Two mares are dominating 2021 The Metropolitan betting markets for the Sydney staying showdown on Epsom Handicap Day at Royal Randwick this weekend.

Montefilia is one of the classy mares favoured to take out the 2021 The Metropolitan in Sydney on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

A capacity field of stayers is gathered for this year’s Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) on Saturday and two of the single-figure fancies in the latest markets are both female gallopers.

No mare has won The Metropolitan Handicap since the Gai Waterhouse-trained Coco Cobanna back in 2000, but the bookies are tipping the hoodoo to break in 2021.

Current favourite at $5 is the David Payne-trained Montefilia drawn wide in barrier 17 with Hugh Bowman to ride the four-year-old daughter of Kermadec.

She chases her first win since completing the Group 1 Flight Stakes – Spring Champion Stakes double this time last year, but she has been racing extremely well running a host of elite level placings since including in last Spring’s Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m).

Montefilia has had two runs this campaign running third in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1400m) and second in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) with improvement likely third-up, fit and ready to fire over the mile and a half.

Her last start conqueror in the Kingston Town Stakes on September 18, the Bjorn Baker-trained She’s Ideel occupies the second line of The Metropolitan betting at $6 through Ladbrokes.com.au for the rematch.

A six-year-old daughter of Dundeel, She’s Ideel only made her Group 1 debut in the autumn when second to Sir Dragonet in the Tancred takes (2400m) at Rosehill before her brave fourth in the Sydney Cup over the two miles.

She ran a first-up third this time in behind Mo’unga in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m), a fine performance when only a quarter-length beaten over the unsuitably short distance, before a seventh in the Chelmsford.

Enjoying the step-up to 2000m, She’s Ideel was strong saluting in the Kingston Town Stakes with 53.5kg but will need to be good here meeting Montefilia more evenly in the weights.

The other best fancied in The Metropolitan odds this Sydney Spring Racing Carnival comes out of the same race with third placegetter Entente ($9).

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Dundeel five-year-old franked the Kingston Town Stakes form backing-up at Rosehill last weekend to win his way into The Metropolitan field via the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m).

While co-trainer Waterhouse has a great The Metropolitan record preparing a record eight winners, no horse has completed the Colin Stephen Quality – The Metropolitan double since Railings (2005).

Mark Newnham’s Spirit Ridge ($15) carries the 58kg top weight in The Metropolitan this spring, while the rails draw belongs to the Chris Waller-trained Shared Ambition ($11).

Since 2004, only one The Metropolitan winner has carried more than 55.5kg to victory when Opinion carted 56kg for his 2014 success.

The other horses allocated above 55.5kg this year are: Warning (56kg), Mirage Dancer (56kg), Angel Of Truth (56kg), Dashing Willoughby (57kg), Quick Thinker (57kg) and Shared Ambition (57.5kg). Waller chases his fifth overall win in the event and his third in the past four years following recent victories with Patrick Erin (2018) and Come Play With Me (2019).

Along with Shared Ambition he saddles-up five other hopefuls with: Dashing Willoughby ($51), Charms Star ($34), Kukeracha ($26), his last start Newcastle Gold Cup winner Great House ($17) and No Compromise ($15) third in the same 2300m event from September 17 who gets in on just 50kg here.

Click here for the latest The Metropolitan 2021 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2021 The Metropolitan Field & Barriers

Table Credit: Racing Australia.