Sacred Falls Tops 2014 Epsom Handicap Weights

September 15, 2014

Sacred Falls Tops 2014 Epsom Handicap Weights

Chris Waller’s dual Doncaster Mile winner Sacred Falls has been allocated the 59kg top weight for next month’s Epsom Handicap 2014, weights for the Royal Randwick feature announced by Racing NSW today.

Sacred Falls

Sacred Falls is the 59kg top weight for the 2014 Epsom Handicap this spring. Photo: Steve Hart.

There are officially 85 horses nominated for this year’s $500,000 Group 1 THE STAR Epsom Handicap (1600m), the 149th running of the race scheduled as one of two elite level features on October 4 in Sydney.

Heading the handicaps for the mile showdown is O’Reilly five-year-old Sacred Falls, a dual nominee for this weekend in the mix for both the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) over the Epsom Handicap track and distance as well as Melbourne’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m).

Sacred Falls was eighth behind stablemate Boban in last year’s Epsom Handicap result carrying 56.5kg but has since won a second Doncaster Mile earning a notable rise in weights.

Boban, a $15 chance through Ladbrokes to win again this spring, meanwhile has been allocated the equal 58kg second top weight which is a full five kilos more than his weight last year.

Boban (up from 53kg to 58kg) is looking to become the first back-to-back Epsom Handicap winner since Desert War (2004 and 2005)
Reigning Epsom Handicap winner Boban goes up from 53kg to 58kg this year seeking back-to-back wins

Since the 2013 Epsom however Boban has won two other Group 1 races (Emirates Stakes, Chipping Norton Stakes), the now five-year-old last seen running fifth in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) last Saturday.

Waller has a host of Epsom Handicap chances as he shoots for back-to-back wins this year including also Hawkspur (56.5kg) who is equal $11 fancy in the markets at Ladbrokes.com.au after the Purrealist gelding won the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) defeating five of his stable mates last time out.

Futures Epsom Handicap betting at Ladbrokes has six hopefuls sitting top of the markets at that quote including also Waller’s Doncaster Mile runner-up Royal Descent (55.5kg) who ran second in the Chelmsford.

With her 55.5kg Royal Descent is the heaviest-weighted mare this year and is a former winner of the ATC Oaks and was also runner-up under weight-for-age in the George Main Stakes last year.

Sacred Falls meanwhile is further down the markets at $17 along with Waller’s Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) winner from last Saturday He’s Your Man allocated 52.5kg for the Epsom.

Waller’s Notable Epsom Handicap Hopes & Weights

  • Sacred Falls (59kg) – Top weight who ran eighth last year but who has won two Doncaster Miles and is in top form this season
  • Boban (58kg) – Last year’s winner had five kilos less to win but has won two subsequent Group 1 races so deserves the extra kilos
  • Hawkspur (56.5kg) – Former Queensland Derby winner is the shortest priced of Waller’s Epsom hopes as $11 equal favourite after a Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes win at the track on September 6
  • Royal Descent (55.5kg) – Runner-up in the Doncaster Mile to Sacred Falls in the autumn and second also to stable mate Hawkspur last time out in the Chelmsford
  • Bull Point (52kg) – Well fancied in the markets paying $13 after a Theo Marks Stakes second on the weekend but not yet assured of a start sitting well down the Epsom Handicap ballot in equal 36th spot

Along with Royal Descent and Hawkspur for Waller, the other top fancies in the latest Epsom Handicap odds at Ladbrokes.com.au are Chautaqua (52.5kg), Dissident (58kg), Lucia Valentina (53kg) and Toydini (55.5kg).

Weights for Top Epsom Handicap Fancies

  • Dissident (58kg) – Peter Moody’s triple Group 1 winning four-year-old who has won the Memsie Stakes – Makybe Diva Stakes double at his last two starts this time in against top company
  • Toydini (55.5kg) – Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes-trained Beranrdini gelding ran a first-up third in the Tramway and is well liked for a big spring
  • Lucia Valentina (53kg) – Group 2 Tramway Stakes winner first-up at Randwick, Kris Lees’ Savabeel mare is also a Group 1 winner in the Vinery Stud Stakes in Sydney last season and Group 1 placed in the ATC Oaks behind Rising Romance
  • Chautaqua (52.5kg) – Another Team Hawkes entry this Encosta De Lago four-year-old is being kept safe in betting after winning the Group 3 Bobbie Lewis Quality on the weekend over Temple jOf Boom but is far from assured of a start with the light weight

See below for the full Epsom Handicap 2014 weights then head to Ladbrokes.com.au for the top prices on all your early favourites!

2014 Epsom Handicap Weights & Ballot

Royal Randwick – 04/10/2014

# Horse Trainer Ballot Weight Hcp. Rating
1 LUCIA VALENTINA (NZ) Kris Lees 1= 53kg 108
2 CLUSTER Peter & Paul Snowden 1= 52kg 101
3 SACRED FALLS (NZ) Chris Waller 3 59kg 116
4 BOBAN Chris Waller 4= 58kg 114
5 DISSIDENT Peter G Moody 4= 58kg 114
6 ROYAL DESCENT Chris Waller 6 55.5kg 113
7 FORETELLER (GB) Chris Waller 7 57kg 112
8 HAWKSPUR Chris Waller 8= 56.5kg 111
9 MOMENT OF CHANGE Peter G Moody 8= 56.5kg 111
10 CRITERION (NZ) David Payne 10= 56kg 110
11 REBEL DANE Gary Portelli 10= 56kg 110
12 TOYDINI Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 12= 55.5kg 109
13 COMMANDING JEWEL Leon & Troy Corstens 12= 53.5kg 109
14 MESSENE Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 14= 54kg 106
15 WEARY (FR) Chris Waller 14= 54kg 106
16 DIAMOND DRILLE Gai Waterhouse 14= 52kg 106
17 LASER HAWK Joseph Pride 17= 53.5kg 105
18 MONTON Ron Quinton 17= 53.5kg 105
19 LIDARI (FR) Peter G Moody 19= 53kg 104
20 SPILLWAY (GB) David Hayes & Tom Dabernig 19= 53kg 104
21 STAR ROLLING Peter Morgan & Craig Widdison 19= 53kg 104
22 AOMEN (IRE) Anthony Cummings 22= 52.5kg 103
23 CHAUTAUQUA Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 22= 52.5kg 103
24 HE’S YOUR MAN (FR) Chris Waller 22= 52.5kg 103
25 HONORIUS David Payne 22= 52.5kg 103
26 LEEBAZ (NZ) Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 22= 52.5kg 103
27 KIRRAMOSA (NZ) John Sargent 27= 52kg 102
28 SLOW PACE (USA) Kris Lees 27= 52kg 102
29 CRACKERJACK KING (IRE) David Hayes & Tom Dabernig 29= 52kg 101
30 RECITE (NZ) John Bary 29= 52kg 101
31 RIVA DE LAGO Chris Waller 29= 52kg 101
32 ARABIAN GOLD David Vandyke 32= 52kg 100
33 ATLANTE Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 32= 52kg 100
34 GYPSY DIAMOND Peter & Paul Snowden 32= 52kg 100
35 NINTH LEGION Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 32= 52kg 100
36 AKAVOROUN Ciaron Maher 36= 52kg 99
37 BULL POINT Chris Waller 36= 52kg 99
38 I’M IMPOSING (GB) Chris Waller 36= 52kg 99
39 RHYTHM TO SPARE (NZ) Michael Moroney 36= 52kg 99
40 ZEPHYRON (NZ) Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 36= 52kg 99
41 CHINTZ (NZ) Joseph Pride 41= 52kg 97
42 JACQUINOT BAY David Hayes & Tom Dabernig 41= 52kg 97
43 LUCKY CHAPPY (IRE) Chris Waller 43 52kg 96
44 HOOKED John P Thompson 44= 52kg 95
45 JETSET LAD (NZ) Brian Smith 44= 52kg 95
46 MR CHARD Tony McEvoy 44= 52kg 95
47 VILANOVA (NZ) Chris Waller 44= 52kg 95
48 CANNY BALLAD Joseph Pride 48 52kg 94
49 BRAVE CENTAUR (NZ) Lance Noble 49= 52kg 93
50 REAL SURREAL Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 49= 52kg 93
51 SWEET AS BRO (NZ) Leon & Troy Corstens 51 52kg 92
52 ELECTRIC FUSION Robert Smerdon 52= 52kg 91
53 SINGLE Craig Carmody 52= 52kg 91
54 ESTONIAN PRINCESS Scott Aspery 54= 52kg 90
55 SKIP TOWN Matthew Smith 54= 52kg 90
56 INTIMATE MOMENT (NZ) Ron Quinton 56= 52kg 89
57 LAIDBACK LARRY (NZ) Gai Waterhouse 56= 52kg 89
58 BASS STRAIT (NZ) David Hayes & Tom Dabernig 58= 52kg 88
59 SAINT OR SINNER (NZ) Michael Moroney 58= 52kg 88
60 ROCK STURDY Joseph Pride 60 52kg 87
61 AUSSIES LOVE SPORT Gai Waterhouse 61= 52kg 86
62 PHEIDON Gai Waterhouse 61= 52kg 86
63 BEST CASE (NZ) Anthony Cummings 63 52kg 85
64 ANY DAY WILL DO David Vandyke 64= 52kg 84
65 LIBERTY’S CHOICE Gai Waterhouse 64= 52kg 84
66 SHAMALIA Bart & James Cummings 64= 52kg 84
67 CAMPANOLOGY (GB) Chris Waller 67 52kg 83
68 SPIRIT OF HEAVEN (NZ) Peter G Moody 68= 52kg 82
69 WOODBINE Gai Waterhouse 68= 52kg 82
70 ZULULAND David Hayes & Tom Dabernig 68= 52kg 82
71 RYKER Gai Waterhouse 71 52kg 81
72 AS NEEDED Anthony Cummings 72= 52kg 80
73 SCRATCH ME LUCKY Paul Perry 72= 52kg 80
74 LONGMA Gai Waterhouse 74= 52kg 78
75 LORNA MAY Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 74= 52kg 78
76 ROCK HERO David Payne 76 52kg 77
77 SENSIBILITY Peter G Moody 77= 52kg 75
78 THE BOUNCER (NZ) Bryce Revell 77= 52kg 75
79 SPY DECODER (NZ) Anthony Cummings 79 52kg 73
80 DARCI MAGIC (NZ) Bede Murray 80= 52kg 71
81 FORGET MAYBE Anthony Cummings 80= 52kg 71
82 STAMINA Peter G Moody 80= 52kg 71
83 BOLD CIRCLE David Payne 83 52kg 70
84 O’REILLY’S REVENGE (NZ) Bede Murray 84 52kg 66
85 DIAMONDSINTHENIGHT David Pfieffer 85 52kg 64

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