2018 Sydney Cup First Acceptances Feature Almandin

March 14, 2018

2018 Sydney Cup First Acceptances Feature Almandin

Last year’s Melbourne Cup quinella of Rekindling and Johannes Vermeer may be notable omissions but prolific owner Lloyd Williams still has a strong hand in the Sydney Cup 2018 first acceptances including Almandin.

Almandin

2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin is narrow favourite in early 2018 Sydney Cup betting following first acceptances for the two mile classic. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Williams and his new head trainer Liam Howley announced this week that Irish imports Rekindling and Johannes Vermeer, first and second in the Melbourne Cup results last spring, would not race this Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

That ruled out two of the best fancied hopes for the Group 1 $2 million Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m), the two mile classic running on Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ at Royal Randwick on April 14.

Sydney Cup first acceptances closed on Tuesday leaving 56 stayers in the mix, including three Howley-trained runners.

Mt Macedon have veteran eight-year-old Foundry who won the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at the track last September, the 2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin and Aloft in the mix.

Almandin currently sits top of the all-in Sydney Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $7 after the Monsun eight-year-old ran a brave fourth beaten under a length and a half by the upset winner Harlem in last weekend’s Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m).

Stablemate Aloft is the next best fancied in futures Sydney Cup odds at $8, the Galileo six-year-old having won the Listed Roy Higgins Quality (2600m) at Flemington on March 3.

The form of that race was franked on Monday when the runner-up Fanatic won the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) over the two miles at Morphettville.

Prepared by the David Hayes-led Lindsay Park stable, Shocking mare Fanatic also remains in Sydney Cup contention following first acceptances.

Bred to stay and now a dual winner over the 3200m, Fanatic is at $12 in the latest markets to take out the Sydney Cup handing Hall of Famer Hayes his second success after that with Azzaam back in 1993.

David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have a total of four Sydney Cup horses post-first acceptances including also their shock Australian Cup winner Harlem.

Posting his first win since last September, the French import won the weight-for-age autumn feature in Melbourne at a blowout price and subsequently firmed into $11 in Sydney Cup markets.

At the same quote and also Lindsay Park-trained is the consistent Zoffany five-year-old Ventura Storm who ran third in the Australian Cup trifecta.

Dual Sydney Cup winning trainer Chris Waller meanwhile has six first acceptors in 2018 including Who Shot Thebarman, a nine-year-old who has contested the past four editions of the race including seconds in 2015 and 2017.

Also in the mix for Waller are the race’s 2016 runner-up Libran who failed to finish in last year’s edition but who looks back on track with a first-up fourth to star stablemate Winx in the Chipping Norton and the consistent Alward.

Other notably Sydney Cup first acceptors include the Herby Power Stakes winner from the spring Lord Fandango and Nick Olive’s second placed Caulfield Cup mare Single Gaze.

The 2018 Sydney Cup final field is announced on April 10 with updated markets now open at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2018 Sydney Cup First Acceptances

Royal Randwick – 14/04/2018

# Form (Last 10) Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp. Rating
1 233323×672 ADMIRAL JELLO G 5 Kris Lees 92
2 1x21402x24 ALMANDIN (GER) G 8 Liam Howley 113
3 x12x1397x1 ALOFT (IRE) G 6 Liam Howley 99
4 1141124×32 ALWARD (IRE) G 5 Chris Waller 93
5 x24x45x0x9 AMBITIOUS (JPN) H 6 Anthony Freedman 110
6 605518x90x ARALDO JUNIOR (GER) G 7 Michael Moroney 89
7 6412127×56 AUVRAY (FR) G 7 Richard Freedman 103
8 36211×0684 BON EQUUS G 5 Joseph Pride 68
9 4×21334157 CARZOFF (FR) G 5 Chris Waller 87
10 2×58013314 CHARLES ROAD G 4 Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott 99
11 52103310×5 CISMONTANE (NZ) G 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 99
12 056684687x DARABAD (FR) G 5 Robbie Laing 78
13 x2115x3321 DOMED M 4 John P Thompson 67
14 23×0991154 DOUBLE BLUFF (IRE) G 7 Robbie Laing 97
15 0x4658115x DOUKHAN (IRE) G 9 Kris Lees 83
16 216x2114x4 DROCHAID (GB) H 4 James Cummings 76
17 22×4321223 EQUIPPED G 4 John Sargent 64
18 1×14111251 ETAH JAMES (NZ) M 5 Matt Cumani 81
19 46811×7521 FANATIC (NZ) M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 100
20 x804213282 FIVE TO MIDNIGHT (NZ) G 5 Lisa Latta 104
21 x33x24103x FOUNDRY (IRE) G 8 Liam Howley 103
22 1x270x070x GALLANTE (IRE) G 7 Graeme Rogerson 101
23 763253×361 GALLIC CHIEFTAIN (FR) H 5 Darren Weir 95
24 515867×281 HARLEM (GB) G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 103
25 x9x2180580 IMPERIAL AVIATOR (GB) G 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 87
26 x173314x21 KARAVALI (NZ) M 4 Kris Lees 81
27 4714572758 KHARTOUM G 4 Lyn Tolson & Leonie Proctor 69
28 27530x00x7 LASQUETI SPIRIT M 4 Lee Curtis 101
29 6122×25142 LETTER TO JULIETTE M 4 Garry White 68
30 Px616528x4 LIBRAN (IRE) G 7 Chris Waller 107
31 x76001221x LIZZIE L’AMOUR (NZ) M 5 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman 109
32 5x2114x397 LORD FANDANGO (GER) H 5 Archie Alexander 103
33 4813×56672 MASTER OF ARTS (NZ) H 6 Darren Weir 98
34 10×8520226 MULTITUDE G 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 77
35 0545723332 ORMITO (GER) G 5 Darren Weir 83
36 11×3131146 PATRICK ERIN (NZ) G 6 Chris Waller 97
37 4x746x0151 PERIBSEN (IRE) H 5 John O’Shea 71
38 x3x61x93x5 PRESTWICK (JPN) H 7 Yoshinori Muto 105
39 202720×242 PRIZED ICON H 4 Kris Lees 107
40 34221×8655 RED DREAM G 6 Kerry Parker 61
41 1412x3x50x SARRASIN (GB) H 6 Richard Freedman 98
42 x322114x43 SIN TO WIN (NZ) G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 83
43 90×5611103 SINGING (FR) H 8 Kris Lees 102
44 054420×225 SINGLE GAZE M 5 Nick Olive 109
45 667100×086 SLOW PACE (USA) G 10 Kris Lees 90
46 2411x13x65 STAMPEDE H 5 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 103
47 0x24760x05 TALLY G 5 James Cummings 103
48 85×6144332 TERWILLIKER G 3 Anthony & Edward Cummings 61
49 47560×7478 THE BANDIT (JPN) G 6 John P Thompson 76
50 4129×48738 THE GETAWAY G 4 Paul Perry 80
51 x770084349 UP CUPS G 7 Rhonda Mangan 83
52 5x76200x43 VENTURA STORM (IRE) G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 106
53 59x1153x68 WHEAL LEISURE M 4 Archie Alexander 86
54 42x94491x6 WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) G 9 Chris Waller 109
55 94×0336352 XEBEC (USA) G 6 Chris Waller 77
56 4×82325158 ZACADA (NZ) G 5 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman 100

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