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Just Fine

Just Fine Heads 2023 The Metropolitan Field & Odds

Lucy Henderson September 26, 2023

Just Fine Heads 2023 The Metropolitan Field & Odds

The airborne Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained import Just Fine is tipped to continue his winning ways when he lines-up as the short-priced favourite in The Metropolitan 2023 field in Sydney on the weekend.

Just Fine

Just Fine is clear favourite in 2023 The Metropolitan betting for the staying showdown in Sydney this Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

Randwick Racecourse will be set alight on Saturday with three elite level races taking place at the track for Epsom Handicap Day including the potential Caulfield Cup horses facing off in the Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m).

The Metropolitan field features 18 spring stayers led firmly in betting at Ladbrokes.com.au by Sea The Stars six-year-old Just Fine at $2.

Lightly-raced having his 17th start on the weekend Just Fine is out to retain his flawless Randwick record having gone back-to-back at the track in his opening two Australian starts this prep.

The latest on September 16 saw him carry 55kg to a nearly two-length win in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).

Just Fine drops a huge weight down to just 50kg this weekend with an ideal run pending from gate two with Rachel King aboard.

He is yet to win over the mile and a half so the distance is the only query, but with the light weight the money is coming for him to handle the 2400m and salute for the punters again here.

The fellow Waterhouse-trained Herculian Prince (2010) was the last horse to complete the Kingston Town Stakes – The Metropolitan double.

The next best in The Metropolitan betting this weekend with a notable gap back at $11 are Benaud and Mr Waterville.

John O’Shea’s Reliable Man grey gets the rails run from barrier one and will need to work to stay out of trouble from that inside alley in the big field.

Jamie Kah has the mount on 51.5kg with the galloper coming back from the 55kg he carried to run 1.7 lengths back second to Just Fine in the Kingston Town last time out.

Prior to that he was good winning the Listed Wyong Cup (2100m) in an upset at the start of the month.

Benaud however has had eight runs at Randwick without a win and is yet to salute over further than 2100m despite four previous 2400m runs arguably in easier company.

The other $11 second elect Mr Waterville is one four final acceptors for master Sydney horseman Chris Waller who is out to add to his imposing The Metropolitan Handicap record.

Waller has prepared five The Metropolitan winners since 2010 with The Verminator (2011), Opinion (2014), Patrick Erin (2018), Come Play With Me (2019), and last year’s champion No Compromise (2022) all saluting for the stable.

Camelot five-year-old Mr Waterville is the best fancied of the Waller contingent in 2023 with the form Aidan O’Brien-trained Irish expat having his third run down under.

The lightly-raced European has his 10th start and is a dour stayer sure to appreciate the 2400m with winning form right up to 3420m overseas.

The other Waller-trained The Metropolitan runners in this year’s event are Wineglass Bay ($51), Manzoice ($26), and Al Aabir ($17) who ran second in last Saturday’s Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality.

Other notable hopes chasing an upset win over the short fancy include stablemate to the favourite Major Beel ($13) who won the Group 1 Australian Derby at the course and distance over the autumn, and Kris Lees’ Irish import Cleveland ($15) with winning form up to 3749m.

Click here for the latest The Metropolitan 2023 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2023 The Metropolitan Final Field & Barrier Draw

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 39x8663x00 KNIGHTS ORDER (IRE) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Adam Hyeronimus 6 57.5kg 109
2 421222×018 NAVAJO PEAK David Payne Chad Schofield 15 55.5kg 105
3 1226x50x49 CLEVELAND (IRE) Kris Lees Damien Oliver 13 54.5kg 103
4 x11421x026 MAJOR BEEL (NZ) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 5 54.5kg 103
5 3×53152326 BOIS D’ARGENT (GB) Annabel Neasham Dylan Gibbons (a) 10 53.5kg 101
6 0x6x824193 HOSIER (IRE) Mark Minervini Jason Collett 17 53kg 101
7 281x860x80 MANZOICE Chris Waller Michael Dee 7 53kg 100
8 233×652332 SPIRIT RIDGE (GB) Annabel Neasham Regan Bayliss 14 52.5kg 101
9 381124×009 HO HO KHAN (NZ) Mitchell Freedman Ms Tahlia Hope 12 52.5kg 100
10 921213x3L7 KALAPOUR (IRE) Kris Lees Kerrin McEvoy 3 52.5kg 99
11 601x060x00 TORRENS Marc Chevalier Ms Jenny Duggan 11 52kg 97
12 9946581012 BENAUD John O’Shea Ms Jamie Kah 1 51.5kg 102
13 95319×9201 MILITARY MISSION (IRE) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Zac Lloyd (a) 18 51.5kg 1.5kg 100
14 x386061x11 JUST FINE (IRE) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Ms Rachel King 2 50kg 105
15 22317×4672 AL AABIR (IRE) Chris Waller Jay Ford 8 50kg 50.5kg 95
16 61154×7212 FUTURE HISTORY (GB) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Dean Yendall 16 50kg 94
17 2312x18x74 MR WATERVILLE (IRE) Chris Waller Tyler Schiller 9 50kg 84
18 4216×42215 WINEGLASS BAY (IRE) Chris Waller Ms Kathy O’Hara 4 50kg 82

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Racing fields and data are copyright 2011-2021 © Racing Australia Pty Ltd (RA) (and other parties working with it).
Racing materials, including fields, form and results, is subject to copyright which is owned by RA and other parties working with it. Full copyright notice.

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