No fewer than seven Group races / Graded stakes will adorn this Friday night’s program at Randwick, and fans’ enjoyment will be heightened by the launch of Sky Racing World’s exciting new website.
Handicappers can watch the Randwick card on the new "Live TV page," as the winner of last October's The Everest – Think About It – returns to action in the G1 Canterbury Stakes. Check out the new and improved past performances which include a comparison of Live Odds between North American pools and TAB Fixed Odds in Australia, and speed maps so that users can better anticipate race shape. Friday night's program also includes the G1 Randwick Guineas for 3-year-olds; and a loaded prep race to the world's richest 2-year-old event, the Golden Slipper. The first of Randwick's 10 races is set for 8.30 p.m. Eastern 5.30 p.m. Pacific.
Trainer Joe Pride dominated last October's The Everest, finishing 1st and 3rd in the world's richest turf sprint with Think About It and Private Eye. With combined earnings of more than AU$20 million, both horses will start favorite in different races on Friday night while taking divergent paths this campaign. Think About It resumes in Race 7, the G1 Canterbury Stakes, at 6-1/2 furlongs. Pride has thought about it and is keen to pursue longer assignments: "The race I really want to win is the Doncaster Mile (April 5), but he's such a good horse he'll find a way to get it done (on Friday night)." In between, Think About It (currently boasting a 13:11-0-2 career record) will contest the George Ryder Stakes on March 22. "If he's able to win those three races, you'll be flat out getting anyone to argue that he's not the best horse in the nation." Private Eye will be kept to shorter races and heads the wagering for Friday night's 6th race, the G2 Challenge Stakes, at 5 furlongs. Pride has identified the TJ Smith Stakes on April 5 as Private Eye's chief target, because "I think that's his best track and distance - the Randwick (six furlongs)."
If Fangirl and Think About It, who have traded results in two recent races, are the dominant older horses at this early stage of the "Sydney Autumn Carnival," the 3-year-old who split them three weeks ago thoroughly deserves favoritism for the Randwick Guineas (Race 8). Despite facing some top-notch 3-year-olds, Militarize (8-5) will relish the return to his own age group and is already a Group 1 winner at the Randwick mile as a 2-year-old. Celestial Legend (3-1) lacks seasoning but stamped himself a future star with a brilliant performance to win the G2 Hobartville Stakes at his 6th start. His trainer, 85-year-old Hall of Famer Les Bridge, previously won the Hobartville 40 years ago. Bridge unabashedly exclaims "From the first day I saw this colt, I have loved him. This is a really good horse and in six months he'll be three or four lengths better." Another win by Celestial Legend would return the smile to Bridge's face, after his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs lost their season-opening Rugby League game last weekend in Las Vegas (Bridge's car has Rabbitohs license plates and seat covers, but he describes being a fan as "like getting a life sentence!"). Celestial Legend, who has the same owner as 2020 The Everest winner Classique Legend, will race beyond seven furlongs for the first time.
As impressive as Golden Slipper future book favorite Storm Boy was in victory last weekend, there is abundant depth in this season's 2-year-old ranks. Friday night's G2 Todman Stakes (Race 5) is a critical, high-quality prep for the world's richest juvenile race on March 22. Undefeated colts from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne converge, with wagering headed by Straight Charge (8-5) ahead of Espionage and Switzerland (each 3-1). The eight horses with race experience are a collective 17:12-3-1 (the field includes a pair of first-time starters). This Friday night is the second of seven straight weeks featuring Group 1 racing, culminating in The Championships at Randwick on April 5 and 12 when more than AU$25 million in purse money will be up for grabs. Apart from premium Sydney racing, the new "Live TV page" at skyracingworld.com offers a variety of international racing channels.
The Randwick card will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV this Friday night (First Post: 8.30 p.m. ET / 5.30 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Hawkesbury, Gold Coast and Ipswich. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, FanDuel and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances, and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.
About Michael Wrona
A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.
