A gun line-up of genuine spring stayers faces off in Sydney this weekend with a 2400m clash taking place at Royal Randwick on Epsom Day, and the Races.com.au team has the expert 2025 The Metropolitan tips and best bets right here.
Can Newcastle Gold Cup winner Soul Of Spain rise to the Group 1 challenge in Saturday’s The Metropolitan? Photo: Bradley Photos.
This year’s Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan field is at capacity including the first emergency, Sun ‘N’ Sand, coming in to replace early scratching Adelaide River.
The latest The Metropolitan odds online at Ladbrokes have two in-form Waller stablemates battling for top spot with Birdman ($6) and Soul Of Spain ($5.50) both last start winners with genuine claims to hand their trainer his seventh success in the event.
So, will the flying Soul Of Spain get the job done for favourite backers and post his fifth straight win up notably in grade?
Can Birdman overcome the wide alley and complete the Kingston Town Stakes – The Metrop double?
Or is there an upset pending from one of the longer priced hopes in the mix such as the 58.5 topweight and two-time Melbourne Cup performed import Vauban?
All will be answered when The Metropolitan runs as Randwick Race 9 at 4:45pm (AEST) on Saturday.
In the meantime, check out our Same Race Multi selections for the important Spring Cups lead-up below.
2025 The Metropolitan Same Race Multi Selections ($41 at time of publish)
Top 3 – No. 9 Soul Of Spain
Top 4 – No. 4 Changingoftheguard
Top 4 – No. 11 Piggyback
SOUL OF SPAIN (10) is the new favourite in one of the most open editions of The Metrop in recent years and I’m happy to follow the money on this flying Chris Waller trained improver. He’s been excellent quickly rising through the ranks and now chases win number five on the trot. The progressive five-year-old won back-to-back races in easier company in Queensland including an impressive three-length romp home over 2020m at Doomben with 53kg before rising to Group 3 grade and saluting in the Newcastle Gold Cup. He was strong with 54kg over the 2300m and will relish the mile and a half now boasting winning form in Europe over two miles and further. Zac Lloyd is going great guns and sticks in the saddle with the horse set to fly back in the weights to just 50.5kg. Really hard to knock a horse in this sort of form even going up to Group 1 level for the first time. Set to settle midfield and will outstay a lot of these late.
CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD (8) comes in confident off a lead-up win over the track and trip when carting a hefty 59kg to an impressive nearly one-length Listed Tatt’s Cup win. He comes back to a more favourable 54.5kg now and presents fit third-up. Previous in the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality here last September he ran second with 58kg behind First Light and he looks to have come on even better this time in. Ethan Brown makes a good replacement for J-Mac who is in Melbourne on Saturday, and I think this horse will put himself in the mix.
PIGGYBACK (13) is at a big price to make it a hat-trick and while I don’t think she’ll be the winner, this Ciaron Maher trained Trapeze Artist mare certainly has Top 4 claims at a price. She’s on the quick back-up after a win in the Colin Stephen over 2400m at Rosehill last weekend where she out toughed her better fancied stablemate Juja Kibo with 55.5kg. Exempt from penalty her 50kg lightweight puts her right in the frame if she can get into position from wider out.
Randwick R9 – Asahi Super Dry Metropolitan (G1)
FinalRace time:
2nd
9. Soul Of Spain (10)
50.5kg1×111
J: Zac LloydT: Chris Waller
4.60WIN
2.00PLACE
8th
11. Piggyback (13)
50kg43411
J: Andrew AdkinsT: Ciaron Maher
35.00WIN
8.50PLACE
18th
4. Changingoftheguard (8)
54.5kg2×821
J: Ethan BrownT: Kris Lees
10.00WIN
3.40PLACE
For current odds on all of our live racing markets, please visit www.ladbrokes.com.au/racing. Data retrieved: 31/10/2026 05:14:15 AM (Australia/Brisbane)
For current odds on all of our live racing markets, please visit www.ladbrokes.com.au/racing. Data retrieved: 31/10/2026 05:14:15 AM (Australia/Brisbane)