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Randwick Betting Tips for April 5, 2025 - Race-By-Race preview for The Championships - Day One

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: 03 Apr 2025

Alex Marsh 03 Apr 2025

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Four Group 1 races to be held on Day 1 of The Championships at Randwick
Top picks include 'Swiftfalcon' in the Carbine Club Stakes and 'Polymnia' in the Adrian Knox Stakes
Expert betting tips highlight best bets and value picks for a thrilling day of racing

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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 meeting.

Randwick Tips April 5
Race 1 - 12:25PM Widden Kindergarten Stakes Tips (1100m)
Race 2 - 1:00PM TAB Adrian Knox Stakes Tips (2000m)
Race 3 - 1:35PM Schweppes Chairman's Quality Tips (2600m)
Race 4 - 2:10PM HKJC World Pool Carbine Club Stakes Tips (1600m)
Race 5 - 2:45PM Evergreen Country Championships Final Tips (1400m)
Race 6 - 3:20PM Inglis Sires' Tips (1400m)
Race 7 - 3:55PM Asahi Super Dry 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 Precise Air PJ Bell Stakes Tips (1200m)
Randwick Quaddie Tips:

Our preview for all ten races on April 5 can be found below.

Randwick Tips April 5

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

Best: 6. Beskar. Tough race to assess, where the two market elects (North England and King Of Pop) are arriving from grand final runs in the Golden Slipper.

North England has been plain in both autumn efforts and while King Of Pop had excuses in the Golden Slipper, he's now at start four in his first prep.

Beskar is fresh, with the third foal from Sword Of Light (dual Group winner) impressive via a December debut and the recent Randwick trial was strong.

Value: 11. Sylph. You have to respect any two-year-old from the Michael Freedman yard and this juvenile has shown potential in two March trials.

Sylph was allowed to find her feet early via her first public outing, where she worked home well and the filly then settled closer in her latest hit-out.

A half-sister to Booker (Oakleigh Plate winner), Sylph gets the services of Damian Lane, who combined with Michael Freedman to win the Golden Slipper.

Race 2 - 1:00PM TAB Adrian Knox Stakes Tips (2000m)

Best: 9. Polymnia. This daughter of Dundeel needed a kill and she got it via a last start Hawkesbury romp, where the rise in trip suited her.

She appeared to have her chance prior to that when beaten as an odds-on fav, although Polymnia still put nearly 5.5-lengths on the third placegetter.

The first-up form through Conchiero (subsequent Melbourne winner) has been franked and now with confidence, Polymnia is well placed up to 2000m.

Value: 5. You Wahng. A youngster sister to Street Gossip (Listed winner), You Wahng improved off a runner-up finish on debut to win her next two starts.

The last triumph was a return victory at Scone, where she produced a turn-of-foot off a slow tempo to defeat Clubman, who has won either side of that.

Last start in the Kembla Grange Classic, tiring rivals fell in her lap (also in the worst going) and the last two Adrian Knox winners have come from that race.

Race 3 - 1:35PM Schweppes Chairman's Quality Tips (2600m)

Best: 3. Alalcance. English trainer William Haggas has a terrific record in Sydney (11 winners from 20 starters) and he prepares Desert Hero.

It'll be interesting to see what the market does with the topweight, as he was taken out of the Tancred Stakes (reportedly hadn't settled well in Australia).

Alalcance is a deserving fav, with the Waterhouse & Bott-trained galloper aiming for an autumn hat-trick (workmanlike fresh, but dominant second-up).

Value: 8. El Jasor. Despite a good start to the prep, with two wins and a second form three starts, El Jasor has looked a blinkers candidate in those runs.

That key gear change comes into effect for this 2600m Group 2 attempt and while this is a big rise in grade, most of his rivals aren't exactly flying.

El Jasor has furnished in his second Australian campaign, which is common with a European import and he's well down in weight off recent outings.

Race 4 - 2:10PM HKJC World Pool Carbine Club Stakes Tips (1600m)

Best: 2. Swiftfalcon. Swiftfalcon is the second emergency for the Doncaster Mile and this will be the consolation tilt if he doesn't gain a start there.

This is no gimme, with Evaporate a consistent horse who has been Group 1 placed, albeit the form around his last win has been average (Stutt Stakes).

Class saw Swiftfalcon place in the Rosehill Guineas, where the 2000m just took away his brilliance and keeping him around 1400m-1600m is ideal.

Value: 5. Shangri La Spring. This colt had to settle for second on debut as a short fav and that form stood up through Midnight Dynamite (won his next two).

Despite racing a little greenly in his second prep, Shangri La Spring went three-from-three and he handled the rise to metro level when completing a hat-trick.

He'll strip fitter from his Canberra Guineas return (has trialled since), where he only tired late after working early and he could get a soft lead here.

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

Best: 1. Gallant Star. Former Australian cricketer and popular commentator Kerry "Skull" O'Keefe owns Gallant Star with his mate, David Ringland.

The five-year-old is trained by Brett Robb, who prepared Sizzle Minizzle to win the 2023 Country Championships Final at bolters odds of 60/1.

The Group 3 placed Know Thyself might be the best horse in the race, but staying at 1400m is a little query for him and Gallant Star has more map favours.

Value: 10. Burrandana. He "trialled" well when dropping to 1175m last start at Albury and the gelding was a beaten fav prior to that in the Wagga Qualifer.

Burrandana broke a decent drought saluting with a big weight fresh in November and he placed in both 2025 runs before the March 20 performance.

He's still lightly raced for a six-year-old and while they've had a few problems with Burrandana, he's still got a fitness platform for the target race.

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

Best: 5. State Visit. Ciaron Maher has timed the prep well with State Visit, a colt who looks well suited up to 1400m at start three and the bigger track is also a positive.

The first foal out of the Celebrity Queen (Oakleigh Plate winner), this juvenile created an impression on debut when chiming in late via a fast-run 1250m.

State Visit recorded the fastest last 200m of the entire Canterbury program on February 21 and he lost no admirers when completely unsuited in the Pago Pago.

Next Best: 2. Wodeton. He arguably should've won the Golden Slipper, as the Chris Waller-trained colt was held-up from the 350m to the 200m of that feature before getting clear.

Although Wodeton settled on the inside via a program that favoured those on the rails, the youngster still had ground to make and he appreciated the colder tactics.

He's now deep into a first campaign and while that is a query, Chris Waller would've tipped him straight out had he not come through the Golden Slipper well.

Value: 9. Federalist. Arcadia Queen was a phenomenal talent and with better feet/luck with injury, the three-time Group 1 winner would've built an even more impressive resume.

Federalist is the first foal from Arcadia Queen and while he looks more of a three-year-old Guineas type, there's sharpness there through his sire (I Am Invincible),

Team Hawkes are having a very good season with their juveniles and they put winkers on this two-year-old, who caught the eye in a trial before an unlucky debut.

Race 7 - 3:55PM Asahi Super Dry TJ Smith Stakes Tips (1200m)

Best: 5. Briasa. While he appears short enough in the market for his first attempt at Group 1 WFA level, that says more about the current Australian sprinting crop than Briasa's chances.

He was where you didn't want to be on Golden Slipper Day, with the grey back and wide before making an early move without any rival taking him into the race.

Briasa was enormous under the circumstances and while the TJ Smith Stakes is a bigger challenge, 1200m and a kinder draw are two massive ticks second-up.

Next Best: 6. Sunshine In Paris. I'm not sure what the opposite of a rain dance is (Reddit says drought nap), but the connections of Sunshine In Paris will be happy with the clear forecast.

Sunshine In Paris contested the Canterbury Stakes first-up, where she was held-up in a leader dominated race before chiming in late (fastest closing sectionals of the race).

Her recent head-to-head record vs Joliestar (fav) reads 2-0 over spring and when everything comes together, she's one of the most capable sprinters in Australia.

Value: 10. Kimochi. She rounded out her spring with a much-deserved victory in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, where Kimochi beat two subsequent Group 1 winners (Another Wil and Jimmysstar).

The four-year-old is as honest as they come and she's also versatile, with Kimochi able to contest races in the 1000m to 1500m range (a mile just sees her out).

The Gary Portelli-trained mare arrives here off a slashing return in the Challenge Stakes, where she ran the second-fastest last 600m of the March 8 card.

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

Best: 20. Linebacker. He saluted over the mile third-up when successful in the Randwick Guineas and that form has stood up, with second, third and fourth all filling the trifecta of the Rosehill Guineas.

Linebacker shares a similar profile to Celestial Legend, who won the last year's Doncaster Mile with 49kg as a three-year-old and he's coming through the same lead-up races.

Three-year-old's have a decent record in the Doncaster Mile (won 10 of the last 29 editions) and as a galloper who can sustain a run on a good speed, Linebacker is dangerous down in the weights.

Next Best: 13. Kovalica. He's now getting weight off the main contenders from the George Ryder Stakes and that WFA event is often a strong form reference (produced 14 of the last 29 Doncaster Mile winners).

Kovalica was pocketed at a key stage of that 1500m return and that's with no prior fresh wins to his name, but his second-up record makes for better reading (two wins and a second).

Under the same conditions (Randwick mile/handicap), Kovalica should've finished much closer behind Ceolwulf in the Epsom last spring and he contested that Group 1 second-up.

Value: 4. Geoglyph. This entire is one of only two horses that has the scalp of Equinox, who was judged the World's Best Racehorse in 2023 and that victory was recorded at Group 1 level.

Overall, his form has been a mixed since that Japanese Guineas success, although there hasn't been many failures among his eight appearances in the clockwise direction.

With a large field and in a high pressure mile on a big track, wide gates aren't a disadvantage in the Doncaster Mile (barriers 12,13,14,16 and 18 have been among the most successful since the mid 90's).

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

Best: 1. Willydoit. New Zealand-based gallopers have won six of the last 16 Australian Derbies and with the talented Willydoit, the Kiwis are well placed to take out another.

It'll be a decent training performance if Shaun & Emma Clotworthy are to pull this off, as the son of Tarzino is still in his first campaign, although it has been spaced out.

Willydoit ticked the distance box last time out when successful in the New Zealand Derby and he wasn't given many favours prior to that when beaten at $1.50.

Next Best: 18. Aeliana. She should be arriving off a Group 1 Rosehill Guineas win and Chris Waller has kept Aeliana out of fillies restricted races throughout the entire campaign.

The form through Broadsiding, Linebacker and co are the strongest references in this field, while she's improved throughout the prep as the distances have increased.

Being from the same family as Oregon Star (Geelong Cup winner) and The Hind (Adelaide Cup winner), there's enough in her breeding to suggest that she'll stay.

Value: 17. Kosuke. This Autumn Sun gelding was always going to be bolters odds here, with the three-year-old well-held at a monster quote when contesting the Rosehill Guineas.

2400m is different territory and while he may lack the class of the better fancied rivals, Kosuke looks as though he'll stay longer than a nagging mother-in-law.

He got warm at the end of the Rosehill Guineas, while Kosuke also looked an out-and-out stayer via the Gloaming Stakes last spring when picking up again late.

Race 10 - 5:50PM Precise Air PJ Bell Stakes Tips (1200m)

Best: 10. Island Dec. We didn't see the real Island Dec in the Surround Stakes and there may have been an issue, as a tongue-tie is now on (choked down?).

Also, nothing from the back really made an impression in that Group 1 and with all three wins coming on the fresh side, the let-up/drop in trip here are both ticks.

Tommy Berry is back aboard Island Dec (he was on for her first two wins and a slick recent trial) and he can produce her late off a soft run in transit.

Value: 5. Love Poem. This New Zealand visitor is very well-bred, being by Snitzel and out of Madrigals, who is a full sister to Pierro (five-time Group 1 winner).

She was quite raw over her first few preps, with placings behind Savaglee (Australian Guineas runner-up) and Alabama Lass (Listed winner last Saturday).

Love Poem won a tight duel via her March 15 return, where the first two cleared right out and 1200m suits the filly (tried over further last campaign).