The $1 million feature of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival’s latest meeting this Saturday is the 2015 Epsom Handicap, betting tips for the mile classic detailed below.
Running as Royal Randwick 7 at 4:00pm (AEST), this year’s Group 1 The Star 150th Epsom (1600m) features a final field of 15 led in betting at Ladbrokes.com.au by the Chris Waller-trained Winx ($2.90).
Sydney’s premier trainer Waller has won the past two Epsom Handicaps with Boban (2013) and He’s Your Man (2014) and coming off a brilliant Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) win from September 12, Street Cry mare Winx looks a livewire chance to hand him another in 2015.
The bookies are saying the most likely to score the upset over the widely-drawn favourite out in barrier 13 are her last start Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) winning stablemate Sadler’s Lake ($7.50), Waller’s market mover and fellow last start winner Silverball ($8.50) drawn well in gave five and the Kris Lees-trained dual Group 1 winning mare Lucia Valentina ($8.50).
So will Winx salute for Waller and the punters and become the first Epsom Handicap favourite to win since Fat Al (2012) or is there an upset on the cards from a longer priced hopeful such as Bill Ritchie runner-up last time out Rudy ($11) or John Sargent’s smart mare Kirramosa ($16)?
1st
#11 Sadler’s Lake ($7.50)
Waller has the commanding record in this race in recent years and while Sadler’s Lake isn’t the best fancied of his Epsom continent this spring, the in-form High Chaparral four-year-old is ticking too many boxes to ignore. He is drawn a treat in barrier three with Jim Cassidy in the saddle again after riding the gelding to victory in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) a fortnight ago at the track, the race producing Boban (2013) for his Epsom win two years ago. The gate suits, the lead-up form is excellent, his Randwick record is imposing (5-3-1-0) and think he can upset the stablemate.
2nd
#4 Winx ($2.90)
Tipping an all-Waller Epsom Handicap quinella on Saturday with the favourite Winx making it a close finish. She’s looking to become the first mare since Secret Admirer (2011) to beat home the boys and was very impressive first-up in the Theo Marks. Group 1 winner of the QLD Oaks over 2200m in the winter, she’ll improve the further she gets out this prep so the step up to 1600m will work in her favour. She has an outside alley, but three of the past four Epsom winners jumped from double digit gates so that should be a non-issue with jockey Hugh Bowman behind the reins.
3rd
#9 Kirramosa ($16)
The value bet in the field looks to be Sargent’s Alamosa mare who is after her first win since the 2013 Crown Oaks at Flemington. It’s been a long time between drinks and plenty of bumps along the way between then and her assignment on Saturday, but she comes off a nice fifth in the George Main Stakes at this track and distance and she looks set to peak. She jumps from barrier 10 that has produced the past two Epsom winners and is more than capable of surprising a few with a top three finish.
To back our Epsom Handicap 2015 tips head to Ladbrokes.com.au now who are offering Cash Back on the classic if your horse runs 2nd or 3rd up to a maximum refund of $100!