The Championships in Sydney kick off today, Saturday April 4, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic there is plenty to be excited about at Royal Randwick for Doncaster Mile Day 2020.

Topweight Melody Belle has shot back to the top of 2020 Doncaster Mile betting with the track at a Heavy (8). Photo: Steve Hart.

Sydney racing presses on in front of spectator-free grandstands and betting is still on so below we take a look at the latest Randwick scratchings and track report for the autumn meet.

Randwick Track Report – 04/04/2020

• Rail Position: True
• Weather: Showers
• Track Type: Turf
• Track Rating: Heavy (8)
• Irrigation: Nil
• Rainfall: 3.2mm last 24 hrs; 22.8mm last 7 days

The weather trackside for The Championships Day 1 is for showers across the day meaning there is unlikely to be an upgrade to the current Heavy (8) Randwick track rating that will play in favour of the proven mudlarks.

The track was in fact downgraded on race morning from a Soft (7) to the Heavy (8) forcing a host of scratchings over the bumper 10-race program.

Randwick racing kicks off with Group action straight up, the two-year-olds facing off in the Group 3 $200,000 Kindergarten Stakes at 12:10pm (AEDT).

As mentioned, punters are in for a treat with 10 races taking place at Randwick today with things finishing up with the three-year-old fillies including Golden Slipper winner in the wet last March, Kiamichi, closing the card in the Group 3 $200,000 PJ Bell Stakes.

There are four elite level races on the line-up starting with Race 6 with the juveniles facing off in the $500,000 Group 1 Inglis Sires’, the field down to 12 following three scratchings including last weekend’s Group 3 TL Baillieu Handicap winner Holyfield (13).

The season’s best three-year-old stayers are next on show in the Group 1 $1 million Australian Derby with Get The Idea (8) the only withdrawal from the now 11-starter field in the mile and a half classic.

Race 8 is the Group 1 $1.25 million TJ Smith Stakes where an outstanding field of sprinters is led by Nature Strip in barrier one who faces 11 rivals after the withdrawal of Gerald Ryan’s three-year-old Standout (11).

The meeting’s marquee event is of course the Group 1 $1.5 million Doncaster Mile, all original 20 acceptors for the penultimate clash of the afternoon still in the mix with betting at Ladbrokes.com.au now led by the Kiwi mare Melody Belle ($6.50).

See below for the full Randwick race scratchings and jump times before heading online to Ladbrokes.com.au for the day’s top racing odds and offers.

Randwick Scratchings – 04/04/2020

• Total Scratchings: 28

Race 1 (12:10pm) – Group 3 $200,000 Widden Kindergarten Stakes (1100m)

• #7 Long Weekend (7)
• #8 Sancy (2)
• #9 Zeftabrook (4)
• #10 Chianti (11)
• #11 Forbidden Love (1)

Race 2 (12:45pm) – Group 3 $200,000 Quincy Seltzer Carbine Club Stakes (1600m)

• #8 Trust The Process (6)

Race 3 (1:20pm) – $400,000 Newhaven Park Country Championship Final (1400m)

• #17e Fritz’s Factor (21)
• #18e Irish Songs (6)
• #19e Thistledo (4)
• #20e I Stole Your Love (14)
• #21e Bellastar (1)
• #22e Dreaming Of Biscay (8)
• #23e California Fox (2)
• Race 4 (1:55pm) – Group 3 $200,000 TAB Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m)
• #9 Nimalee (15)
• #11 Amitto (18)

Race 5 (2:35pm) – Group 2 $300,000 Schweppes Chairman’s Quality (2600m)

• #9 Great Glen (13)
• #15 Mrs Madrid (3)

Race 6 (3:15pm) – Group 1 $500,000 Inglis Sires’ (1400m)

• #6 Holyfield (13)
• #10 Return With Honour (5)
• #14 Tempel One (6)

Race 7 (3:55pm) – Group 1 $1,000,000 Bentley Australian Derby (2400m)

• #11 Get The Idea (8)

Race 8 (4:35pm) – Group 1 $1,250,000 TAB TJ Smith Stakes (1200m)

• #12 Standout (11)

Race 9 (5:15pm) – Group 1 $1,500,000 The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m)

• #21e Dr Drill (12)
• #22e Wolfe (5)
• #23e Reloaded (15)
• #24e Rainbow Thief (3)

Race 10 (5:50pm) – Group 3 $200,000 De Bortoli Wines PJ Bell Stakes (1200m)

• #9 Mayaaseh (1)
• #14 Daphne Jean (8)

*All times quoted are local AEDT and subject to change