Short priced favourite Redzel highlights the first acceptances for the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 7.

Redzel, above, is among the first acceptances for the 2018 T J Smith Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Redzel, above, is among the first acceptances for the 2018 T J Smith Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Redzel in the $2.70 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au and along with his stablemate Pariah, is included in the thirty-nine first acceptances for the Group 1 weight for age sprint on the first day of The Championships.

Redzel was a winner over the same course and distance as the T J Smith Stakes when he scored a brilliant win in the $10m The Everest during the 2017 Sydney Spring Carnival and then went on to win the  Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on the last day of the 2017 Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The five year old’s winning run came to an end when he suffered his first defeat in seven starts when a nose second to Redkirk Warrior in the Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on February 17 but then he bounced back into the winner’s stall with victory in the Group 2 $500,000 Hyland Race Colours Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick last Saturday.

One of Redzel’s main rivals will be the Team Hawkes trained Chautauqua who is the winner of the last three runnings of the T J Smith Stakes but the grey flash has hit a hurdle and has been ordered to barrier trial before he can race again after refusing to jump on three consecutive occasions from the starting gates at recent barrier trials.

The Hawkes Racing Team of John, Wayne and Michael has switched Chautauqua’s preparation to Melbourne and are hoping to have him passed by the stewards before returning to Sydney to run in the T J Smith Stakes.

Chautauqua is currently listed on the fourth line of betting at $11 with the Ben Smith trained In Her Time at $8.50 and the Lindsay Park trained Vega Magic at $9 sandwiched in between Redzel and Chautauqua in the market order.

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig also have Derryn, Fuhryk, Spieth, Thronum and Tulip among the first acceptors for the T J Smith Stakes.

The final field for the 2018 T J Smith Stakes will be released on Tuesday, April 3.

Early betting for the 2018 T J Smith Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.70 Redezel, $8.50 In Her Time, $9 Vega Magic, $11 Chautauqua, $15 Ittetsu, Viridine, $17 English, Trapeze Artist, $21 Jungle Edge, She Will Reign, $26 Clearly Innocent, $34 Hey Doc, Secret Agenda, Supido, $41 or better the rest.

First acceptances for the 2018 T J Smith Stakes (1200m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 394x2531x6 BALL OF MUSCLE G 7 Joseph Pride 105
2 3231x7644x CHAUTAUQUA G 7 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes –
3 113x385x66 CLEARLY INNOCENT G 6 Kris Lees 111
4 00x21172xN DAL CIELO (NZ) G 5 Kris Lees 95
5 1368x008x9 DERRYN H 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 102
6 266x4269x5 ENGLISH M 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 112
7 6639x680x5 FELL SWOOP G 6 Matthew Dale 106
8 21x78192x0 FUHRYK M 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
9 x2247x12x0 GLENALL H 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 93
10 02x19x6422 GLOBAL GLAMOUR M 4 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 107
11 423x654x53 HELLBENT H 5 Darren Weir –
12 196x1401x7 HEY DOC G 4 Tony McEvoy –
13 115x3179x3 HOUTZEN F 3 Toby Edmonds 97
14 5x523x112x IN HER TIME M 5 Benjamin Smith –
15 41112x13x3 INVINCIBLE GEM M 4 Kris Lees 108
16 4x1211x70x ITTETSU (IRE) H 6 Darren Weir –
17 76875113×2 JUNGLE EDGE G 7 Mick Bell 108
18 5537×51419 KEN’S DREAM G 4 Darren Weir –
19 11202x250x LE ROMAIN G 5 Kris Lees 115
20 1449729×37 MISSROCK M 4 Robbie Laing 104
21 x14x33934x NIETA M 5 John P Thompson 99
22 1220x129x PARIAH C 3 Peter & Paul Snowden 91
23 11x1111x21 REDZEL G 5 Peter & Paul Snowden 118
24 167x5114x1 SECRET AGENDA M 5 Mick Price –
25 x121x10x10 SHE WILL REIGN F 3 Gary Portelli 112
26 11x1221x81 SHOALS F 3 Anthony Freedman 106
27 x21510x237 SHOWTIME C 3 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 100
28 2121x11x22 SNITTY KITTY M 4 Henry Dwyer –
29 x290x2860x SPIETH (NZ) H 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
30 208×613212 STELLAR COLLISION G 5 Darren Weir –
31 117×1111 SUGAR BELLA M 4 Kris Lees 79
32 x930x15x45 SUPIDO H 6 Michael Kent –
33 847x5400x7 TAKEDOWN G 5 Gary Moore 108
34 61x70600x8 THE MISSION C 3 Paul Perry 90
35 306x13x140 THRONUM H 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 104
36 3x6410x143 TRAPEZE ARTIST C 3 Gerald Ryan 105
37 5x2450x415 TULIP F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 90
38 1x1x11257x VEGA MAGIC G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig –
39 11x115x4 VIRIDINE C 3 James Cummings 87

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.