The young John O’Shea-trained Hauraki has opened favourite to beat a field of fellow three-year-old colts and geldings this The BMW Day in Sydney’s 2015 Tulloch Stakes on Saturday.
Market mover Merion still looks over the odds to win Saturday’s 2015 Tulloch Stakes in Sydney. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
Due to run as Rosehill Race 8 at 5:10pm (AEDT) this year’s $175,000 Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) features a top field of 15 hopefuls, the Ladbrokes.com.au markets led by Reset colt Hauraki at $4.80.
Drawn nicely in barrier four with top Sydney jockey James McDonald retaining the ride, Hauraki is out to improve on his last start second behind Winx who beat home the boys in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) here at Rosehill on March 14.
He was beaten nearly two lengths that day in his first look at the distance so should be improving when up to 2000m here, the promising galloper heading towards the $2 million Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) on April 4 on Day 1 of Randwick’s The Championships.
Hauraki is currently rated a $15 Australian Derby chance at Ladbrokes, the all-in markets for the classic lead by Preferment ($3.50) and Volkstock’n’barrell ($4) who ran second and first respectively in last weekend’s Rosehill Guineas.
It is a bumper line-up for the Tulloch Stakes on Saturday and along with the favourite there are five other single figure hopes with:
- #14 Omeros ($6) – Rails draw for one of the genuine market movers who is in from $7.50. Has just his third start here with Blake Shinn aboard the last start Wyong winner, prepared by John Sargent, who makes his black-type debut here looking to race as good as his early $15 ATC Derby price suggests he is capable of.
- #2 Diamond Valores ($6.50) – Peter & Paul Snowden’s Phar Lap Stakes fourth placed gelding will need to be racing at his best to overcome the horror barrier 14 draw here, his widest gate so far by plenty. Finished off well last time out so likely will enjoy the extra distance here – a $21 Derby shot currently.
- #8 Caped Crusader ($7) – Paying $13 to win the Australian Derby Saturday week, this is another widely-drawn youngster but is a progressive type out for his third win at start number four. Lines up in barrier 12 for Gai Waterhouse and comes off an 1800m win at Randwick from March 11 he’ll be out to repeat in tougher company.
- #9 Ruling Dynasty ($7) – Far outside gate for this James & Bart Cummings-trained Medaglia D’Oro colt but jockey Tommy Berry rates, having ridden him to a Class 1 win at Kembla Grange last time out, and has won two of his past three so plenty to like form-wise heading into this and then the Derby where he’s at $13 to win.
- #1 Merion ($9) – $34 Derby roughie but the biggest Tulloch Stakes market mover backed in from $13 into single figures with Steve Arnold to ride from barrier two. Prepared in Victoria by Michael Moroney and debuts in Sydney this weekend. Group 1 performed though when sixth in both the Spring’s Caulfield Guineas and the Australian Guineas over the Flemington mile last time out.
Also of note at more generous odds but still under $20 are the likes of O’Shea’s promising Street Cry colt Gouldian ($16) and High Chaparral gelding Quick Strike ($17) for Chris Waller.
See below for the latest Tulloch Stakes 2015 betting odds, fixed win prices open online now at Ladbrokes.com.au who are also offering the most competitive futures markets for the upcoming Australian Derby next month!
