The money continues to roll in for the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Annavisto to win the 2023 Coolmore Classic in Sydney on Saturday despite the favourite’s wide draw.

Annavisto is favourite to win the 2023 Coolmore Classic in Sydney on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The field for this year’s Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) is down to 16 with the early withdrawal of Excelida (18) and Zougotcha (14).

Excelida will instead contest an easier assignment at Flemington in the Group 3 Matron Stakes (1600m) on Newmarket Handicap Day.

Zougotcha remains in Sydney but instead sticks to her own age taking on the boys in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) earlier on the card.

Updated Coolmore Classic odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au have firmed on Annavisto to make it two-from-two this campaign.

The five-year-old Reliable Man mare is into $5.50 after her big 3.5 length return at Flemington on February 18 winning the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m) for the second time.

Her latest Sydney run was in April last year when runner-up to Nimalee on a Heavy (10) Randwick track in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m).

She had been off the scene for eight months prior to her runaway effort fresh in Melbourne and is now tipped to build on that rising back up in grade for the Coolmore.

Annavisto has work to do however drawing out in gate 16 (into 15) with Nash Rawiller to ride.

The dangers occupying the equal second line of Coolmore Classic betting at $7.50 each are Hinged in gate 12 from the Chris Waller stable and the Kerry Parker-trained Hope In Your Heart drawn well in barrier nine for Tim Clark jockey.

Premier hoop James McDonald partners Hinged third-up with the four-year-old daughter of Worthy Cause looking to break a notable winning drought.

She hasn’t won since taking out last year’s Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) over 12 months ago, but has been a perennial Group 1 place-getter since.

Hinged was runner-up in last year’s Coolmore Classic behind Lighthouse and second also to her stablemate Fangirl in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (1850m), held in 2022 at Newcastle, before a brave fourth in the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) run in the mud.

Her spring was equally as strong with Group 3s in the George Main and Epsom Handicap results, before things went amiss in Melbourne.

This prep she kicked off when second to Godolphin hero Anamoe in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m), and she was last seen running a mid-field sixth to the same horse in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) ahead of a somewhat easier assignment in the Coolmore.

One-time favourite Hope In Your Heart is now out to a backable price and looks a genuine winning chance on the back of an impressive first-up win in Randwick’s Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) from the Dundeel four-year-old.

She brings in some excellent Sydney form lines from last campaign having run fourth to one of Saturday’s Newmarket Handicap favourites, I Wish I Win, in the $10 million Golden Eagle before a second in The Gong over the Kembla Grange mile.

In a wide-open market a further three female gallopers are also at single-figures to win with lightly-raced Tavistock filly Ruthless Dame ($8) from the Maher/Eustace stable coming off a devastatingly close Group 1 Surround Stakes second, the Waller-trained last start Group 3 Mannerism Stakes winner in Melbourne Espiona ($9) and Team Hawkes’ market mover Yearning ($15 into $9.50) who hasn’t won a race since the 2021 Thousand Guineas.

The Coolmore Classic 2023 is set to run as Rosehill Race 8 at 4:40pm (AEDT) with full markets thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.

2023 Coolmore Classic Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.