Zougotcha is tipped to keep the Group 1 wins coming when she lines-up favourite for the Waller stable in Saturday’s 2024 Queen Of The Turf Stakes field at Royal Randwick.

Coolmore Classic winner Zougotcha is favourite to keep the Group 1 wins coming in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes 2024 this weekend at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart.

Sydney hosts The Championships Day 2 this weekend with one of the meeting’s four elite level races being the Group 1 $1 million Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) for the fillies and mares.

Trainer Chris Waller has four final acceptors including the current favourite in Queen Of The Turf Stakes betting at $3.80 through Ladbrokes.com.au, the in-form Zougotcha.

She was scratched from the Doncaster Mile at the same track and trip for more money last weekend due to a Heavy-rated course and gets her chance at a consolation prize here.

The flying Zoustar four-year-old is after her third straight win and boasts an impressive Randwick strike-rate (7:3-1-0).

She hasn’t raced here this prep however with both lead-up wins being at Rosehill, the latest of which was a narrow but convincing effort on March 16 in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m).

Jockey James McDonald had the mount that day and retains the ride in the Queen Of The Turf from the inside alley in a bumper field.

Waller also has paid final acceptances for his reigning champion Atishu who could look to become the first back-to-back Queen Of The Turf Stakes winner since More Joyous (2011-12).

The six-year-old Savabeel mare is drawn barrier two with Blake Shinn to ride, but she is a dual acceptor at the meeting also in the field at this stage for a potential Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) assignment over further.

Waller’s other Queen Of The Turf Stakes contenders in 2024 are Olentia ($9) and $51 outsider Madame Pommery drawn barriers 10 and 12 respectively.

Another four-year-old daughter of Zoustar, Olentia has claims with plenty of strong form this prep including a last start romp home by 2.61 lengths in the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

Prior to that she was fourth in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m), the form of which was franked with the winner Chain Of Lightning coming out and scoring a boilover in last Saturday’s Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m).

The other best fancied in the latest Queen Of The Turf Stakes odds are Tropical Squall ($7) and Makarena ($9).

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Group 1 Surround Stakes winning Prized Icon filly Tropical Squall takes on the older mares again after finishing only a half-length fourth to Zougotcha in the Coolmore Classic.

She had barrier 17 of 17 to overcome that day however and is drawn to get a sweeter run this weekend third-up from gate three with Adam Hyeronimus aboard.

Alizee (2018) was the last three-year-old filly to win the Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

Co-trainer Waterhouse boasts eight Queen Of The Turf Stakes victories to date most recently in 2020 with Con Te Partiro in partnership with Bott.

Along with Tropical Squall, she chases a ninth in 2024 with Osmose ($26) who could be a sneaky value bet on the back of her Group 3 Epona Stakes (1900m) win last start.

Snitzel filly Makarena meanwhile represents Team Hawkes and comes off a fourth in the Emancipation Stakes.

Click here for the latest Queen Of The Turf Stakes 2024 betting markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2024 Queen Of The Turf Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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