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Randwick Betting Tips for April 6, 2024 - Race-By-Race preview for The Championships - Day One

Alex Marsh

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Last updated: 04 Apr 2024

Alex Marsh 04 Apr 2024

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Get our tips and best bets for the Randwick Races in Sydney
Four Group 1's feature on the opening day of The Championships this Saturday
The track is currently a Good 4, but downgrades are expected
Our race-by-race preview for April 6 is included below

Expired

The Championships begins at Royal Randwick this Saturday. (Getty)

Four Group 1's will be run on the opening day of The Championships, with a strong support card also assembled for Saturday's Randwick program.

Randwick Tips April 6
Race 1 - 12:25PM Widden Kindergarten Stakes Tips (1100m)
Race 2 - 1:00PM Schweppes Chairman's Quality Tips (2600m)
Race 3 - 1:35PM HKJC World Pool Carbine Club Stakes Tips (1600m)
Race 4 - 2:10PM TAB Adrian Knox Stakes Tips (2000m)
Race 5 - 2:45PM Newhaven Park Country Championships Final Tips (1400m)
Race 6 - 3:20PM Inglis Sires' Tips (1400m)
Race 7 - 3:55PM James Squire TJ Smith Stakes Tips (1200m)
Race 8 - 4:35PM The Star Doncaster Mile Tips (1600m)
Race 9 - 5:15PM ATC Australian Derby Tips (2400m)
Race 10 - 5:50PM China Horse Club PJ Bell Stakes Tips (1200m)
Randwick Quaddie Tips:

Our preview for all ten races on April 6 can be found below.

Randwick Tips April 6

Race 1 - 12:25PM Widden Kindergarten Stakes Tips (1100m)

Best: 8. Hallett. It's a tough start to the day and there's queries on both favs, with Espionage looking to bounce back off a plain run and he was pushed out in a subsequent trial win.

Second market elect Roselyn's Star bolted in last start, but that two-year-old appeared to struggle late on soft ground the start prior when making his debut at Canterbury.

One with gas in the tank could be Hallett, who ran similar time to Roselyn's Star at when breaking through after working early and the follow-up trial on a soft track was strong.

Value: 7. Extreme Diva. She appeared at little one-paced when returning to firmer ground last time out, with the two best runs of her career both coming on soft ground.

That includes a third-up placing behind Manaal and Fly Fly, which is decent reading for this, as are her prior form lines around Switzerland and Lady Of Camelot.

Also, Extreme Diva may not have handled the seven-day turnarounds last time out in the Reisling Stakes and the Anthony Cummings-trained filly has been freshened-up ahead of this.

Race 2 - 1:00PM Schweppes Chairman's Quality Tips (2600m)

Best: 8. Verona. Against fitter rivals in what was somewhat of a tactical affair, Verona was the rear and chasing a long way out first-up, but she balanced up nicely late.

In what was effectively another trial with a Sydney Cup being the likely target, it was pleasing 2000m resumption and then back to 1900m second-up, it was a similar performance.

The winner of this race is exempt from ballot and penalty for the 2024 Sydney Cup, which does look the target and up to 2600m third-up, she could jump out of the ground on Saturday.

Value: 9. So Dazzling. These John Sargeant stayers can often improve out of sight with a few runs under the belt, especially as they get over more ground and her sole win was on a Heavy 10.

So Dazzling also improved offer plain showing in last year's Vinery Stud Stakes, with the daughter of So You Think running second behind a smart Pennyweka in the Australian Oaks.

There was also a big spike third-up last spring when stepping up to 2500m in the Mooney Valley Gold Cup, where the mare made ground, so she is ticking some boxes here.

Race 3 - 1:35PM HKJC World Pool Carbine Club Stakes Tips (1600m)

Best: 10. McHale. One of the more open races of the day is this Group 3 and while McHale is up in grade third-up, the Chris Waller-trained galloper beat useful older rivals last time out.

That made it back-to-back wins for a three year old who is back against his own age group here and he's really starting to put it all together, having been gelded ahead of this prep.

Whether he can produce his slick turn-of-foot over a testing mile remains to be seen, but he's clearly going well and McHale is sneaking under the guard a little here.

Value: 2. Witz End. Any Tony Pike galloper is worth respecting when they cross the ditch to Australia, with the New Zealand trainer bringing over this son of Savabeel.

Witz End recorded two strong on-speed victories when opening his account in December and January before a freshen-up, while he's brought up a pair of seconds in two March runs.

A wide draw proved costly in the last of those via the group 2 Wellington Guineas and against what is the B/C grade of this three-year-old crop, he could easily get away with this under J-Mac.

Race 4 - 2:10PM TAB Adrian Knox Stakes Tips (2000m)

Best: 12. Good Banter. I'm keen on the chances of Good Banter, who looks one of the better bets on the card at $5+ and $101 is still available with bet365 to win next week's Australian Oaks.

A daughter of Tavistock who's been ticking over beautifully, we specked her at a double figure quote last start in the Kembla Grange classic and she was enormous in that Group 3.

She was wide and working throughout yet still attacked the line late, with what was the run of a race that's produced Tutta La Vita, who almost defeated a smart Orchestral last Saturday.

Value: 14. Hippy Dreams. Trainer Ed Cummings can produce a late season three-year-old from seemingly nowhere and it's worth noting that he's prepared two of the last three winners of this race.

He saddles up the improving Hippy Dreams, a filly who was decent in her first two outings before spiking third-up up at Wyong last start, where she sailed straight past the a useful Dolzino.

Being in her first campaign and going from 1600m to 2000m, she doesn't have a dissimilar platform to Arts, who bolted in with this race for Ed Cummings last year at a big price.

Race 5 - 2:45PM Newhaven Park Country Championships Final Tips (1400m)

Best: 1. Bandi's Boy. You rarely get a last start Group 3 winner going to a Country Championships final seven days later and that's what we have here with the clear race fav.

Bandi's Boy has racing under his belt after injuries plagued his three-year-old season and he's been consistent throughout this prep, with three wins and a third from four starts.

He defeated subsequent Group 1 winner Zougotcha via his only try on Heavy 10 ground and he should have won that by further (run off the track) and he's very well in here under set weights.

Value: 12. Atmospheric Rock. He doesn't have the talent of stablemate Bandi's Boy, however, Atmospheric Rock is super honest and he was only half a length off the fav last start at Moruya.

His worst finish in 13 starts to date was a fifth in a Rosehill Highway two starts back, where he got a long way back and from the rear, he made ground after circling the field.

The four-year-old also handles all conditions, with his only attempt on heavy ground resulting in a half length defeat to Sister Moon and she won her next three races.

Race 6 - 3:20PM Inglis Sires' Tips (1400m)

Best: 1. Storm Boy. Although he had to settle for third as a beaten fav in the Golden Slipper, Storm Boy had excuses in his first career defeat, with the son of Justify missing the kick a fortnight ago.

He was also on the inferior ground on that Golden Slipper Day meeting and the main query heading into that feature was if he was looking for 1400m after his Pago Pago triumph.

The son of Justify now steps up to seven furlongs and along with a wider draw being in his favour this time around, he also gets J-Mac back in the saddle for the Inglis Sires'.

Next Best: 10. Manaal. Visually, she produced the best closing effort in the Golden Slipper and the clock backed it up, with Manaal recording the fastest last 800m/600m/400m and 200m of the race.

That was her first time finishing out of the money in four starts and with a kinder draw/a few more favours in transit, the Michael Freedman-trained is likely fighting out the finish.

Manaal will likely be ridden cold again from a wide draw, but a switch to the bigger circuit of Randwick is in her favour (unbeaten here) and her best win came on soft ground.

Value: 7. Vianarra. He was freshened-up after that Queensland visit before resuming over this trip in the VRC Sires', where he had to overcome trouble after settling a long way back from a wide draw.

Although he couldn't threaten Traffic Warden in that Flemington Group 2, Vianarra balanced up late when finally clear and he found the line strongly (race fastest last 200m).

Given the break heading into that most recent run, he's still open to improvement vs those who have had grand finals and he now draws low after wide gates via his last two outings.

Race 7 - 3:55PM James Squire TJ Smith Stakes Tips (1200m)

Best: 11. Sunshine In Paris. This Annabel Neasham-trained mare could be anything if she stays sound and she arrives here off a narrow fresh defeat in The Galaxy, which was an outstanding performance.

Sunshine In Paris was in comfortably the worst going on Golden Slipper Day and while 1100m is on the short side, I think she wins that easily if you swap her run with the winner.

The four-year-old was a stylish winner over 1200m via her sole spring outing and she took out the Group 1 Surround Stakes second-up last autumn, with this her biggest test to date.

Next Best: 1. I Wish I Win. Ideally, he could've produced more in Victorian jump-outs, especially from what isn't a noted first-up stable, however, he's a dynamite fresh horse and this isn't a prep run.

I Wish I Win has been sparingly raced since taking out the 2022 Golden Eagle, with only five runs completed in the last 18 months and his last win was in this feature 12 months ago.

The market generally holds firm with I Wish I Win, so it'll be interesting to see what happens given this is first-up on what is likely to be testing ground, but he's here to win.

Value: 5. Aft Cabin. He failed to recover and finish off after being hampered early in The Galaxy, but Aft Cabin can produce flat performances when things don't pan out and he was terrific the start prior.

The Godolphin entire caught the eye in that Challenge Stakes return over 1000m at Randwick, where he raced in restricted room and getting out to six furlongs is ideal third-up.

It's also worth noting that he had failed in his only other Rosehill attempt, whereas his best Sydney runs have all come at Randwick and three of his four wins have been on wet ground.

Race 8 - 4:35PM The Star Doncaster Mile Tips (1600m)

Best: 18. Another Wil. Ciaron Maher is looking for his first Doncaster Mile victory and this season's leading Australian trainer has a strong hand in 2024, with the exciting Another Wil leading the charge.

With a big field under handicap conditions and especially when it is wet, wide barriers are often favourable in the Doncaster, with eight of the last 13 winners jumping from double-figure gates.

The wider alleys have often been successful with those down in the weights, as there's less risk with using them up early and one of the more progressive horses in the country has just 50kg here.

Next Best: 19. Celestial Legend. This three-year-old was all the rage in the Doncaster Mile futures prior to Another Wil's qualifying win, with the last start Randwick Guineas winner carrying just 49kg for this Group 1.

Celestial Legend covered ground in that latest victory and as a result of that tough run, trainer Les Bridge gave him more time to recover ahead of this fourth-up assignment.

He completed a slick tick-over trial on March 22 over 1200m, where the son of Dundeel was strong late in that 1200m heat and the colt did handle wet tracks in his first campaign.

Value: 20. Southport Tycoon. Another leading contender from the Ciaron Maher stable is Southport Tycoon, who was a last-start winner in the Australian Guineas and he's another that worked well in the interim.

The Australian Guineas is a strong form reference, with placegetters Veight (George Ryder) and Riff Rocket (Rosehill Guineas) both coming from that race to win Group 1's on Golden Slipper Day.

Like Celestial Legend, he's a three-year-old who carries the featherweight of 49kg in this feature and under Rachel King, he'll look for a tow into proceedings and then chime in late.

Race 9 - 5:15PM ATC Australian Derby Tips (2400m)

Best: 1. Riff Rocket. He brought up Group 1 win number two on Golden Slipper Day when swooping to score in the Rosehill Guineas, which is the traditional lead-up race to the Australian Derby.

The Chris Waller-trained gelding rounded out his spring prep with a narrow triumph in the Victoria Derby and he returned in style with a brilliant 1400m victory in the CS Hayes Stakes.

While Victoria/Australia Derby winning doubles are rare, Hitotsu completed it in 2022 and Riff Rocket is arguably the best middle distance/staying three-year-old in Australia at present.

There's a few angles that you could take, but this gelding is the safest, a bombproof galloper who has only missed the top three once and there were genuine excuses (post-race) for that loss.

Next Best: 6. Immediacy. His Rosehill Guineas performance was a lot better than what it appeared to be at first glance, where the Victorian visitor pulled in the run via his first clockwise attempt.

Although he was successful the start prior when produced on the fresh side, he may just needed that first Sydney run and youngsters often improve via their second try on the other leg.

We were with Immediacy in all three of his Victorian wins and it's notable that he beat older rivals in the second of those, which is never easy at start two, especially in metro company.

He was specked ahead of the Rosehill Guineas and the son of Tarzino still wasn't beaten far there in what was a swoopers race, so he does look the forgotten horse in the market.

Value: 8. Noisy Boy. A pair of stakes attempts at the back-end of the first prep came too soon for this gelding, but he's furnished with a little more time, having completed three runs this time in.

A big, strong galloper from the Todd Howlett stable, Noisy Boy only got warm late over 1500m in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes and he was crying out for more ground in that outing.

The Tulloch Stakes has been a great form reference for the Australian Derby in recent years and while he didn't have the turn-of-foot of Wymark, he continued to whack away in second.

Major Beel won last year's Australian Derby after a runner-up finish seven days prior in the Tulloch Stakes and with 2400m likely to suit now, Noisy Boy has to be among the chances.

Race 10 - 5:50PM China Horse Club PJ Bell Stakes Tips (1200m)

Best: 12. Commemorative. After a dominant debut win on soft ground last winter, the spring just came a little soon for this Godolphin filly and I'm forgiving of her stakes level attempts then.

A big, strong daughter of I Am Invincible, Commemorative was ridden like a good thing when returning at Wyong on March 20 and the three-yea- old duly saluted despite a wide run.

James Cummings has a good record in this race, having prepared three of the last eight winners (two for Godolphin) and this talented filly has the services of an in-form Jamie Kah.

Value: 20. August Bloom. At $60+, August Bloom is one of the better blowouts on the meeting, with the Team Snowden galloper is ready to go off two good lead-up trials.

A galloper who was Group 3 placed in her first prep before spell, the three-year old resumed with a victory on soft ground last campaign, where she defeated a useful There There.

While she wasn't able to progress in subsequent spring outings, August Bloom is a lightly raced filly with upside and it wouldn't shock to see her very competitive in a race like this.