Sydney’s continuing wet weather is responsible for a host of scratchings on Chelmsford Stakes Day at Randwick today.
Entirely Platinum remains the favourite for the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Randwick track was rated a heavy 8 this morning after further overnight rain resulting in a total of twenty-five scratchings on the eight event program which includes five Group races.
Randwick track manager Nevesh Ramdhani had rated the track in the slow range on Thursday but when more rain arrived, including 2.8mm in the last twenty-four hours, he was forced to inspect again, downgrading it back to a heavy 8.
The Randwick area had received 21.4mm for the week ensuring that Sydney would race in heavy conditions for the third weekend in a row.
The Group 2 $175,000 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) has only one scratching with Joe Pride withdrawing Laser Hawk who was the outsider of the field causing no disruptions to the market order with Entirely Platinum remaining the favourite at $3.70 with Ladbrokes.com.au.
The Group 2 $175,000 Coolmore Furious Stakes (1200m) for the three year old fillies also had only one scratching, the long priced Sailing Past with John O’Shea’s glamour filly Earthquake still holding a stranglehold on the betting at $1.75.
The market order for the Group 3 $125,000 Concorde Stakes (1000m) had had a shake up following the scratchings of stablemates Sessions and Safeguard as well as the Chris Waller trained Whittington.
Godolphin Racing Manager Jason Walsh had hinted on Friday that Sessions would be a doubtful runner if the track was rated in the heavy range.
“We have certainly got an opinion that he is much better on top of the ground, so Sessions will be unlikely if the track is particularly rain affected,” Walsh said.
Chris Waller was never going to start Whittington on a heavily rain affected track and also made his mind up on Thursday to scratch if the rain continued.
“I have scratched him already this prep and I am not that keen about running him again unless the track is definitely on the better side of slow,” Waller said.
With the scratching of the pre post favourite Sessions, the Joe Pride trained Target In Sight has been elevated to top spot at $2.90 with his stablemate, noted wet tracker Rain Affair, also prominent in the betting at $4.60.
Atmospherical from the David Pfieffer stable is also well in commission at $4 but has no wet track form to date.
The Group 2 $175,000 Tattersalls Club Tramway Stakes (1400m) has been hit with four withdrawals, Ninth Legion, Kirramosa, Zephyron and My Sabeel, but the largest field of the day will still has twelve runners with the Chris Waller trained Weary firming slightly to remain the $2.70 favourite ahead of the in-form Tiger Tees at $3.90.
The other feature race of the day, the Group 3 $125,000 Ming Dynasty Quality Handicap (1400m) for the three year olds has been reduced to a field of nine with the John O’Shea trained Meursault coming out on Thursday with the Gerald Ryan trained Washington Heights the ruling favourite at $2.25.
The remaining scratchings are Race 1: Gangster’s Choice, Black Revolver, and Dowdstown Charlie.
Race 2: Iggi Pop, Disclaimer, Specific Choice, Lucky Lucky Lucky and Jaja Malu.
Race 8: Any Day Will Do, Bouzy Rouge, Countryman, Foreign Prince, La Venta, Mountain View and Mezeray Miss.
