Australia: Masked Crusader in sharp form for All Aged Stakes

Masked Crusader has chased two of Australia’s leading sprinters in Group 1 races during a busy span in the last two months.

A winner of 5 of 11 starts, the 4-year-old Masked Crusader has run well enough in those races and other recent starts to merit the role of favorite in Saturday’s $461,580 All Aged Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Australia.

Masked Crusader’s most recent start – a second by two lengths to 2019-2020 Australian Horse of the Year Nature Spirit in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes on April 10 – certainly lends credence to that position in the betting market against 12 rivals in the All Aged Stakes.

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On March 19, Masked Crusader won the second group stakes of his career in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes at six furlongs at Moonee Valley Racecourse, a performance that would be good enough to win the All Aged Stakes.

Trained by the partnership of John Hawkes and his sons Michael and Wayne, Masked Crusader often races from off the pace. In the T.J. Smith Stakes at six furlongs, Masked Crusader rallied from eighth in a field of nine.

Masked Crusader has yet to win beyond six furlongs and was third by about 1 1/2 lengths behind All Aged contender Savatiano in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Randwick on March 6.

Savatiano, a 6-year-old mare, has won 13 of 38 starts and is on a three-race winning streak, all in Group 1 or Group 2 sprints since early November for trainer James Cummings. If Masked Crusader has a bad performance in the All Aged Stakes, Savatiano is capable of a win.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, Savatiano has not raced since the Canterbury, but the seven-week gap between starts may not be detrimental. Savatiano has frequently won off a layoff in her four-year career, which includes eight stakes wins.

Cummings has three runners in the race, including Cascadian and Kementari. Cascadian won the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 10, ending a nine-race losing streak. Cascadian will need to be sharp to win the shorter All Aged Stakes and will be rolling from off the pace under jockey Jamie Kah.

Kementari was sixth in the William Reid and was a Group 3 winner at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Australia, at seven furlongs in December.

Earlier on the Randwick program, the Hawkes training team starts Hilal in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile. Hilal was second to leading Australian 2-year-old Anamoe in the Group 1 Inglis’ Sires Produce Stakes at seven furlongs, closing from last in a field of nine.

The $384,650 Champagne Stakes drew a field of 13.

Captivant, third in the Sires Produce Stakes, and Converge, the winner of the minor Fernhill Stakes at a mile at Randwick last Saturday, have appealing form. Converge tends to run near the pace and should do so again from post 3 in this field.