2015 Chelmsford Stakes Day Scratchings & Track Report

Sydney’s Spring Racing Carnival action continues at Royal Randwick Racecourse this Saturday, September 5, with Chelmsford Stakes Day 2015 and its five Group race features.

Hartnell leads betting for Sydney’s feature race – the 2015 Chelmsford Stakes – at Royal Randwick this afternoon. Photo: Steve Hart.

There’s a top of 19 in Sydney today and with showers predicted for early afternoon, there is no likely upgrade to the current Soft (7) rating for the Randwick course.

Randwick Track Report – 05/09/2015

Rail: +8m Entire Circuit
Weather: Showers
Track Type: Turf
Irrigation: Nil
Rainfall: Nil last 24 hrs, 31.6mm last 7 days
Track Information: Heavy (8) from 600m to 450m and Soft (7) remainder
Penetrometer: 5.96
Track Rating: Soft (7)

Randwick racing kicks off today at 12:40pm (AEST) and the eight race card comes to a close at 5:05pm (AEST).

Across the meeting punters are treated to five Group races including the day’s namesake race – the $250,000 Group 2 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) due to jump at 3:45pm (AEST) as Race 6 with its full 16-starter field.

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Randwick Scratchings – 05/09/2015

Total Scratchings: 18

Race 1 (12:40pm) – $85,000 TAB Rewards Handicap (2000m)

#1 Oriental Lady (3)
#4 Phrases (4)
#9 Just As Cosmic (1)

A BenchMark 83 to kick off the day with only seven left in the mix for the clash, wide open markets listing all seven at single figures including $3.20 favourite Astronomos who won back-to-back races on rain-affected tracks before a ninth over 1500m at Rosehill on a Good (3) last start. Soft track and back up to 2000m at a track and distance he saluted over two back makes him hard to beat.

Race 2 (1:15pm) – $85,000 Lucrf Jockeys Trust Handicap

#4 Testashadow (1)
#7 Dance Of Heroes (3)

Ten milers to face off here after two scratchings, a classy line-up led in betting by Chris Waller’s 60kg top weight Wine Tales ($3.10) who is drawn wide but with Blake Shinn aboard is still a livewire hopes after the mare’s two good thirds at the track last month including to Amicus in the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1300m) on August 22.

Race 3 (1:50pm) – $125,000 Group 3 J B Cummings AM Tributer Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m)

No current scratchings

The first of the Group races, this handicap for three-year-old sprinter-milers has Gai Waterhouse’s filly Kimberley Star ($3.20) as the one to beat in gate for with Shinn in the saddle, the up-and-comer undefeated over the 1400m and appreciating getting back to the distance after a second to stalbemate Speak Fondly over more ground last start.

Race 4 (2:30pm) – $175,000 Group 2 Coolmore Furious Stakes (1200m)

#1 English (8)

Golden Slipper runner-up English comes out of the Furious Stakes, a lead-up for three-year-old fillies into the 2015 Flight Stakes. It is unclear where the filly will now kick off her spring but her removal from today’s set weights sprint leaves nine in the mix including her stablemate and market mover Speak Fondly ($3 into $2.45). Waterhouse’s Northern Meteor filly won the Group 2 Silver Shadow first-up and attempts to take out her third Group 2 this weekend.

Race 5 (3:05pm) – $125,000 Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m)

#9 Fell Swoop (10)

A Melbourne race has attracted Fell Swoop, scratched from the Concorde, leaving a final field of nine in the day’s feature sprint where the markets are led by the Joe Pride-trained Ball Of Muscle ($4.60 into $2.60), the super consistent five-year-old undefeated at Randwick over 1000m and last seen winning the Group 2 QTC Cup (1200m) in Brisbane.

Race 6 (3:45pm) – $250,000 Group 2 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m)

#17e It’s Somewhat (4)

A full field of 16 for the Sydney feature race today where ace trainer Waller saddles up in imposing 11 runners. He doesn’t have the race favourite though, that honour going to John O’Shea who has his The BMW winner Hartnell ($3.70) returning to racing here. The dangers though are the Group 1 winning Waller stablmeates Royal Descent ($3.60) and Kermadec ($4.40) who ran first and fifth respectively first-up in the Warwick Stakes a fortnight ago.

Race 7 (4:25pm) – $175,000 Group 2 Tattersalls Club Tramway Stakes (1400m)

#2 Famous Seamus (16)
#4 Messene (10)
#9 First Seal (18)
#10 Strawberry Boy (13)

Tramway has lost a couple of its stars including the Group 1 winner First Seal who has been scratched from a resuming run again with ongoing feet issues. She was a top fancy in the markets that are now led by the widely-drawn Arabian Gold ($4.20) who opened as long as $8. Better value is Sweynesse ($8.50) who loves it first-up (3-2-1-0) and was a top three-year-old in the Sydney Guineas races last campaign.

Race 8 (5:05pm) – $85,000 TAB Supports Jockeys Trust Handicap (1400m)

#4 Myamira (10)
#8 Wine Tales (7)
#9 Start Wondering (4)
#10 Miss Tenpins (6)
#12 Marple Miss (3)
#13 Ruling Dynasty (12)

The day rounds up with a BenchMark 85 featuring just seven after the scratchings, the bookies’ pick at a firming $3.90 being Bold Circle with the outside alley but a solid lead-up including a second over the track and distance from two weeks ago.