The two early favourites in the Robert Sangster Stakes 2017 field in Adelaide on Saturday – Sheidel and English – have both suffered double-digit draws for the Group 1 sprint.
Oakleigh Plate winner Sheidel is early post-field favourite to win the Robert Sangster Stakes 2017 in Adelaide on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
One of two elite levels taking place at Morphettville Racecourse on the weekend, this season’s $1 million Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) has attracted a full field of 20 starters plus two emergencies.
Heading the line-up are Group 1 winning mares English and Sheidel who have drawn out in barriers 11 and 10 respectively.
Two of the past four Robert Sangster Stakes winners came from outside of barrier nine and the bookies have continued to keep this season’s top two safe in markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.
The Lindsay Park-trained Sheidel is narrow top elect in the updated Robert Sangster Stakes odds at $4.50 to post her first win since the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Blue Diamond Stakes Day.
The five-year-old daughter of Holy Roman Emperor has had two runs since, the latest seeing her defeated just over two lengths when crossing a mid-field sixth to Silent Sedition at Moonee Valley in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) on March 24.
She’s been freshened-up since and is out to go one better than her devastatingly close second to Precious Gem in the Robert Sangster Stakes last Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival.
The record of favourites in feature sprint for fillies and mares is poor however with Black Caviar (2012) the only to salute for the punters since Universal Queen (2007).
The David Hayes-led Lindsay Park stable have also accepted for four-year-old Miss Gunpowder ($15) who is a dual winner at the Morphettville track and the final confirmed starter Hear The Chant ($67) drawn wider in barriers 15 and 18 respectively.
Second favourite at $5.50 in the post-field Robert Sangster Stakes odds English meanwhile is out to give co-trainer Gai Waterhouse her second win in the race following the success of Driefontein in 2014.
Ben Melham, who rode Platelet to victory in the race in 2013, comes aboard the Encosta De Lago four-year-old who ran second to Chautauqua in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) two back before her last start sixth in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m).
Rostaova in 2010 was the last three-year-old filly to beat home the older mares in the Robert Sangster Stakes and this season the best of the fillies is the Shane Nichols-trained I Am A Star ($6).
She proved she could handle the company at Flemington last Melbourne Cup Carnival taking out the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) and has come up trumps in barrier two this weekend.
She enjoyed back-to-back Group 2 victories in March and was last seen running eighth to It’s Somewhat in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m).
The drop back in distance could prove a challenge for I Am A Star, but she is a Group 3 winner at Morphettville and has class.
The other early fancy under $10 for the win is Super Cash ($9), the Andrew Noblet-trained Written Tycoon four-year-old out to continue the gun recent record for that age group.
Three of the past four and six of the past nine Robert Sangster Stakes winners took out the race as four-year-old and that bodes well for Super Cash in barrier 12 this weekend.
Other key hopes include Lloyd Kennewell’s locally-trained Viddora coming off a Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) win at the track from April 22, Mick Price’s last start Group 2 Sapphire Stakes winner over the distance in Sydney Secret Agenda and the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Ravi.
Check out the full Robert Sangster Stakes 2017 field, barriers & jockeys in the table below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for the latest Group 1 Adelaide racing odds.
2017 Robert Sangster Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Morphettville Race 7 (4:04pm) – 06/05/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x5470x1726 | ENGLISH | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Ben Melham | 11 | 56.5kg | 114 |
| 2 | 421152×146 | SHEIDEL | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Joao Moreira | 10 | 56.5kg | 111 |
| 3 | 024x167x51 | SECRET AGENDA | Mick Price | Damien Oliver | 17 | 56.5kg | 105 |
| 4 | 536x143x18 | SUPER CASH | Andrew Noblet | Ms Katelyn Mallyon | 12 | 56.5kg | 103 |
| 5 | 1276x22x21 | VIDDORA | Lloyd Kennewell | Joe Bowditch | 3 | 56.5kg | 99 |
| 6 | 236x15162x | EGYPTIAN SYMBOL | Bjorn Baker | Jason Collett | 8 | 56.5kg | 98 |
| 7 | 43016126×9 | CAVALOCE | Will Clarken | Mark Zahra | 21 | 56.5kg | 97 |
| 8 | 9x2134x48x | NOW OR LATER (IRE) | Robert Smerdon | Craig Williams | 6 | 56.5kg | 95 |
| 9 | x5710849x8 | SCARLET BILLOWS | Darren Weir | TBA | 4 | 56.5kg | 95 |
| 10 | x59x0270x2 | I AM ZELADY | Joseph Pride | Noel Callow | 7 | 56.5kg | 93 |
| 11 | x11x2451x4 | RAVI | Peter & Paul Snowden | Kerrin McEvoy | 16 | 56.5kg | 93 |
| 12 | x227x430x1 | MISS GUNPOWDER | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Dwayne Dunn | 15 | 56.5kg | 90 |
| 13 | 21504334×4 | A LOTTA LOVE | Sam Pritchard-Gordon | Jamie Mott | 9 | 56.5kg | 89 |
| 14 | 0x26116441 | BEAUTIFUL FLYER | Len Jarvis | Paul Gatt | 20 | 56.5kg | 88 |
| 15 | 192109×161 | LAKE COMO (NZ) | Pat Hyland | Stephen Baster | 14 | 56.5kg | 88 |
| 16 | 1804x2089x | EVERY FAITH | Robert Smerdon | TBA | 1 | 56.5kg | 84 |
| 17 | 4231×27118 | I AM A STAR (NZ) | Shane Nichols | Dean Yendall | 2 | 55kg | 108 |
| 18 | x66735x192 | MISSROCK | Robbie Laing | Damian Lane | 5 | 55kg | 98 |
| 19 | 2x110x1502 | LEGLESS VEUVE (NZ) | Stuart Webb | Regan Bayliss | 22 | 55kg | 92 |
| 20 | 1x0192x519 | HEAR THE CHANT | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | TBA | 18 | 55kg | 83 |
| 21e | 67x1310x48 | SWEET SHERRY | Brent Stanley | Luke Currie | 19 | 55kg | 80 |
| 22e | 1974×56353 | SELENIA | Robbie Griffiths | TBA | 13 | 55kg | 77 |
