Sydney Cup 2017 Form Guide Preview

April 21, 2017

Sydney Cup 2017 Form Guide Preview

Punters are treated to take-two of the 2017 Sydney Cup this weekend extending Group 1 autumn racing at Royal Randwick, our updated form guide analysis and betting preview for the staying showdown found below.

Big Duke

2017 Sydney Cup favourite Big Duke ticks plenty of form boxes for the two mile classic this weekend at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart.

The original $2 million Group 1 Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) on April 8 was a tragically abandoned due to the fall of ill-fated stayer Almoonqith.

A fortnight on and a new-look Sydney Cup field featuring eleven of the first-time around runners plus three new editions faces off as Randwick Race 8 at 3:35pm (AEST) on Saturday afternoon.

Big Duke still leads the Sydney Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au, Darren Weir’s Chairman’s Handicap winner at $3.10 and firming to post his fourth win on the trot.

In 2014 The Offer completed the Chairman’s Handicap – Sydney Cup double and was the last favourite to salute for the punters.

With the addition of Lasqueti Spirit in the Sydney Cup re-run the dynamics of the two mile clash are altered and that could make Big Duke, yet to run out the distance, vulnerable.

The other best in Sydney Cup betting are the Charlie Appleby-trained raiders Penglai Pavilion ($5.50) and Polarisation ($6.50), both dour stayers that will run all day and could prove hard to stop after they both ran in the money in the voided event from Day 2 of ‘The Championships’.

Below we take a fresh look at the full Sydney Cup 2017 form guide facts, betting statistics and race history to uncover value in the markets ahead of Saturday.

English raider Polarisation was first past the post in the voided Sydney Cup results a fortnight ago and returns after the same result in the re-run on Saturday

2017 Sydney Cup Facts & Form Statistics

  • #1 Who Shot Thebarman ($13) runs in his fourth straight Sydney Cup and was involved in the race fall a fortnight ago
  • Trainer Chris Waller (15-2-3-1) is one of the most successfully Sydney Cup trainers most recently scoring the quinella in 2015 led by Grand Marshal
  • Waller saddles up #1 Who Shot Thebarman along with last year’s runner-up #2 Libran ($18) and #11 Kinema ($26)
  • The other previous Sydney Cup winning trainers with a starter on Saturday are: John O’Shea (2-1-0-0) with #3 Tally ($12); and David Hayes (9-1-0-1) with #4 Boom Time ($20) and #7 Harlem ($34) who are two of the new editions to the race on Saturday
  • Jockey Corey Brown was first past the post on Polarisation in the no-race Sydney Cup results and is back on the English raider looking for the same result this weekend
  • Brown (12-1-1-3) chases a second Sydney Cup victory having also ridden Mr. Prudent to victory in 2001
  • The other previous Sydney Cup winning jockeys with a ride on the weekend are: Tommy Berry (5-1-0-0) on #3 Tally, Kerrin McEvoy (11-1-2-1) on #10 Penglai Pavilion and Glen Boss (15-1-2-3) on the favourite #6 Big Duke
  • #6 Big Duke ($3.10) is out to be the first Sydney Cup favourite to salute since The Offer (2014) who was also the last horse to complete the Chairman’s Handicap – Sydney Cup double
Big Duke is looking to salute for the punters for the first time since The Offer (2014)
  • Last autumn Gallante (2016) won the Sydney Cup from barrier 11, which has produced just the two winners in the past 30 years
  • Barrier 11 belongs this weekend to #4 Boom Time
  • Barrier 8 has produced the most Sydney Cup winners (since 1983) with nine champions and is drawn this year by #14 Polarisation ($6.50)
  • Stand To Gain (Chairman’s Handicap 10th in 2011) is the only Sydney Cup winner from the past decade to finish worse than fourth in his lead-up run
  • The Sydney Cup hopes this weekend that finished first four in their official lead-up runs are: #1 Who Shot Thebarman, #3 Tally, #4 Boom Time, #5 Chance To Dance, #6 Big Duke, #12 Lasqueti Spirit and #14 Polarisation
  • Seven of the past 10 Sydney Cup winners came out of the Chairman’s Handicap
  • Big Duke (1st), Kinema (5th) and Pentathlon (6th) are the Chairman’s Handicap graduates in the mix this year
7 of the past 10 Sydney Cup winners were Chairman’s Handicap graduates
  • Gallic (2007) – winner of the Adelaide Cup – Sydney Cup double – is the only champion of the latter to have come off a lead-up run outside of Sydney since 2001
  • #8 Annus Mirabilis ($26) is this year’s Adelaide Cup winner after the double, but Stuart Webb’s stayer subsequently ran 13th (of 13 runners) in the Mornington Cup in between
  • #3 Tally chases the Mornington Cup – Sydney Cup double; the only Sydney Cup winner to back-up off a Melbourne run in over 30 years was Mr. Prudent (Easter Cup 3rd, Caulfield, 2001)
  • Four of the past six Sydney Cup winners were five-year-olds; the 5YOs out to add to that form this weekend are: #4 Boom Time, #6 Big Duke, #7 Harlem, #13 Pentathlon and #14 Polarisation
  • #12 Lasqueti Spirit ($11) is out to be the first three-year-old Sydney Cup winner since Tie The Knot (1998) and the first filly to take out the classic since Moorilla (1911)
  • The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #6 Big Duke (50%) followed by #10 Penglai Pavilion (35%) and #2 Libran (35%)
  • The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #6 Big Duke (92%) followed by #3 Tally (68%) and #5 Chance To Dance (36%)
  • The stayers with previous winning form over the distance (3200m) are: #1 Who Shot Thebarman (7-1-1-1), #8 Annus Mirabilis (1-1-0-0), #9 Mister Impatience (8-2-0-0), #10 Penglai Pavilion (1-1-0-0) and #13 Pentathlon (5-1-1-0)
  • The previous winners at the Randwick track are: #2 Libran (6-2-1-1) and #6 Big Duke (1-1-0-0)
  • The gallopers with top Heavy track form are: #1 Who Shot Thebarman (6-1-0-1), #5 Chance To Dance (3-1-1-0), #6 Big Duke (2-2-0-0), #10 Penglai Pavilion (1-1-0-0) and the second emergency #16e Self Sense (5-2-1-1)

Stay tuned for our updated Sydney Cup 2017 betting tips, checking out the comprehensive form guide below in the meantime courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

Racing fields and data are copyright 2011-2021 © Racing Australia Pty Ltd (RA) (and other parties working with it).
Racing materials, including fields, form and results, is subject to copyright which is owned by RA and other parties working with it. Full copyright notice.

Spring Racing

Military Mission Fires in 2023...

Zipping Classic 2023 Field �...

Zipping Classic 2023 Field & Odds Update: Vow And Declare Defends Title

Danny O’Brien’s 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare continues to show a...

Overpass Heads 2023 Winterbott...

Overpass Heads 2023 Winterbottom Stakes Field & Betting Markets

Bjron Baker’s The Everest performer Overpass is tipped to return to winning...

Osipenko Leads The Gong 2023 R...

Osipenko Leads The Gong 2023 Race Field & Betting

The Chris Waller-trained Pierro four-year-old Osipenko is firm favourite in...

2023 Railway Stakes Field ...

2023 Railway Stakes Field & Betting Update: Tuvalu Narrow Favourite

The Lindsey Smith-trained top-weight Tuvalu is narrow favourite in the latest...

Horse Racing Today

2024 Coolmore Classic Winner Z...

2024 All-Star Mile Results: Pr...

2024 All-Star Mile Results: Pride Of Jenni Beats Mr Brightside by 2 Lengths

Pride Of Jenni was enormous running her rivals ragged with a blistering...

2024 Pago Pago Stakes Results:...

2024 Pago Pago Stakes Results: McEvoy’s Dublin Down on Golden Slipper Bid

Dublin Down is into Saturday week’s 2024 Golden Slipper field after a gutsy...

Randwick Guineas 2024 Results:...

Randwick Guineas 2024 Results: Celestial Legend Nudges out Militarize on the Line

Celestial Legend put the writing on the wall for a huge year ahead with the...

2024 Canterbury Stakes Results...

2024 Canterbury Stakes Results: Lady Laguna Upsets Think About It, Espiona Third

Top honours in the 2024 Canterbury Stakes results at Royal Randwick went to...

Race Results

2024 Coolmore Classic Winner Zougotcha Dives Late to Salute

2024 All-Star Mile Results: Pride Of Jenni Beats Mr Brightside by 2 Lengths

2024 Pago Pago Stakes Results: McEvoy’s Dublin Down on Golden Slipper Bid

Randwick Guineas 2024 Results: Celestial Legend Nudges out Militarize on the Line

2024 Canterbury Stakes Results: Lady Laguna Upsets Think About It, Espiona Third

Race Previews

2024 Golden Slipper Stakes Field & Barriers: Storm Boy Draws Two

Magic Night Winner Drifting Firms in Golden Slipper 2024 Betting

Zougotcha Heads 2024 Coolmore Classic Field & Odds

2024 All-Star Mile Field & Betting Update: Mr Brightside Odds-On

2024 Adelaide Cup Field & Betting Update: The Map Leads the Way

Fields & Form

2024 Golden Slipper Stakes Field & Barriers: Storm Boy Draws Two

Zougotcha Heads 2024 Coolmore Classic Field & Odds

2024 All-Star Mile Field & Betting Update: Mr Brightside Odds-On

2024 Adelaide Cup Field & Betting Update: The Map Leads the Way

2024 Randwick Guineas Field & Odds Update: Militarize Set to Strike Second-Up