10 races await us this Saturday at Royal Randwick with plenty of opportunities to build a bank.
Our full 2022 Bob Charley Stakes Day Preview can be found below.
Preview brought to you by Ladbrokes. Learn more about Ladbrokes HERE.
Race 1 – Highway Plate (1500m)
These Highway Handicaps can be a tricky betting proposition and there is no stand out to me upon looking at the form.
Happy to wait until the second to have a bet.
Race 2 – 2YO Handicap (1100m)
Midnight In Tokyo won her debut start on the Sunshine Coast by over a length and then backed that up with a narrow loss on the Gold Coast at group 3 level.
She beat home the very smart Sheeza Belter in that race and that filly came out and won the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce at Eagle Farm at her next start.
Race 3 – Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m)
Queen Bellissimo is putting together an impressive racing resume with five wins and four placings from 11 career race starts.
The lightly raced four year old mare finished second at Hawkesbury and then had four weeks in between runs and was beaten less than half a length at Randwick.
She has three wins from five starts at this distance and D Gibbons gives the horse some weight relief with the claim.
Race 4 – Midway Handicap (1200m)
These Midway Handicaps are often won by a progressive type of horse and Cruel Summer is exactly that.
The three year old has started this campaign with back to back wins including a 3.88 length win at Canterbury over 2150m on the heavy track last start.
Drawn to get a gun run in transit and represents good value in a big field.
Race 5 – Benchmark 78 Handicap (1600m)
The Chris Waller trained Niffler is yet to miss a place in eight career starts which has netted her four wins.
This includes a dominant 2.64 length win at Randwick over 1400m last start in a benchmark 72.
This is still short of her ideal distance and while this is another step up in class, she has a heap of upside.
Race 6 – Benchmark 78 Handicap (1000m)
Godolphin mare Siege has been working her way through the grades well and has three wins from her four starts so far.
She closed out her last campaign with a 2.63 length win at Goulburn and she saluted as favourite over the short course at Gosford first up.
Race 7 – Racing To Win Handicap (1600m)
Fender has been racing really well right throughout this prep and he has finished within 3.5 lengths in his last four in a row.
He finished third behind Art Cadeuu last time out but he meets that horse six kgs better at the weights.
Race 8 – Listed Bob Charley Stakes (1100m)
Surreal Step found a heap of traffic at a crucial stage in the Listed Ortensia Stakes which just halted his momentum and cost him a shot at the leaders.
He then came out and won the At Sea Handicap at Randwick at his next start where he beat Andermatt and Enchanted Heart amongst others.
With some luck in running we will see him storming over the top late.
Race 9 – Benchmark 94 Handicap (1300m)
Lackeen had a consistent prep last time in and his win at Randwick over 1600m where he chased down Canasta and Kingsheir stands out.
He is a progressive type of horse who is capable of a high rating performance on his day and his recent trial win leading into this first up assignment suggests he is ready to go first.
Race 10 – Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m)
Soami is going much better than his form on paper suggests and he has had excuses in his past couple.
He was caught wide for the first 300m after drawing badly at Randwick and was then shuffled three lengths last as they rounded.
Three starts back he came from near last to almost run down Much Much Better in a benchmark 88 and that horse went on to be narrowly denied in the At Sea Handicap behind Surreal Step.
This horse is a much better chance than the $71 on offer and I urge you to have something on each way.