Apollo Stakes Day at Randwick Tips, Race Previews and Selections – 11/2/2023

Don Corleone was a convincing winner on debut, swooping home out wide over shorter to win by nearly a length.  

James McDonald gave him a brilliant ride that day choosing to settle midfield before unleashing over the final furlong, and I think it’s telling he’s taken the ride on this colt over stablemate King’s Gambit.  

How he handles racing on top of the ground is a slight query, but he’s drawn to get a similar run off the speed and we already know he possesses a big finish.

King Of Spades was a winner here first up and has gone on to run a pair of honest races since.  

He was beaten only narrowly out to 1800m to close out his spring prep and was unlucky not to score when nailed right on the line over 1500m here a couple of weeks ago.  

The rise in trip should suit with three runs under his belt, and with a bit of luck from the wide gate, he should be pushing forward early and making his own luck on the speed.

I’m confident Xpresso is a much better horse than his recent effort at Rosehill suggests.  

The son of Xtravagant was second-last in a small field of eight, well-beaten at the 200m mark where he was found to have a small laceration post-race.  

He’s nearly a month between runs now and was a back-to-back winner at Wyong and Canterbury prior.  

This race looks slightly easier and the step back to 1000m is a plus.

King Ratel is an honest type that really hasn’t put a foot wrong recently.  

He was a winner over this track and distance three runs back and then went on to be well-beaten behind Banju, a horse that has since come out and won again last week.  

His recent effort at Rosehill when runner-up to Irish Legend was full of merit given he had a ton of ground to make up from a wide draw. From a much kinder barrier, there’s a bit to like about him now at a price.

Gravina rates a safe enough bet in what as an open edition of the Southern Cross Stakes.  

The Sebring five-year-old is an impressive five-time track and distance winner, and this does look a suitable race for him to resume coming off a place in The Hunter at Newcastle last year.  

The Godolphin gelding doesn’t discriminate on wet or dry tracks, and this is a drop back in class after racing at Group 3 level during the spring. Ignore his recent form at the trials, he’s a race-day horse that should be set to fire first-up.

Quite keen on Blanc De Blanc here at a nice price in Inglis Millennium betting.  

She was a strong winner on debut at Newcastle back in November, working into the clear at the top of the straight where she kept finding to get up right on the line.  

She stepped out at Randwick a few weeks later where she gave late chase in the Inglis Nursery, a worthy effort considering she was four-wide, no cover at one point.  

Back off a break and with James McDonald back in the saddle, she’s a horse worth following.

In Secret is a promising filly for Godolphin that has bigger races than this in her sights.  

The I Am Invincible three-year-old is a four-time winner from six starts, adding a Group 1 to her record when she stormed home down the middle of the track at Flemington to take out the Coolmore Stud Stakes by two lengths back in October.  

Her recent trial at Warwick Farm was a little on the plain side, and even with Nash Rawiller replacing James McDonald, I can’t back against her from an ideal draw in the Light Fingers Stakes field.

Hard to go against Anamoe here given he’s beaten a handful of these already in his career.  

The Street Boss four-year-old was the star of the spring, putting together four wins on the trot – starting with a dominant first-up performance in the Winx Stakes over the track and distance.  

What he went on to accomplish in the Cox Plate was the stuff of legends, and he looked an absolute treat in a recent Rosehill trial. With little speed engaged, expect J-Mac to settle back and early and unleash late.

Winning form is good form and that’s exactly what Norwegian Bliss brings into her return to the races.  

Nathan Doyle’s mare saw her unbeaten run snapped in the Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Caulfield back in November, but prior to that, she was a winner over this track and distance when bursting clear late after stalking the speed.  

Andrew Adkins is back in the saddle for the first time since her maiden prep and just needs a touch of luck from a tricky draw in the Triscay Stakes. How she handles the weight is the other issue, but she’s clearly a class above some of these.