James Cummings’ first-up Eskimo Prince Stakes winner Kementari is out for another autumn win on way to the Randwick Guineas sitting top of the Hobartville Stakes 2018 field and odds at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Randwick Guineas favourite Kementari also leads the 2018 Hobartville Stakes field and odds for the lead-up at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
The feature race at the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival meeting, this season’s Group 2 $400,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) attracted 11 hopeful three-year-olds.
Due to run as Rosehill Race 7 at 4:25pm (AEDT), the Hobartville Stakes is the key lead-up race into the Group 1 $1 million Randwick Guineas (1600m) over a mile on March 10 and has produced the past five winners of the mile classic.
This season Godolphin-raced Lonhro colt Kementari leads both the Hobartville Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au for Saturday as well as the all-in Randwick Guineas 2018 odds for next month paying $2.30 and $4.50 respectively.
Runner-up to Mighty Boss in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) last October, Kementari was found-out dropping back in distance down the Flemington straight during the Melbourne Cup Carnival for his sixteenth to Merchant Navy in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
He made an immediate impact upon his autumn return a fortnight ago at Warwick Farm with a blistering three length victory in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) and Glyn Schofield retains the ride this weekend in barrier nine.
Three other horses in the Hobartville Stakes final field this season join the well-supported favourite under $10 for the win including the close second elect and market mover, Trapeze Artist ($4.20 into $3.80).
Gerald Ryan saddles-up the proven Snitzel colt who also comes off a first-up autumn win.
Best known for his all-the-way upset when storming home for a fourth length success at huge odds in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) last September, Trapeze Artist enjoyed another Rosehill win on February 3.
Taking on the older horses, he enjoyed a one and a quarter-length victory in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) and gets the chance to add to his growing Rosehill track record this Saturday.
Rounding out the single-figure fancies at an equal $7.50 are the flying Pierata and the undefeated D’Argento.
Drawn barrier seven with two-time Melbourne Cup winning hoop Corey Brown to ride, the nicely-bred Pierata is a son of former Golden Slipper champion Pierro and has won his latest two starts.
Prepared by Warwick Farm-based Gregory Hickman, Pierata saluted by two and a half-lengths at Doomben on December 30 in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Stakes (1350m) before another Queensland win in mid-January.
With regular rider Brown continuing his successful association with the up-and-comer, Pierata headed to the Gold Coast and took out the lucrative $4 million Restricted Listed Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m).
Freshened-up since, he trialled at Randwick on February 12 over 1200m when just beaten to the line and presents as a winning hope fresh in a Hobartville Stakes field full of depth.
D’Argento meanwhile is drawn a treat in barrier four and represents Chris Waller, of Winx fame.
Winx’s regular jockey Hugh Bowman rides the in-form son of So You Think, the grey colt a winner of all three of his career starts in easier company including most recently over 1300m in a Benchmark 76 for three-year-olds at Randwick on January 20.
Check out the full Hobartville Stakes 2018 field, barriers and latest Rosehill racing odds below with betting now open on the weekend’s Sydney feature at Ladbrokes.com.au.
