Is English worth a bet in the Challenge Stakes at Randwick?
SINCE winning the Group 1 All Aged Stakes in April last year, four-year-old mare English has been a punters worst nightmare.
The Waterhouse/Bott-trained daughter of Encosta de Lago was heavily spruiked heading into the spring carnival, but things didn’t quite pan out well for English.
It started as the $2.25 favourite in The Shorts at Randwick where it finished a disappointing fifth behind Takedown. It was again the favourite in the Premiere Stakes, but again it was handily beaten by Takedown.
Its effort for seventh in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes was fair and it showed little zip when running 11th in the Darley Classic, but can it turn that around with a good performance in Saturday’s Group 2 Challenge Stakes?
It has won two trials leading into this run and punters will be forced to take a short price again, but co-trainer Adrian Bott believes it has turned the corner.
“You are going to see a different filly to the one you saw in the spring,” Bott said. “She was going well heading into that preparation but she had no luck in her first couple of runs and it looks disappointing on paper.
“She has come back to the stable very fresh and reminded me of what she was like last year when she won this race and then went on to win an All-Aged.
“She has won both her trials and there is certainly a spring in her step.”
English is hoping to win on this day for three consecutive years, which suggests it’s much better suited to autumn racing. It has handled wet track conditions in the past, but it will need a steady ride from Blake Shinn off the inside barrier.
Bott believes he will present a better thoroughbred on Saturday than what punters witnessed in the spring.
“There is definitely a difference in her when I compare her from the filly we had in the spring,” Bott said. “I think she should handle the ground and I think she is in for a very good preparation.”
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English is the current favourite which is understandable given its race record and its trial form this preparation. The $3.50 on offer at Bet365.com is a good price considering it ran as the $2.30 favourite in The Shorts which was arguably a much better field.
Redzel has also been well-favoured after winning three of its last four starts and punters can be assured the Snowden-trained runner will handle the conditions.