2022 The Championships Day 1: Randwick Scratchings & Track Report

Day 1 of The Championships takes place at Royal Randwick today, Saturday April 2, and below we take a look at the latest Sydney race scratchings and track report ahead of the first.

Nature Strip | Photo: Steve Hart | Races.com.au

Nature Strip chases a third straight TJ Smith Stakes victory in the wet at Royal Randwick today. Photo: Steve Hart.

Randwick Track Report – 02/04/2022

Australian Turf Club

Rail: True
Penetrometer: 6.17
Weather: Overcast
Dual Track Meeting: N
Track Type: Turf
Track Rating: Heavy 9
General Comment: Finalised 2/4 – 7:45am / Late Rider Race 9 No. 22
Irrigation: Nil
Rainfall: 13.2mm last 24hrs, 167.2mm last 7 days

The weather in Sydney has been woeful again this week with heavy rainfall and thunderstorms causing a Heavy (9) Randwick track rating for one of the country’s biggest race days.

Randwick racing on Doncaster Mile Day gets underway with the second-tier two-year-olds in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at 12:10pm (AEDT) and the bumper 10-race card continues through until the three-year-old fillies face off in the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) at 5:50pm (AEDT).

Punters are treated to an incredible line-up including four elite level races today in Sydney, the first of the features being the Group 1 $1 million Inglis Sires’ (1400m) for the season’s best juveniles running as Race 6 at 3:15pm (AEDT).

The 2022 Inglis Sires’ field is down to a dozen after the withdrawal of #5 Millane (3) and markets at Ladbrokes.com.au are dominated by Gary Portelli’s Golden Slipper winning filly Fireburn.

Next-up in Race 7 at 3:55pm (AEDT) a line-up of top young stayers does battle in the Group 1 $2 million Australian Derby (2400m).

The 2022 Australian Derby field runs at capacity in the wet today and markets have the historical VRC Derby and Australian Guineas hero Hitotsu on top.

All eyes remain on Randwick for Race 8 at 4:35pm (AEDT) when Chris Waller’s dual defending champion Nature Strip chases a three-peat to emulate Chautauqua in the Group 1 $2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m).

There are 11 sprinters in the TJ Smith Stakes 2022 field and the favourite jumps from the outside alley facing regular foe Eduardo and autumn sensation Shelby Sixtysix in one of the best races of the season.

The meeting’s marquee race is then slated as the penultimate event on the card when the Group 1 $3 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) jumps at 5:15pm (AEDT).

The 2022 Doncaster Mile field features all 20 original final acceptors with the scratchings of #9 Hungry Heart (11) and #14 Hilal (16) paving the way for the first two emergencies to gain a start.

It is the airborne Canterbury – George Ryder Stakes double winning mare Forbidden Love shaping up as the one to beat again sitting top of today’s Doncaster Mile odds.

See below for the full Randwick race scratchings and The Championships Day 1 jump times before heading over to Ladbrokes.com.au for all the weekend’s top racing odds.