Sprinting supremo Redzel will stay in Sydney on the weekend and carry the topweight in the Group 1 $700,000 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Redzel, above, will carry the top weight in the 2019 The Galaxy at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Redzel was also nominated for the Group 1 $500,000 William Reid Stakes (120m) at The Valley on Friday night but co-trainer Peter Snowden said that the stable had elected to keep the dual Everest winner close to home.
Snowden is content for Redzel to carry the impost of 59.5kg under handicap conditions in The Galaxy in the comfort of his own back yard as opposed to travelling to Melbourne where he would better treated under the weight for age scale in the William Reid Stakes.
The Group 1 $2.5m T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Day One of The Championships on April 6 is Redzel’s main 2019 Sydney Autumn Carnival target and he believed The Galaxy would be a more suitable lead up race.
“I want to stay here really, so more than likely he’ll run in the Galaxy unless he draws 18 of 18,” Snowden told racing.com.
“He’ll have 59.5kg so he’ll have a fair bit of weight. But just I am looking at the next start – the T.J. (Smith) – that’s the important race.
“It’s all about getting it right for the following race and this looks the best path to get him there in the best order.”
“If you don’t have to do it, you don’t have to do it.”
“Although the Moonee Valley race is very tempting because it’s at weight-for-age and he’s much better off than he is here under handicap conditions, but it just saves that float trip.
“It’s 20 hours on the float. Ten hours down and 10 more back. Then he’s got to back-up two weeks later so you probably just don’t need to do it.
“He carries weight very good. He’s carried that every start for the last three years.
“It’s not going to worry him but if you are going to give a lot of weight away, on testing ground, it could be tough. That’s handicap racing.”
Redzel has had one run back from a spell when he failed by a nose to peg back Ball Of Muscle when second in the Group 2 $500,000 Hyland Race Colours Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on March 9 but will strip a lot fitter this week.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Redzel was on equal terms with Ball Of Muscle under the weight for age conditions of the Challenge Stakes but will meet the Joe Pride trained sprinter 3.5kg worse off when they meet again in The Galaxy.
The James Cummings trained Virdine also figured in the finish of the Challenge Stakes, finishing a short head behind Redzel in third position with equal weight and drops to the luxury weight of 52kg in The Galaxy.
Early betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for The Galaxy has Redzel as the $4 favourite ahead of the Kris Lees trained Graff and Chris Waller’s speedster Nature Strip who share the second line of betting at $6.
Graff is coming off a last start fourth to Sunlight in the Group 1 $1.25m Seppelt Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 9 while Waller is hoping for a better performance from Nature Strip who finished a disappointing tenth to Booker in the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 23.
Early betting for the 2019 The Galaxy at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Redzel, $6 Graff, Nature Strip, $7 Pierata, $10 Eduardo, Viridine, $13 Ball Of Muscle, $15 Encryption, Estijaab, Jungle Edge, $17 Jonker, $18 Easy Eddie, $21 I Am Excited, $26 Bons Away, Prophet’s Thumb, $51 Baller, Dothraki, Kaepernick, She Knows, $67 Ellicazoom, Tribal Wisdom.
