Chris Waller’s in-form stablemates Metal Bender and Triple Honour are the two betting favourites in this Saturday’s $175,000 Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Metal Bender and Triple Honour finished 1-2 in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes last start and will face off again when they contest the 2010 Chelmsford Stakes, which is the next feature race of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.
Five-year-old Metal Bender was super impressive in his first-up win a fortnight ago and will be hard to beat again on Saturday having drawn ideally on the rails.
Presenting the biggest danger to Metal Bender making it back-to-back Group 2 success is Triple Honour.
Making their third straight appearance in the Chelmsford after finishing second in 2008 and third last year, Triple Honour is already a Group 1 winner having taken out the Doncaster Mile two years back and looks in career best form.
Both of these geldings are likely to top the Sportsbet markets on the race when the betting opens this afternoon.
In a quality nine-horse final field for the Chelmsford Stakes, other horses with claims are Peter Snowden’s improving mare Purple who ran an eye-catching fourth in the Warwick Stakes last start, and the Gai Waterhouse-trained Theseo to be ridden by Nash Rawiller from barrier four.
The 2010 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes is due to jump as race five at Randwick’s eight-event meeting on Saturday.
Two other great Group features will also take place on the day with the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1400m) featuring Silver Shadow Stakes winning filly Parables, and the Group 3 Tramway Handicap (1400m) attracting a capacity field including 2010 Melbourne Cup hopeful Jessicabeel.
Punters looking for the best odds on all of these Randwick Races should avoid the TAB and sign up to online bookie Sportsbet. When you win with Sportsbet you win more and to get you started they have a free $100 be waiting for new customers!
2010 Chelmsford Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
| # | Horse | Trainer | Rider | Br. | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | THESEO | Gai Waterhouse | Nash Rawiller | 4 | 59 |
| 2 | METAL BENDER (NZ) | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 1 | 59 |
| 3 | TRIPLE HONOUR (NZ) | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 6 | 59 |
| 4 | NO WINE NO SONG | Kevin Moses | Tim Clark | 5 | 59 |
| 5 | RAINBOW STYLING (NZ) | M, W & J Hawkes | - | 8 | 59 |
| 6 | GET UP JUDE | Kevin Moses | - | 9 | 59 |
| 7 | COUNT ENCOSTA | John P Thompson | Brenton Avdulla | 2 | 58.5 |
| 8 | PURPLE | Peter Snowden | - | 7 | 57 |
| 9 | RUN FOR NAARA | John P Thompson | Tye Angland | 3 | 56.5 |
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