The big one in Sydney this weekend headlining the Rosehill Gardens racing action before next week’s The Championships races in Randwick is the 2015 The BMW, the market mover for which is race favourite To The World.
Chris Waller’s Melbourne Cup third placed Kiwi import Who Shot Thebarman is firming in the markets to score an upset 2015 The BMW win today. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
Eleven gallopers will line-up in Rosehill Race 7 at 4:30pm (AEDT) this afternoon following the early scratching yesterday of last year’s Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance (10) from the $1.5 million Group 1 The BMW (2400m) field.
Clear top fancy in the latest The BMW odds at Ladbrokes.com.au backed right in from $2.70 to $2.25 is the Yasutoshi Ikee-trained Japanese raider To The World.
Jumping from barrier six with Nicholas Hall, after his first The BMW win, aboard the in-form four-year-old runs first-up not having raced since a brave second when only three quarters of a length off superstar Gentildonna back home in the Group 1 Arima Kinen (2500m) on December 28.
His first-up record is solid though with one win and three seconds from four attempts, and the form around Gentindonna is imposing.
The Japanese gallopers came out and proved themselves last week including the George Ryder win of Real Impact, and To The World looks a class above again so he could hand it to his rivals today.
Also firming in The BMW betting markets at Ladbrokes are the well-backed second elect Hartnell ($3.70 into $3.50) and Chris Waller’s proven two mile performer Who Shot Thebarman ($19 into $17).
John O’Shea’s British raider Hartnell has just his third run down under, the Authorized four-year-old having made a nice impact already.
On debut at Warwick Farm in late February he ran a close second to fellow import and stablemate Contributer in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) before his win in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 14.
James McDonald, one of Sydney’s current leading hoops, was on Hartnell for the Sky High win and the duo reunite today in The BMW jumping from barrier three.
Who Shot Thebarman is then one of the longer-priced hopes that a tickle of money has come in for, the former Kiwi a chance to sneak into the first four at good odds.
The six-year-old was third to Protectionist, a $9 chance in The BMW today, in last November’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and has been racing well again this time in.
First-up he caught the eye when only one and a half lengths away fifth in the Chipping Norton Stakes, and last time out in the Sky High he finished one better when a fast finishing fourth over the 2000m.
As mentioned, Kris Lees’ German import Protectionist is at single figures to improve on his opening two autumn runs and win The BMW over the mile and a half today.
The only other runner under $10 in the latest markets is then the fellow Lees-trained Lucia Valentina ($9), a proven weight-for-age performing mare drawn in barrier two for jockey Jim Cassidy.
She’s on the short seven day back-up however having run third to Contriubter who made it a Group 1 double with his Ranvet Stakes success over 2000m at Rosehill last Saturday.
See below for the latest The BMW Stakes odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au who are giving you the chance to win 20% more on the race with their exclusive Best Tote or SP + 20% markets on the race!
