Peter & Paul Snowden’s hot favourite Redzel has come up trumps with a better than mid-field barrier six draw for Saturday’s TJ Smith Stakes 2018 field at Royal Randwick.
The Everest winner at the track and distance Redzel is the one to beat in Saturday’s 2018 TJ Smith Stakes field at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart.
Gun sprinter Redzel returns to the track and distance he made history at winning the inaugural The Everest last spring and is the headline final acceptor for this autumn’s Group 1 $2.5 million Darley TJ Smith Stakes (1200m).
One of four autumn majors on Day 1 of ‘The Championships’, the TJ Smith Stakes field for 2018 drew 14 gallopers and Redzel will start the clear punters’ pick at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Updated TJ Smith Stakes odds have the ultra-consistent son of Snitzel at $2.25 for the win third-up following his shock second to Redbird Warrior in Flemington’s Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) and his atoning Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) win by two lengths at Randwick on March 10.
Redzel was very impressive in a March 26 Randwick trial win by three lengths over 1000m and also burned up the track in a very nice piece of work at Tuesday’s Breakfast With The Stars.
He worked over 800m completing his final 600m in 34.5 seconds with the blinkers on, impressing co-trainer Peter Snowden.
“He has a great action and really does cover the ground well,” Snowden told Racing NSW.
“In his trial last week I thought he went a bit steady in the first bit and he ran 58 flat. He never looks to be doing that sort of work but that’s what makes him the horse he is.
“He makes hard work look very easy. He’s not a big horse but he has a good stride and is very efficient.
“I wanted to make sure his work was spot on and I didn’t want to work him again.”
The other last start winner in the TJ Smith Stakes field this autumn is the Benjamin Smith-trained mare In Her Time, the five-year-old daughter of Time Thief drawn barrier three with Corey Brown to ride.
She was eye-catching first-up at the Rosehill track on Slipper Day beating home English in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) and is three-from-six at Royal Randwick.
Second-up the $1.89 million earner will be fitter and the 1200m also suits In Her Time who boasts four wins and two seconds from eight previous starts at the distance.
She is also undefeated over 1200m at Randwick (3:3-0-0) and occupies the second line of TJ Smith Stakes betting at $4.
The only other single-figure hope on Saturday paying $7 after a nice gate two draw is the Darren Weir-trained Brave Smash.
The five-year-old entire, formerly prepared in Japan, was a length back third to Redzel in The Everest results last October and has posted a subsequent Melbourne Group 1 win in the Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes (1400m) this February.
He dropped in distance after that when narrowly defeated by Flemington straight specialist Redkirk Warrior in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) on Super Saturday, form he is out to frank returning to Sydney fourth-up this weekend.
Check out the full TJ Smith Stakes 2018 field and betting markets below, prices open at Ladbrokes.com.au now.
