2022 Randwick Guineas Day: Sydney Scratchings & Track Report

Torrential rain across New South Wales this week sees another mud track for Randwick Guineas Day 2022 today, Saturday March 5, and below we take a look at the full Sydney race scratchings and latest track report ahead of the first.

Nature Strip | Photo: Steve Hart | Races.com.au

Champion sprinter Nature Strip is one of the headline attractions racing in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick today. Photo: Steve Hart.

Randwick Track Report – 05/03/2022

Australian Turf Club

Rail: +6m 1000m-W/Post, +3m Remainder
Penetrometer: 6.15
Weather: Fine
Dual Track Meeting: N
Track Type: Turf
Track Rating: Heavy 10
General Comment: Finalised 5/3 – 7:45am – Late Rider Race 6 No. 1
Irrigation: Nil
Rainfall: 6mm last 24hrs, 193.6mm last 7 days
Track Information: Rainfall last 11 days- 408.6mm

The weather in Sydney has eased with only scattered showers on the afternoon’s forecast meaning the current Heavy (10) Randwick track rating should hold up as the races progress.

Randwick racing gets underway at 12:20pm (AEDT) and all going well the bumper 10-race card will continue through until the older mares face off in the Group 3 Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m) at 5:55pm (AEDT) where #1 Fituese (7), #3 Wandabaa (8), #7 Zoushine (10), #8 Bons Abroad (2) have come out.

The Group racing action kicks off early with the Golden Slipper-bound fillies running in Race 2 – the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at 12:55pm (AEDT).

The 2022 Reisling Stakes field is down to just six young hopefuls with #3 Queen Of The Ball (2) and #4 Mumbai Jewel (3) out and markets at Ladbrokes.com.au are dominated by the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Magic Millions 2YO Classic runner-up Russian Conquest.

Next-up it is the boys’ turn in Race 3 at 1:30pm (AEDT) with the running of the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) and eight of the nine final acceptors remain following the scratching of #8 Custodian (3) including the favourite Sejardan in barrier six.

There may be two elite level races coming up, but the headliner looks to be happening in Race 5 at 2:40pm (AEDT) where champion sprinters Nature Strip and Eduardo will face off for the ninth time in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m).

There is zero value in the 2022 Challenge Stakes betting markets with just four left in the mix following the scratchings of: #3 Trekking (2), #5 Ahead Start (3), #7 September Run (1) and #8 Remarque (4).

The quality of racing continues in Race 7 at 4:00pm (AEDT) with the first of the Group 1s, the 2022 Canterbury Stakes over 1300m where #1 Zaaki (1) has come out due to the unsuitable track conditions.

With Zaaki now heading south for a Group 2 Blamey Stakes run over the mile at Flemington first-up, the remaining runners in the Canterbury are led by last Saturday’s Guy Walter Stakes winning mare Forbidden Love chasing her second career Group 1.

The meeting’s marquee event is then scheduled as Race 8 at 4:40pm (AEDT) with the three-year-olds doing battle in the Group 1 $1 million Randwick Guineas (1600m).

Coming out of the 2022 Randwick Guineas field in favour of a run in Melbourne’s Australian Guineas on the same day are #5 Forgot You (7) and #6 Ranch Hand (1), with Waller also withdrawing #11 Sword Point (3).

The favourite is Anamoe and he is odds-on and firming despite the Heavy track question mark.

The penultimate event also holds Group status with the fillies and mares running over the mile in the Group 3 Aspiration Quality at 5:20pm (AEDT) and #2 Bring The Ransom (3) is the sole withdrawal at time of publish.

See below for the full Randwick race scratchings and Randwick Guineas Day race times before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for all the top Saturday racing markets.