One of the key support acts on The Goodwood Day card in Adelaide this Saturday is the RA Lee Stakes 2016 for the milers and stayers, betting tips and odds for the Morphettville clash found below.
Alpine Eagle is the race favourite and Races.com.au tip to win the 2016 RA Lee Stakes on Saturday at Morphettville Racecourse. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
Running as Morphettville Race 5 at 3:05pm (local), this year’s $150,000 Group 3 Robert & Fay Gerard RA Lee Stakes (1600m) features a gun line-up of 12 gallopers.
The latest RA Lee Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au are led by the returning Alpine Eagle ($3) in gate three with Mark Zahra booked to ride the High Chaparral stallion.
The four-year-old is prepared by Tony McEvoy and has won four of his eight starts to date, injury ruling him out of racing since September last year.
When in form as a three-year-old he was on fire in Melbourne including his Group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m) win at Caulfield and second in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington in 2015.
He has recovered from his setback however and won a trial by four lengths at Morphettville Parks on April 15 giving McEvoy the confidence in the proven performer’s return.
The two other single figure hopes in RA Lee Stakes betting this Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival are Atlantis Dream ($4.80) coming off a string of top three runs and the rails-drawn Tonopah ($5) from the Darren Weir stables who won over the track and distance a fortnight back.
So will the best in betting be first past the post in the RA Lee Stakes results or is there an upset pending from the likes of Weir’s returning Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance ($15) or Queen Of The South Stakes third placegetter last time out at the track / distance Rocket Commander ($13)?
1st
#2 Alpine Eagle ($3)
Firming favourite and deserves respect. Hasn’t raced since September last year, but McEvoy has been patient getting this former gun three-year-old back to full fitness and wouldn’t be running him if he wasn’t ready. Is drawn to win in gate two, runs well fresh (4-2-1-1), is super consistent, a Group 2 winner and has winning form over this track / distance. Impressed with the trial win ahead of his return and is ticking all the right boxes.
2nd
#3 Tall Ship ($15)
Like the value in this import from the Weir stables who won the Stawell Cup, Terang Cup and Warrnambool Cup last autumn on the trot. Was runner-up to Who Shot Thebarman in the Group 2 Sandown Classic (2400m) in mid-November so has form against the best stayers, and won the Werribee Cup over 2635m in December at his latest start by 2.5 lengths carrying 60kg. Is yet to finish in the money from five first-up runs but is well weighted (56kg) and deserves a chance.
3rd
#5 Atlantis Dream ($4.80)
Really consistent lead-up from another Weir runner, Nicholas Hall aboard in gate three on 55.5kg. The veteran mare is a rising eight-year-old but she hasn’t finished out of the money this campaign including her second at the track on May 7 in the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m). Beaten under a length in that run a fortnight back, has top place form at a mile (9-1-4-1) and drops from 58.5kg. Also had barrier 17 of 18 in the Group 2 so will appreciate a better barrier and the drop back in class as well as weight.
Head over to Ladbrokes.com.au now and enjoy access to the weekend’s best odds and racing promos at the home of Odds Boost!
