Spring Champion Stakes winner Shadow Hero is the new favourite in Randwick Guineas 2020 betting for Saturday following the early scratching of Super Seth.

Shadow Hero is the new favourite in 2020 Randwick Guineas betting for Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth was originally tipped to add another elite level to his record in this weekend’s Group 1 $1 million Randwick Guineas (1600m) in Sydney.

The Anthony Freedman-trained Dundeel colt however was withdrawn from the line-up after returning an abnormal blood profile and elevated temperature on Wednesday afternoon.   

“Unfortunately, Super Seth has had a minor setback and has been scratched from Saturday’s Randwick Guineas,” Freedman announced on Twitter.

“It is disappointing but the horse’s well-being comes first. We will confirm his revised plans over the coming days.”

Super Seth was drawn barrier one in the Randwick Guineas field and was set to run third-up in the mile classic on the back of an eye-catching second to Streets Of Avalon in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Blue Diamond Stakes Day.

His scratching leaves 13 Randwick Guineas contenders and sees stablemate Warning come into the inside alley.

Warning represents Freedman second-up, the Victoria Derby champion having run seventh fresh behind upset 40/1 winner Brandenburg in Rosehill’s Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) on February 22.

Likely needing even further than the 1600m of the Randwick Guineas, the Declaration Of War gelding is a $7.50 shot in betting having been slashed from his opening odds of $15 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

The shortest Randwick Guineas odds on offer are for the Mark Newnham-trained Shadow Hero who is now into $4.60, the son of Pierro jumping from gate three with Josh Parr aboard.

Last prep the gelding won the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick before his fifth in the Group 1 VRC Derby (2500m) at Flemington.

He too is a Hobartville Stakes graduate having crossed fifth first-up in the race that has produced 14 of the past 22 Randwick Guineas winners.

Close second favourite at $4.80 is the Richard Litt-trained Castelvecchio in barrier 11 for last year’s winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy.

McEvoy saluted in the Randwick Guineas results 12 months ago aboard the favourite The Autumn Sun (2019) and chases back-to-back wins in the race.

Dundeel colt Castelvecchio resumed with a Hobartville sixth with McEvoy in the saddle and is sure to improve second-up looking for his first win since the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at the track and distance last April.

It may have been nearly a year since that Group 1 success, but Castelvecchio has been competitive in plenty since including his second to Shadow Hero in the Spring Champion Stakes and his second in Moonee Valley’s Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m).

Also at single-figures in a close Randwick Guineas betting race this season are the James Cummings-trained Microphone ($7.50) drawn the outside barrier for jockey Hugh Bowman to overcome and upset Hobartville Stakes winner Brandenburg ($8.50).

Exceed And Excel colt Microphone improved on a Golden Slipper second as a two-year-old to win the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last year and was back in the winners’ stall second-up on February 8 taking out the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

He was last seen running third in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) when only a half-length off the winner and is a winning hope to turn the tables in the rematch.

As for Brandenburg, the John Sargent-trained Burgundy colt has never ran worse than third but continues to go around at a price and is out to be the third straight winner of the Hobartville Stakes – Randwick Guineas double following on from The Autumn Sun (2019) and Kementari (2018).

Click here for the latest Randwick Guineas 2020 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Randwick Guineas Field & Barriers