Randwick racing preview & best bets | Saturday, January 22
| What | Carrington Stakes Day |
| Where | Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 |
| When | Saturday, January 22, 2022 |
| First Race | 12:25pm AEDT |
| Watch Live | |
HorseBetting’s New South Wales form analyst brings you his best bets and quaddie numbers for the 10-race meeting at Royal Randwick this Saturday, along with his top pick in the Listed Carrington Stakes. The track is rated a Soft 5, while the rail is out 8m for the entire course. The first race of the day is set to jump at 12:25pm AEDT.
Carrington Stakes Best Bet – Holyfield
If you’re like us and backed Annabel Neasham’s Holyfield last Saturday at the Gold Coast in the Magic Millions Cup, we suggest not watching the replay. How he got beat, we aren’t sure, but the official 0.1-length margin doesn’t do it any justice at all – it was less than a bee’s appendage! But we can’t dwell on that race forever, so we are going back to the well in this $150,000 Listed event. Holyfield has obviously pulled up super from that run on the weekend for Neasham to have sent him back to Sydney and accepted for a race on the seven-day backup, so we are happy to be with him once again. From out in barrier 11, Kathy O’Hara will no doubt roll forward and look for the front on this four-year-old in a race where he really can control the speed. He is rock-hard fit and arguably in the best form of his life, so he can prove hard to beat once again.
Randwick Best Bet – Silent Impact
One horse who wouldn’t look out of place in a Listed race is Silent Impact. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained gelding won his first two races before finding very little galloping room in the straight at Kembla Grange in the Listed Dulcify Stakes on September 11. The son of Maurice was one of the early favourites for the 2021 Victoria Derby, but the stable opted to spell him and prepare for the autumn. Silent Impact has trialled twice in preparation for this first-up run and he has been impressive in each, winning by 2.2 lengths and 0.25 lengths respectively. The 1100m is a slight concern for this potential stayer, although he won over 1000m on debut, so he should be fine. We are keen to follow this boy through the grades this autumn.
Next Best at Randwick – Wild Calm
A number of unraced two-year-olds will make their debut in the second race of the day, a 2YO Handicap. We are with one of the five horses from the raced brigade in the form of Annabel Neasham’s filly Wild Calm. The daughter of American Pharoah has only had one start, finishing four lengths behind Coolangatta to run fourth in the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes on October 2. Tommy Berry partnered her on that occasion, and although he hasn’t ridden her in either of her trials leading up to this, it is good to see him stick with her for Saturday’s race. Wild Calm has placed third in each of her trials, although her most recent trial at Warwick Farm on January 10 could have gone a number of ways, as three horses crossed the line together in a blanket finish. After Coolangatta’s win in the $2 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Saturday, that form just jumps out of the page.
Randwick Best Value – Lord Belvedere
It’s not unusual to see Annabel Neasham have a good day, so we will be really hoping her horses are on-song on Saturday. In race six, one of the stable’s recent acquisitions, Lord Belvedere, goes around as a $20 chance in a 2000m Benchmark 88. The seven-year-old had some very good staying form in 2020, winning three straight at Flemington – including a 2500m win over Persan, who went on to run fifth in the Melbourne Cup. Lord Belvedere was plain during the Brisbane Winter Carnival, failing to see out the 3200m of the Brisbane Cup, but he returned at Randwick-Kensington on New Year’s Day with a decent enough fifth over 1550m in the Maroubra Mile. Now out to 2000m and on a rain-affected track, Lord Belvedere can be hitting top gear late and prove to be a nuisance for a couple of the more fancied runners. The each-way odds appeal.
Saturday quaddie tips for Randwick
| Randwick quadrella selections | |
|---|---|
| Leg 1: | 1-6-7-8-9 |
| Leg 2: | 2-7-11-13 |
| Leg 3: | 3-5-8-10 |
| Leg 4: | 2-4-6-10 |
| Investment: | $320 for 100% |