2021 Kingsford Smith Cup betting preview & tips | Eagle Farm, R8
| What | 2021 Kingsford Smith Cup |
| Where | Eagle Farm Racecourse – 230 Lancaster Rd, Ascot QLD 4007 |
| When | Saturday, May 29, 2021 | 3:58pm AEST | Race 8 |
| Prizemoney | $700,000 |
| Distance | 1300m |
| Status | Group 1 |
| Race Conditions | Set Weights | Three-Year-Olds & Upwards |
| 2020 Winner | The Bostonian (11) | Trainer: Tony Pike | Jockey: Michael Cahill (59kg) |
| Watch Live | |
The feature race this Saturday at Eagle Farm is the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup, which is set to jump at 3:58pm AEST as the eighth of nine scheduled events. The field of 16 for this year’s running includes no fewer than five Group 1 winners. After the barrier draw was cruel to quite a number of market fancies, Savatiano is the $4 favourite ahead of Gytrash ($4.80) and Trekking ($9). There should be plenty of speed in this, with the likes of Savatoxl, Savatiano, Jonker and Dame Giselle all likely to stake their claim early. HorseBetting.com.au’s Queensland form analyst has found three runners he is keen to follow, as well as a $100 betting strategy for the $700,000 feature sprint.
We are big fans of both Gytrash and Savatiano and believe they are deserving favourites, but given their go-forward racing patterns, we aren’t totally convinced that they will be able to maintain the solid tempo for the entire 1300m with pressure all across the park, so we are going to look a bit wider. Niccanova beat a similar field at weight-for-age level when first-up in the Group 2 Victory Stakes, and we are getting an absurd $16 about the Steven Tregea-trained gelding with some online bookies. Drawn a touch wide in barrier 11 is not ideal, but James Orman knows the son of Nicconi well and is likely to find a spot in the second half of the field with cover given the speed drawn outside him. After all, Niccanova has placed in the Stradbroke Handicap.
Jenny Graham’s Victorem is one horse who will definitely appreciate getting to Eagle Farm, and after a nice trial at Deagon on May 18th, we expect the six-year-old gelding to be forward enough to fire after a six-week spell. The son of I Am Invincible was last seen at the races on April 24th when finishing third in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes behind Splintex and Ranier. Victorem won the Victory Stakes 12 months ago at this track and races well with spaces between starts, which is exactly the situation heading into Saturday. Barrier two gives Mark Du Plessis plenty of options, which should assist in the concluding stages of the race.
Goodwood Handicap winners have always fared well in Queensland, so one runner who we believe has been disrespected by the market is Savatoxl. The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained five-year-old has won 16 of his 28 starts, including a dominant two-length victory in The Goodwood last start at Morphettville. The son of Kuroshio is two from two over 1300m and, importantly, has an undefeated record when Barend Vorster is on his back. Drawn wide in barrier 14, Savatoxl will be sent forward to make the running, but given his high cruising speed, he may be able to pinch it.
Best bet for 2021 Kingsford Smith Cup
| $100 betting strategy | |
|---|---|
| $25 each way | Niccanova |
| $15 each way | Victorem |
| $10 each way | Savatoxl |