg to the quinella at her last appearance. She should be much fitter for that first-up run and she's never missed a place at the trip. She won second-up last prep before going to the Brisbane Winter Carnival and winning the G2 Queensland Guineas. They were her last two runs on a firm track. She should get a lovely run from barrier two.

Good punting!