The Roman Consul Stakes 2017 field features just eight sprinters in Sydney on Saturday and the bookies are having a hard time separating the pretenders from the genuine contenders in the Spring Champion Stakes Day support act.
Viridine is out to retain his undefeated status as the 2017 Roman Consul Stakes favourite in Sydney this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.
Set to run as Royal Randwick Race 6 at 3:35pm (AEDT), this weekend’s Group 2 $300,000 Polytrack Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) is shaping up as a tough one for the punters.
In the latest Roman Consul Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au six of the eight runners are under $10 for the win with markets narrowly led by the undefeated Viridine ($3).
James Cummings and the Godolphin stable saddle-up the smart Poet’s Voice colt in the traditional lead-up to Flemington’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) down the straight on Derby Day.
Viridine has had three starts for three wins to date including his black-type debut first-up on September 16 at the Randwick track in the Listed Heritage Stakes (1100m).
That form could stack-up in Saturday’s lucrative Group 2 where Viridine jumps from barrier two with Brenton Avdulla retaining the ride.
The other two best over the line in the Heritage Stakes three weeks ago were the Gary Portelli-trained Single Bullet and Albumin for Gerald Ryan, both up-and-comers also engaged for the rematch in the Roman Consul Stakes.
Single Bullet jumps from the outside alley in the diminutive field and is the $4.20 second elect in the Roman Consul Stakes odds.
Tye Angland continues associations with the Not A Single Doubt colt who he also rode to victory back in March at Rosehill in the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m).
Single Bullet has had three Randwick runs for a second and a third, but before the Heritage Stakes a wet track got the better of him at the course on April 1 when dead last (16th) behind Summer Passage in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in the autumn.
Albumin is at a more generous $8.50 to go two better than in the Heritage Stakes, the grey son of Foxwedge in barrier six with Jason Collett in the saddle.
Shorter in the markets are Chauffeur ($5) for Team Hawkes who the Hong Kong-based Sam Clipperton rides on the back of a Golden Rose sixth and Viridine’s stablemate Beau Geste ($7) who saluted over 1300m at Rosehill two weeks ago.
Rounding out the single-figure fancies at $8.50 is early market mover Snitzkraft also coming off a win, the Kelso Wood-trained Brisbane visitor successful at Ipswich on September 23.
Check out the full Roman Consul Stakes 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and latest Fixed Win odds on the three-years-old sprint below with pricing from Ladbrokes.com.au.
