The money continues to roll in for Godolphin’s Cox Plate-bound galloper Avilius who is odds-on and firming in Chelmsford Stakes 2019 betting this weekend.
Avilius is odds-on to win the 2019 Chelmsford Stakes in Sydney this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.
A star-studded line-up of 16 spring hopefuls, many resuming stayers heading towards the Caulfield Cup and Ladbrokes Cox Plate later in the season, make us this year’s Group 2 $250,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) field.
The latest markets on the weight-for-age classic, famously won two years ago by the mighty Winx (2017), are clearly led by the James Cummings-trained Avilius who is at $1.90 through Ladbrokes.com.au to salute second-up.
Winner of Sydney’s Group 1 Ranvet – Tancred Stakes double during the autumn, the six-year-old son of Pivotal resumed at Randwick on August 24 in the season’s opening elite level race – the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m).
He finished a close fourth under a length off the shock winner Samadoubt as the beaten favourite that day and is tipped to atone this weekend getting up over a mile.
Avilius is two-from-two at the distance and jumps from barrier 11 with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.
Bjorn Baker’s upset Winx Stakes champion Samadoubt also returns chasing another feature race win at Randwick on Saturday.
Samadoubt is out to be the first winner of the Winx Stakes – Chelmsford Stakes double since the heroic Winx (2017).
The Not A Single Doubt gelding was a $41 roughie in the Winx Stakes but is much shorter in Chelmsford Stakes betting paying $9 as one of two only other single-figure hopes in the race.
The other best fancied at current Chelmsford Stakes odds of $8 is the defending champion, Unforgotten.
Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller saddles-up half the Chelmsford Stakes field with eight runners as he chases a third consecutive win in the race, and his sixth in eight years.
Last year’s his Fastnet Rock mare Unforgotten won the race on the back of a lead-up sixth in the Winx Stakes, a race the now five-year-old ran sixth again in this season when under two lengths beaten by Samadoubt.
She is looking to become the first back-to-back Chelmsford Stakes winner since the also Waller-trained Hawkspur (2013-14) and is drawn in gate six.
Waller’s other 2019 Chelsmford Stakes runners are: Melbourne Cup hopeful Finche (8), returning Sydney Cup winner Shraaoh (7), Patrick Erin (4), the rails-drawn Haripour (1), triple-figure roughie Brimham Rocks (13) and Hugh Bowman’s mount Youngstar (14).
Of those, the former French-trained import Finche at $14 is the other most likely for the stable, the son of Frankel back in his first run since placing fourth in last year’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Other notable hopefuls who a few punters are getting behind for an upset include Gwenda Markwell’s returning ATC Derby champ Angel Of Truth ($14 into $12) and the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Con Te Partior ($11 into $10).
The 2019 Bob Ingham Chelmsford Stakes is set to run as Randwick Race 7 at 3:50pm (AEST) on Saturday.
