The Tony Gollan-trained Queenslander Antino is tipped to return to winning form as the firm favourite in 2023 Five Diamonds betting this weekend in Sydney.

Antino is hot favourite to win the 2023 The Five Diamonds race in Sydney on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The spring carnival continues at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday with the $2 million The Five Diamonds (1800m) heading the Sydney race card.

A capacity line-up of the season’s most exciting five-year-olds face off in the feature with the latest Five Diamonds odds at Ladbrokes.com.au led by Antino at $3.

Sam Clipperton has the ride on the consistent son of Redwood from a gun barrier two draw with the horse coming off back-to-back Melbourne seconds in very good company.

Two back he was runner-up to Attrition in Caulfield’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) by a nose before carrying 59kg at WFA in the Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) to cross a neck off the classy Kiwi mare Prowess.

This weekend in Sydney he is down to 57kg and up in distance getting his chance to shine.

We may have a full field but so dominant is Antino and his form lines that there are only two other single-figure fancies in The Five Diamonds betting.

The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Unspoken is the early Five Diamonds market mover backed heavily since final acceptances in from $12 to $7.50.

Tom Sherry rides the in-form, Irish-bred son of Territories who chases a fourth win on the trot this prep.

The gelding has been good in easier company all season including a win fresh at Rosehill with 60.5kg over 1500m in early September.

He won at Randwick with 58kg with Sherry in the saddle later that month and was last seen flying with 52kg on his back over the Randwick mile in the $160,000 Filante Handicap on October 21.

With a good barrier seven draw and 57kg this weekend he looks well placed to challenge the short favourite.

The other single-figure fancy at $8.50 is the Chris Waller-trained Democracy Manifest out in gate 11 with Nash Rawiller to ride.

Waller has had a strong Cup Carnival including preparing the second and third place-getters with Soulcombe and Sheraz finishing in the money behind Without A Fight in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup trifecta.

Democracy Manifest is rock hard fit fifth-up in the Five Diamonds race with the Flying Artie gelding fifth in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) two back only a length beaten before his fourth a half-length away in a blanket finish to the Prelude.

John Sargent’s Five Diamonds Prelude winner Palmetto looks value here at $17 to do the double.

Before his lead-up win he was sixth in the $1.5 million Alan Brown race at the track only 1.3 lengths beaten in a race that produced both the winner and runner-up of Tuesday’s $3 million The Big Dance in Sydney.

Other Five Diamonds contenders at double-figures with claims include another from the Waller stable in Waterford ($14) coming off a third in the Prelude but with a wide alley to overcome, the Annabel Neasham-trained UK import Jimi Hendrix ($12) racing first-up down under, and the Prelude runner-up Detonator Jack ($11) for the Maher/Eustace stable.

The 2023 The Five Diamonds is set to run as Rosehill Race 8 at 4:50pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race card with markets from Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.

2023 The Five Diamonds Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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