Red Tracer is tipped to improve on her last start third and win Saturday's 2014 George Ryder Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.
Two Group 1 winning stars from the Sydney stables of Kiwi expat Chris Waller are currently battling it out for favouritism in the early George Ryder Stakes 2014 betting markets ahead of this weekend’s feature at Rosehill.
Punters are treated to a triple shot of Group 1 racing at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday for the latest Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival meet, one of which is the $1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
The weight-for-age classic yesterday attracted 18 nominations, four of those early entries trained by Waller.
In red hot form once again this season, Waller has snared three of past four editions of the George Ryder Stakes.
Waller’s recent George Ryder Stakes winners were Danleigh (2010), Rangirangdoo (2011) and Metal Bender (2012) before Gai Waterhouse’s champion youngster Pierro took the bikkies last year.
This year his best two at adding another trophy to his growing collection are ace mare Red Tracer and the in-form Boban, the duo sitting one-two in the pre-field George Ryder Stakes odds.
Current top fancy is Dane Shadow six-year-old Red Tracer who is after her third Group 1 win.
She broke her Group 1 duck after many close calls finally in the Tattersall’s Tiara in Brisbane last winter before returning in the spring to take out Melbourne’s Myer Classic over the Flemington mile.
Red Tracer leads ante-post George Ryder Stakes betting at $3.50 through Ladbrokes.com.au after two excellent runs this time in.
Her season opener was a Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) win at Rosehill, a race she’s won for the past three years.
Then it was onto the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick for which she was the favourite.
In the Canterbury Red Tracer blundered the start nearly falling but worked some magic to stay on her feet, make up plenty of ground and catch the eye with a very brave third behind Appearance.
Hot on Red Tracer’s tail in the George Ryder Stakes markets for Saturday then is her stable mate Boban at $3.70.
A four-year-old son of Bernardini, the Aussie-bred Boban has also been racing well this autumn and like Red Tracer is shooting for Group 1 win number three.
Their first came at Flemington in the Emirates Stakes (1600m) last November before they added their second last start on March 8 when scoring an upset win over It’s A Dundeel in the Chipping Norton Stakes, also over the mile, at Warwick Farm.
Waller’s other George Ryder Stakes nominations this year are then Sacred Falls and roughie shot My Kingdom Of Fife ($34) who ran last in the Canterbury Stakes after two and a half years off of racing.
Sacred Falls meanwhile is far better fancied sitting as the equal $7.50 third pick for the weekend in the futures markets.
The four-year-old O’reilly stallion is second-up on the weekend following a solid effort to finish two lengths away fourth in the Canterbury Stakes on March 15.
A known mudlark, Sacred Falls is after their first win in nearly a year with their last turf triumph being in the wet over Pierro in last year’s Doncaster Mile.
The other horse currently occupying the third line of George Ryder betting is then El Roca.
Second favourite behind Ajax Stakes winner Messene in the futures Doncaster Mile odds, Trent Busuttin’s Fasnet Rock colt is fast on the improve after just getting nosed out of the Randwick Guineas win by Dissident last time out from a wide gate.
The remainder of the nominees are at double figures with the next best fancied being James & Bart Cummings’ Randwick Guineas third placegetter Eurozone ($11) after their first win since beating home Criterion in the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes here last September.
Also high up the markets under $20 are then the Joe Pride-trained Liverpool City Cup winner Terravista ($14) after their third win from as many starts this prep and the Guy Walter-trained Toydini ($14) coming off a fifth to their star stable mate in the Canterbury.
The 2014 George Ryder Stakes field and barrier draw are due out on Wednesday and will be published right here at Races.com.au along with the updated betting markets.
So now is your last chance to lock in a juicy futures price on your favourites at Ladbrokes.com.au who have just launched their EFTPOS card payout system giving you access to your winnings in CASH seconds after you win!
*Odds quoted are Fixed Win, All-In and subject to change at Ladbrokes.com.au
