Just a dozen stayers are accepted for The Metropolitan 2017 field at Randwick Racecourse on Saturday for Epsom Handicap Day including the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-rained Broadside who jumps from barrier nine in his third start in as many weeks.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse is looking for a ninth The Metropolitan winner this weekend saddling-up Broadside in the 2017 field. Photo: Daniel Costello.
Set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEST), this year’s Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) shapes-up as a very open edition.
One of the better priced fancies in The Metropolitan betting at Ladbrokes.com.au come from the Tulloch Lodge stables with co-trainer Gai Waterhouse chasing her incredible ninth win in the mile and a half classic.
She saddles-up Broadside in barrier nine, which last produced a The Metropolitan winner in Seville (2013).
Raise The Flag six-year-old Broadside won the Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) on September 15 to earn his confirmed spot in The Metropolitan field and raced again just last Saturday for a close third in the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m).
He was defeated a quarter-length in that race carrying 58kg and will relish coming right back to just 52kg in The Metropolitan weights with Tim Clark retaining the ride.
“He pulled up super,” Bott said of Broadside at Tuesday’s barrier draw.
“He’s got a few runs on the board now…he’s had quite a bit of racing but we felt a need to get the miles in his legs.
“He had quite an easy run on Saturday the way the race was run.
“He’s come through that in good order and is ready to fire on Saturday.”
Ace horseman Chris Waller has prepared two recent The Metropolitan winners and dominates this season’s line-up with four final acceptors.
Heading the weights are the Waller-trained stablemates Libran and Who Shot Thebarman with 57kg, the duo drawn alongside each other in barriers three and two respectively.
Libran was last seen winning the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) a fortnight ago at the track with the same kilos, the race the bookies believe will prove the form line to follow into Saturday’s Group 1.
Waller’s old warhorse Who Shot Thebarman is a rising 10-year-old, but proved he still had a zest for racing when second in this year’s Sydney Cup and fourth second-up this campaign in the Kingston Town Stakes.
He was defeated only two lengths that run and will eat-up the extra distance getting out over 2400m in The Metropolitan, which will be his 19th Group 1 race.
Waller also saddles-up Kingston Town Stakes runner-up Antonio Giuseppe (54.5kg) to be ridden from barrier four by Joao Moreira and Life Less Ordinary (51kg) in gate 11 who ran third in the same key lead-up race.
Check out the full The Metropolitan 2017 field, barriers and weights below with updated Sydney racing odds to reopen shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2017 The Metropolitan Final Field & Barrier Draw
Randwick Race 8 (4:45pm) – 30/09/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2x8746Px61 | LIBRAN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 3 | 57kg | 108 |
| 2 | 55x3642x94 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 2 | 57kg | 108 |
| 3 | 31×9763415 | DESTINY’S KISS | Joseph Pride | Jason Collett | 7 | 55.5kg | 105 |
| 4 | 0x0D71x000 | AMRALAH (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | TBA | 12 | 55kg | 104 |
| 5 | 121113×550 | BIG DUKE (IRE) | Darren Weir | Brenton Avdulla | 6 | 55kg | 104 |
| 6 | 2x1240x542 | ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | 4 | 54.5kg | 103 |
| 7 | 1x37301x37 | CHOCANTE (NZ) | Stephen Marsh | Corey Brown | 1 | 54.5kg | 103 |
| 8 | x65123x813 | BROADSIDE (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 9 | 52kg | 98 |
| 9 | 41x122x253 | LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE) | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 11 | 51kg | 96 |
| 10 | x830x33x24 | FOUNDRY (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | TBA | 8 | 50.5kg | 95 |
| 11 | 213×009435 | LORESHO (FR) | Darren Weir | TBA | 10 | 50kg | 92 |
| 12 | 0250942213 | MY DIAMANTINE (NZ) | Brian Smith | Andrew Spinks | 5 | 50kg | 88 |
