Track manager Nevesh Rhamdani is predicting that the Randwick track will be rated in the slow range at best for the second day of ‘The Championships’ on Saturday.
A drying track will suit Boban in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Randwick was rated a heavy 9 last Saturday for the first day of ‘The Championships’ with Rhamdani putting up the same rating today, but with the rain finally starting to disperse, he is confident that a slow track on race day is a real possibility.
“Back to nine with the rail out four metres,” Rhamdani said.
“There is rain forecast pretty much for the next twenty-four hours, clearing into Thursday, mostly sunny Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so that is encouraging.”
“It looks a lot better than last week. Having said that Sydney during Carnival time anything can happen, but I am fairly confident there is some improvement to come with the weather and the track.”
“The best we could get to is probably a slow track and depends on how much that sun comes out on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”
The official forecast from the Bureau Of Meteorology website has a shower or two for Wednesday, partly cloudy on Thursday and sunny on Friday and Saturday.
Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller is hoping Rhamdani’s prediction is correct and the sun does come out as he is looking for a good racing surface for his Queen Elizabeth Stakes hopeful Boban.
“He just can’t quicken in the heavy going and it takes away his brilliance,” Waller told TVN.
“It was never our intention to run him in the Doncaster and that made it a little bit easier as well; it was always our plan to go three weeks from the George Ryder into the Queen Elizabeth and we just stuck to that plan basically.
“My biggest concern was getting the horse to settle this coming Saturday and I thought that running in the Doncaster would give us a chance to just take the edge off so to speak.
“I also thought that if we struck a good track on Doncaster Day and a wet track Queen Elizabeth Day, we would be in trouble.
“As it worked out it was a very heavy track and hopefully it improves for Queen Elizabeth Day.”
Boban will be going into the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on Saturday without having run for three weeks after being scratched from the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick last Saturday because of the heavy track.
But a wet track would not bother Waller’s other four runners in the feature weight for age race with Sacred Falls, Royal Descent, Hawkspur and My Kingdom Of Fife all recording wins on rain affected tracks.
Sacred Falls, Royal Descent and Hawkspur all raced last weekend on the heavy 9 and finished first, second and fourth in the Doncaster and while My Kingdom Of Fife finished down the placings at tenth spot, the English import has winning wet track form beside his name.
Boban is currently a $10 chance for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au who have the Gai Waterhouse import Carlton House the $3.50 favourite ahead of Silent Achiever at $4.60, It’s A Dundeel at $4.80 and Royal Descent at $8.
Trainer Mike Moroney is also hoping for drying conditions for his mare Voleuse De Coeurs who has to carry 58kgs in the Group 1 $1m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m).
Big race jockey Glen Boss told Moroney that the Irish import didn’t feel comfortable on the heavy track when fifth to Silent Achiever in the Group 1 $1.5m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 5.
“Glen Boss thought she’d fly through the wet, but she struggled, and when he came in he was staggered, and more or less said she wasn’t really comfortable on it,’’ Moroney told News Limited.
Voleuse De Coeurs is marked as a $9 chance alongside of Sertorius for the Sydney Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au while the Gai Waterhouse trained The Offer is the ruling favourite at $3 ahead of New Zealand stayer Who Shot Thebarman at $5.50.
