Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse is set to host a top eight-race autumn carnival meet this Saturday February 12 and as part of the action the $125,000 Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) will take place.
Scheduled as Randwick Race 4 at 2:53pm (AEDST) on Saturday, the 2011 Southern Cross Stakes final field features 11 gallopers including early race favourite Shellscrape.
Paying around $3.80 – $4 in the online betting markets, Chris Waller’s Dane Shadow four-year-old won the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) in April of last year but since then has failed to finish better than third in any of their five race starts.
Shellscrape has also drawn out wider in barrier eight for the Southern Cross Stakes and is set to carry 57.5kg, 3.5kg more than they carried to their dismal 10th place finish behind Whitefriars in the Group 2 Salinger Stakes (1200m) last start on Victoria Derby Day.
That’s why the Races.com.au team are tipping an upset in Randwick Race 4 on Saturday and have #8 Cardinal Virtue rated special to win.
Saturday Randwick Race 4 Tips – 2011 Southern Cross Stakes
- Races.com.au Favourite: #8 Cardinal Virtue – Rated Special to Win through Luxbet
- Best Place / Exotic Bets: #1 Pinwheel, #5 Ahdashim and #3 Shellscrape
Cardinal Virtue is one of the 53kg lightweights of the field giving them a nice advantage over some of their more fancied rivals.
Paying around $9 in the Luxbet markets, David Payne’s Elusive Quality five-year-old represents excellent value especially looking at their strong recent form.
At their last two starts Cardinal Virtue ran a close second in the Listed Carrington Stakes at Randwick on New Year’s Day before finishing a half-length away third in the Listed Kensington Stakes last start at Flemington on January 22.
To finish second behind Cardinal Virtue in the winning Southern Cross Stakes Quinella we like second-favourite in the odds, Pinwheel.
Drawn ideally with the inside gate, the Peter Snowden-trained Pinwheel is coming off a victory in the Listed Canterbury Classic (1100m) on January 14 and if it wasn’t for their hefty 58kg topweight would be our pick to win on Saturday.
To run third #5 Ahdashim looks a good pick, the Gerald Ryan-trained galloper the only horse in the field to win a Group race at their last start after they took out the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on January 1 by over a length.
Head over to Luxbet now for all the latest betting odds and options for the weekend’s racing including the 2011 Southern Cross Stakes.
2011 Southern Cross Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
| # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight (kg) | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PINWHEEL | Peter Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 1 | 58 | 105 |
| 2 | NEWS ALERT | Con Karakatsanis | Jim Cassidy | 11 | 57.5 | 104 |
| 3 | SHELLSCRAPE | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 8 | 57.5 | 104 |
| 4 | BRILLIANT LIGHT | Kerry Parker | Hugh Bowman | 2 | 57 | 103 |
| 5 | AHDASHIM (NZ) | Gerald Ryan | Tim Clark | 6 | 55.5 | 100 |
| 6 | SISTER MADLY | Anthony Cummings | Rod Quinn | 5 | 53 | 95 |
| 7 | JEST CREWSIN’ | Jan Bowen | Kathy O’Hara | 3 | 53 | 94 |
| 8 | CARDINAL VIRTUE | David Payne | Josh Adams (a) | 7 | 53 | 93 |
| 9 | COUNT ENCOSTA | John P Thompson | Jim Byrne | 10 | 53 | 93 |
| 10 | PURRPURRLENA | Grahame Begg | Brenton Avdulla | 4 | 53 | 93 |
| 11 | KILLIAN | Peter Snowden | Tommy Berry (a) | 9 | 53 | 83 |
