RANDWICK PREVIEW April 11, 2009 AJC AUSTRALIAN DERBY (2400M) Race 7, 3.40pm (Sydney time) The Rosehill Guineas, won by Metal Bender, remains the best guide to the Group 1 AJC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick. Metal Ben der is aiming to be the 19th 3YO to win the GuineasDerby double. The last horse to complete the double was Eremein in 2005 – Eremein was trained by Allan Denham, whose father Jack trains Metal Bender. Jack won the Derby in 2000 with Fairway. All along Allan, speaking on behalf of his reclusive father, has lauded the staying qualities of Metal Bender. “He’s a genuine mile and a half horse,” Denham said after the gelding won the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 14. He also is aiming to be the first horse to win the autumn 3YO Triple Crown since the Randwick Guineas replaced the 1900m Canterbury Guineas in 2006. Metal Bender is one of two horses dominating the Derby discussions. Sousa, who ran a game second in the Rosehill Guineas, is a serious threat. Sousa won the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at this track in the spring – it was a dominant performance, winning by six lengths on a slow track. The weather also is playing its part. Metal Bender, a winner on slow ground, won his two lead-ups on good surfaces, whereas Sousa is a genuine wet tracker – connections would have loved the race to be run a week earlier when the rain arrived to dampen Rosehill for Slipper day. On Thursday, the Randwick track had improved to a
dead 5 rating, and is expected to get to a good 3. While that will play to Metal Bender’s advantage, Kerrin McEvoy is adamant Sousa will be just as competitive on firmer ground. “He’s a stayer, and I think he will run just as well on a good track,” the jockey said. The weather might not be in Sousa’s favour, but the barrier is. He will come from gate 1, which should put him in the lead or the box seat. Metal Bender has drawn 14 and it will be Danny Nikolic’s job to find a midfield position in running. Last week’s Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m, Rosehill) winner Harris Tweed was impressive in his first Australian start. Trainers Murray and Bjorn Baker won last year’s Derby with Nom Du Jeu, and while the lightly-framed Harris Tweed will run the trip (and go OK on a dry track) he will need to step up a cog to beat Metal Bender and Sousa. Five horses have won the Tulloch-Derby double – the last was Starcraft in 2004. Last week, we tipped Phelan Ready as a roughie to follow in the Golden Slipper, and the gelding won at $21. The Derby can also spring a surprise, and the horse with the unlikely name of Old Jock is the 3YO to respect in this year’s race. He ran on well for third behind Harris Tweed in the Tulloch Stakes – last year his trainer John Sargent trained Red Ruler to finish second in the Derby. Takeover Target’s half-brother Preda tory Pr icer – fifth in the Tulloch – wasn’t suited on last week’s heavy track. Expect him to run well. The tips: Metal Bender to beat Sousa in a match race; and then Predatory Pricer, Harris Tweed and Old Jock.
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AND ALSO They are also racing at Caulfield on Saturday, and the Melbourne Racing Club has two Group 3s, the Easter Cup (2000m, R5) and the Victoria Hcp (1400m, R6), as the focus on a strong program that, for the early part of the long weekend at least, justifies it cutting back to one Easter meeting, leaving Moonee Valley to pick up the Monday slack. There are betting options galore in the G3s, forcing this column to look further afield than its favourite jockey, Steven Arnold, who can win on $10 chances, Renewa ble and Pinnacle s. R5 has a mix of middle-distance and staying types on the way up (Miss Maren, Raffaello, Just Look), those who have made their mark in previous campaigns (Light Vision and Colin Little’s pair Blutigeroo and Ista Kareem), plus some handy horses. Stick with Glen Boss eachway on Mick Price’s Miss Maren. Chasm holds the key to R6. He’s good, he’s honest and Heath Conners is happy for Jason Benbow to continue his successful association – he has ridden the gelding in his past dozen starts for six wins. If Chasm has taken no harm from his NSW trip, he’s the bet of the day eachway at $5. The remainder of the program? On a track rated around a Dead5, look to the claiming boys again, and keep an eye on Linda Meech on Peter Moody’s Astro Gains, a $3-$4 chance in R4 and reward for the kilometres she has clocked up for the stable this season. Stephen Howell