The final field of fourteen three year olds for the Group 1 $1m Girvan Waugh Randwick Guineas (1600m) will have to face heavy track conditions at Randwick on Saturday.
Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon, above, will carry the number 1 saddlecloth in the Randwick Guineas at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Randwick track is already rated a heavy 9 after receiving 75.6mm of rain in the last seven days and the heavy rain is forecast to hang around until the weekend.
Because of the wet conditions the Sydney area has experienced, the race meeting at Kembla Grange yesterday and the Warwick Farm meeting today have been abandoned.
The James Cummings trained Prized Icon has drawn the outside gate in the fourteen horse field and will be ridden again by Glyn Schofield who has been aboard the More Than Ready colt at his last four starts which includes his win in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on October 29 and his first up sixth to Man From Uncle in the Group 2 $400,000 Schweppes Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 18.
Prized Icon, who has also accepted for the Group 1 $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday, has won twice on the soft while Man From Uncle handled the wet track well in winning the Hobartville Stakes.
The Anthony Cummings trained Man From Uncle has also drawn out wide at barrier thirteen with Jason Collet to ride again after partnering the Uncle Mo gelding to two wins from his last two starts in the Group 3 $150,000 Australian Chinese Jockey Club Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 4 and in the Hobartville Stakes.
Hobartville Stakes runner up Echo Effect has a perfect two from two record on a heavy track and has drawn barrier two with Paul King in the saddle again.
Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan said that Echo Effect has pulled up well after running second to Man From Uncle in the Hobartville Stakes when caught in the last few bounds after trying to lead all of the way.
“I’m really happy with him, he loves the wet and yes he goes into a Group 1 but I think he should be racing in those races,” Buchanan told The Daily Telegraph.
“Paul (King) has sorted him out and he is starting to settle a bit better and I think he will love the mile but I don’t know until we try it.”
Hong Kong’s leading jockey Joao Moreira will back in Australia on Saturday to ride Comin’ Through for Chris Waller and the wet conditions shouldn’t bother the Fastnet Rock colt who has drawn barrier four.
Comin’ Through is a half-brother to the multiple Group 1 winner Criterion who won the 2014 Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on a heavy track and the 2015 Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on a soft 7.
Team Snowden have Acatour in the Randwick Guineas with Blake Shinn to ride from barrier 9 while John O’Shea will saddle up the consistent Malaise who has drawn barrier seven with Hong Kong based jockey Zac Purton to ride.
The Kris Lees trained Invincible Gem is the only filly in the Randwick Guineas and will jump from gate six with Brenton Avdulla in the saddle again after steering her to an impressive last start win in the Group 3 $150,000 Trainer Connections Spring Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on February 13.
