Randwick full racing preview & quaddie | Saturday, September 16
| What | 7 Stakes Day 2023 |
| Where | Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 |
| When | Saturday, September 16, 2023 |
| First Race | 11:50am AEST |
We’ve got Group level action all over the card this Saturday at Royal Randwick Racecourse, with the Australian Turf Club set to host the inaugural edition of the $1 Million 7 Stakes (1600m) boasting seven Group 1 winners in the weight-for-age contest. The quality doesn’t end there, with four more stakes race up for grabs – including The Shorts (1100m), Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m), Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m)
The rail is out +7m between the 1000m-winning post, while the remainder of the rail will sit out +4m. The weather forecast seems to suggest the rain will miss Randwick leading into race-day, so expect the surface to remain a Good 4 throughout the program which is set to get underway at 11:50am AEST.
Keep reading for our free race-by-race preview and quaddie selections
Race 1: BM72 Midway Handicap (1600m)
The opening race is a wide-open Midway Handicap over the 1600m and we’re confident Miss Couver can produce a bold effort fourth-up into the campaign. The lightly raced four-year-old broke her maiden status on debut at Newcastle on August 10 and was impressive bounding over the top of her rivals to score a dominant 2.3-length victory. Things haven’t gone to plan since, although her latest performance at Randwick (Kensington) behind Tropical Squall was a terrific indicator she’s ready to bounce back to her best this Saturday. She’ll get back again but look for Miss Couver to storm down the heart of the track late.
14
MISS COUVER
- 1
ELETTRICA
- 7
OAKFIELD REDGUM
- 2
BACKROWER
Race 2: Class 3 Highway Handicap (1000m)
This Saturday’s Highway Handicap is a classy affair, and it wouldn’t shock to see something find The Kosciuszko (1200m) slot in the aftermath. Salire gets the nod for us with an impressive record at the course and distance, winning once and placing on all four occasions the son of Dream Ahead has stepped out at Randwick. He only needs to be replicating his effort two-back on July 15 behind Omni Man to be competitive in a race like this, and with barrier trial between runs keeping Salire up to the mark, we think the Cameron Crockett-trained gelding can only run well.
- 6
SALIRE
- 13
ONCE AGAIN MY GIRL
- 2
DERRY GROVE
- 1
DEBUSSY
Race 3: BM88 Handicap (1600m)
Gan Teorainn is a European import now trained by Chris Waller and looks set to peak third-up into her first Australian preparation. The mare was travelling home sweetly on the rails at hes latest start on September 2 at this course and distance; however, got bottled up with nowhere to go when hitting the final 300m. Once she got clear, she coasted to the line under her own steam, with the four-length margin a deceiving one. She gets the gun run from barrier three, and with a clear crack at her opposition late, we can see Gan Teorainn chalking up her first Australian win.
- 9
GAN TEORAINN
- 10
STRAIGHT ACER
- 5
LOGAN STREET LION
- 6
MYSTERY SHOT
Next Best
Race 3 – 
#9 Gan Teorainn (3)
3yo Filly | T: Chris Waller | J: Kerrin McEvoy (55.5kg)
Race 4: BM78 Handicap (1400m)
Holymanz is a terrific each-way bet as the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained gelding makes his way to Sydney for the first time. He was first-up behind a flying Va Via at Caulfield on August 18 and wasn’t disgraced in defeat going down by 2.8 lengths. His work through the line was sensational on that occasion and will only improve getting to his much more likeably 1400m journey on Saturday. He won a trial at Cranbourne before making the trip north, and if Holymanz can replicate his peak from last preparation runner-up in the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m), he looks perfectly placed from the camp.
- 4
HOLYMANZ
- 1
ALTIVO
- 6
GRINGOTTS
- 8
AUSBRED FLIRT
Best Value
Race 4 – 
#4 Holymanz (6)
4yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: Jason Collett (60kg)
Race 5:Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m)
The Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) is the first of the feature races on the program and we think Montefilia may prove the class stayer in the event. She’s now third-up for the Chris Waller barn since departing from David Payne and was a total forgive in her latest performance at Randwick in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m). She swung the bend five-wide off a muddling tempo and couldn’t make inroads in the slowly run race. We’re happy to call that run an abnormality, and with barrier three to gain a much more economical run in transit, we’re hopeful we’ll be seeing a much-improved version of the four-time Group 1 winner.
- 4
MONTEFILIA
- 16
JUST FINE
- 2
MAJOR BEEL
- 7
PROTAGONIST
Kingston Town Stakes
Race 5 – 
#4 Montefilia (3)
6yo Mare | T: Chris Waller | J: Jason Collett (57kg)
Race 6: Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m)
The Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes continues the Princess Series for the three-year-old fillies, and we’re keen to be with Kimochi getting out to the 1400m. She’s been crying out for the extra 200m after just missing out in both the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) and Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) only beaten by a combined length across both races. The Gary Portelli-trained filly looks primed to peak on Saturday, and with conditions to suit for the daughter of Brave Smash, we’d be shocked if Kimochi wasn’t closing best and possibly securing favourtism for the Group 1 Flight Stakes later in the spring.
- 3
KIMOCHI
- 7
AUGUST BLOOM
- 4
MISS JOELENE
- 1
TIZ INVINCIBLE
Tea Rose Stakes
Race 6 – 
#3 Kimochi (5)
3yo Filly | T: Gary Portelli | J: Jason Collett (56kg)
Race 7: 7 Stakes (1600m)
The inaugural running of the 7 Stakes (1600m) sees a classy field of 12 set to line-up, none more so than Think It Over. He’s been building nicely into this preparation after a significant time away from racing and has a fitness edge on some of his key rivals after finishing third in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) on September 2. The eight-year-old lost no admirers sprinting home off a moderate tempo from the back-half of the field, and we’d be shocked if Nash Rawiller didn’t take a more prominent role from barrier two this time around. The speed should be more genuine and hopefully Think It Over can get the last crack at his opposition.
- 1
THINK IT OVER
- 2
ZAAKI
- 9
FANGIRL
- 4
MY OBERON
7 Stakes
Race 7 – 
#1 Think It Over (2)
8yo Gelding | T: Kerry Parker | J: Nash Rawiller (59kg)
Race 8: Group 2 The Shorts (1100m)
In Secret was sensational resuming in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 2 and looks the one to beat stepping into the 1100m feature. She chased home gamely behind Remarque on that occasion and found the 1000m too sharp after a 154-day spell. She hit a flat spot between the 400m-200m; however, her last 200m showed the daughter of I Am Invincible was doing her best work late, and this Saturday looks like an ideal Everest (1200m) trial for the James Cummings-trained mare. She oozes class in this field, and with the perfect stalking position from barrier four, Zac Lloyd should be producing this talented four-year-old down the centre of the track to secure victory.
- 5
IN SECRET
- 6
BUENOS NOCHES
- 1
PRIVATE EYE
- 3
LOST AND RUNNING
The Shorts
Race 8 – 
#5 In Secret (4)
4yo Mare | T: James Cummings | J: Zac Lloyd (56kg)
Race 9: Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m)
Converge is set to make his return after a 98-day spell and is required to carry the top-weight for a reason. He’s the clear class in this field, even looking back to his last campaign finishing less than a length away from Think About It in the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on May 17. He was enormous that day and was given little chance in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) after drawing barrier 13. He’s been terrific at the barrier trials leading into Saturday, and with the opportunity to lead throughout with Adam Hyeronimus on board, look for Converge to make every post a winner.
- 1
CONVERGE
- 11
OLENTIA
- 8
TAMERLANE
- 16
REDIENER
Bill Ritchie Handicap
Race 9 – 
#1 Converge (8)
5yo Gelding | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Adam Hyeronimus (59kg)
Race 10: BM88 Handicap (1200m)
Kibou looks very hard to beat in the final race of the program and has been well-supported with online bookmakers. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained four-year-old has only had six starts to date and continues to have issues staying on the track; however, when he’s firing on all cylinders, the son of Maurice can blow them away. His trials suggest he can do just that in this 1200m contest. Regan Bayliss will look from the inside draw (2) and from there it’ll be a game of ‘catch me if you can’ and we don’t think they will.
- 6
KIBOU
- 10
VIENNA PRINCESS
- 20
GARZA BLANCA
- 9
KAYOBI
Best Bet
Race 10 – 
#6 Kibou (2)
4yo Gelding | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Regan Bayliss (57kg)
Randwick quaddie tips for 7 Stakes Day 2023
Randwick quadrella selections
Saturday, September 16, 2023
- 1-2-4-7-9
- 1-3-4-5-6
- 1-8-11-16
- 6-9-10-20