T J Smith Stakes winner Trapeze Artist remains the short priced favourite with no challengers in the betting for the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Trapeze Artist, above, is the short priced favourite for the 2018 All Aged Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trapeze Artist beat the older sprinters last start in winning the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) on day one of The Championships at Randwick on April 7 and Ladbrokes.com.au have the Gerald Ryan trained three year old as the $2.25 favourite to beat the older horses again.
Former premiership winning trainer and racing expert Peter Moody said in his column in The Courier-Mail that Trapeze Artist has all the attributes to be winning the 1400m weight for age sprint.
“Trapeze Artist gave Redzel windburn when he ran past him in the TJ Smith Stakes and he showed that he is capable of running out a strong 1400m when he recorded a dominant win in the Golden Rose in the spring,” Moody wrote in his column.
“He is a versatile galloper and that gives Tye Angland plenty of options. If he shows the same turn-of-foot that he exhibited in the TJ Smith Stakes, there is no horse in this field capable of going with him.”
“I was very taken with the performance of Trapeze Artist in the TJ Smith Stakes and there is no doubt that he is the horse to beat.”
T J Smith Stakes winning jockey Tye Angland takes the ride again on Trapeze Artist who has drawn barrier eight in the field that has been reduced to twelve runners with the early scratching of the Darren Weir trained European import Red Cardinal.
Angland settled Trapeze Artist just behind the leading division in the T J Smith Stakes before swooping on the leaders coming down the Randwick rise but Moody said that he would not be surprised if Angland took up the running in the All Aged Stakes on the Snitzel Colt.
“There is not a great deal of speed in this race on paper and the lead will be up for grabs for any jockey that wants to show some initiative in the early stages of the race. Trapeze Artist, Tom Melbourne, It’s Somewhat, Showtime and even Hartnell are all capable of taking up the running,” Moody wrote.
“Whatever happens, Trapeze Artist will not be far away and the same can be said about Tom Melbourne.”
The Darren Weir trained Brave Smash finished six and three quarter lengths behind Tapeze Artist in finishing sixth in the T J Smith Stakes but still has plenty of supporters and is the second favourite at $7 just ahead of Le Romain at $8.50, Hartnell at $9 and Tom Melbourne at $10.
Moody expects Brave Smash to run an improved race in the All Aged Stakes after a disappointing effort in the T J Smith Stakes.
“The TJ Smith Stakes wasn’t run to suit Brave Smash and I expect him to bounce back,” Moody wrote.
