Pericles Scratched from Epsom Handicap 2023 Field: Hope In Your Heart New Favourite

The Godolphin-raced Pericles has been sensationally scratched from Saturday’s Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) field in Sydney with updated markets now led by the Kerry Parker-trained mare Hope In Your Heart.

Hope In Your Heart is new favourite in 2023 Epsom Handicap betting for the mile classic at Randwick this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

Trainer James Cummings had earlier scratched the Street Boss four-year-old from the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) held on September 16 opting not to test the galloper at weight-for-age yet.

Pericles was favourite to win the Epsom Handicap 2023 on the weekend and was at $6 through Ladbrokes.com.au at the time of his withdrawal.

In a blow for connections Pericles was removed from the official line-up just a couple of hours after final acceptances for the Epsom Handicap were taken.

After completing an important piece of trackwork on Tuesday morning the gelding was found to have “blood in the near side nostril”.

A stewards’ report confirmed “a subsequent endoscopic examination of the horse detected blood in its trachea”.

Pericles was drawn out wide in barrier 14 and Nash Rawiller has been left without a ride.

The first emergency Williamsburg for Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou now gains a start from barrier three with Andrew Adkins to ride the four-year-old on just 50kg as a $51 outsider in the markets.

Hope In Your Heart now sits top of the Epsom Handicap odds at $7 through Ladbrokes.com.au after her first-up third to Pericles in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at the track on September 2.

Click here for the updated Epsom Handicap 2023 odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2023 Epsom Handicap Field & Barriers

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	16x6026x64	MY OBERON (IRE)	Annabel Neasham	Chad Schofield	18	56kg			109
2	8x41292x11	PERICLES	James Cummings	Nash Rawiller	14	56kg			109
3	x1111113x2	THE INEVITABLE	John Keys	David Pires	8	55.5kg			108
4	3x121x0x96	GOING GLOBAL (IRE)	Chris Waller	James McDonald	12	55kg	55.5kg		110
5	00x73027x4	CONVERGE	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Tim Clark	9	55kg			107
6	1x2400x901	GOLDEN MILE	James Cummings	Blake Shinn	21	55kg			107
7	1x69x04x76	KIRWAN’S LANE (NZ)	John O’Shea	Tom Sherry	11	54.5kg			105
8	142x1442x3	HOPE IN YOUR HEART	Kerry Parker	Craig Williams	10	54kg			109
9	1x93186x09	DIAMIL (IRE)	John O’Shea	Jason Collett	5	54kg			105
10	111x3131x9	KOVALICA (NZ)	Chris Waller	Joao Moreira	7	54kg			105
11	21113553×4	NUGGET (GB)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Damien Oliver	19	54kg			105
12	2111263×64	POUNDING	Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman	Ms Jamie Kah	13	54kg			105
13	2x37160x00	COMMUNIST	Michael Freedman	Dylan Gibbons (a)	6	53.5kg			104
14	52x131x8x0	DUKE DE SESSA (IRE)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Regan Bayliss	15	53.5kg			104
15	261x407x28	MADAME POMMERY	Chris Waller	Kerrin McEvoy	16	51.5kg	52kg		104
16	13x1761x01	DEMOCRACY MANIFEST	Chris Waller	Tyler Schiller	1	51.5kg		1.5kg	100
17	8x641211x1	REDIENER	Chris Waller	Ms Kathy O’Hara	2	50kg			100
18	0x31023417	BARBIE’S FOX	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	Dean Yendall	4	50kg			98
19	191x520x33	WATERFORD (IRE)	Chris Waller	Zac Lloyd (a)	20	50kg			97
20	114x11x158	OLENTIA	Chris Waller	Jay Ford	17	50kg	50.5kg		95
21e	x745303x42	WILLIAMSBURG	Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou	Andrew Adkins	3	50kg			94
22e	312x80x529	POLITICAL DEBATE	Chris Waller	Ms Rachel King	22	50kg			87