Australia: Melbourne Cup top two square off in Peter Young Stakes
Gold Trip and Emissary, the first two finishers of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup in Australia in November, are expected to dominate the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne on Friday evening, the first starts of the year for the geldings.
Gold Trip won the $4.96 million Melbourne Cup in a 20-1 upset by two lengths over Emissary, who was 25-1. Both runners closed from off the pace in the field of 22.
For Gold Trip, the Melbourne Cup was only his second win in 16 starts in a career that began in Europe. The $203,500 Young Stakes drew a field of 11. Gold Trip was the 2-1 favorite in early betting on Thursday over Emissary at 7-2.
The 2023 Melbourne Cup is Nov. 7. Gold Trip and Emissary are likely to race through April before they are rested during the Southern Hemisphere winter in advance of races leading to the Melbourne Cup.
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The Young Stakes is part of a nine-race all-stakes program at Sandown that includes three Group 1 races. There are two Group 1 races on a 10-race program at Royal Randwick in Sydney.
In the first race at Sandown, Vow and Declare, the winner of the 2019 Melbourne Cup, is an 11-1 outsider in the Victoria Gold Cup at 1 5/16 miles. Vow and Declare was 18th in the 2020 Melbourne Cup and 10th last year.
The Victoria Gold Cup is led by Right You Are, a 6-year-old gelding who has won his last three starts.
The richest race in Australia on Friday evening across American time zones is the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Sandown, a $1.35 million race for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at six furlongs.
Barber, unbeaten in three starts including two stakes, will be tested by the filly Steel City, who has finished second in her first two starts since mid-January. Steel City was the 3-1 favorite over 5-1 Barber on Thursday.
I’m Thunderstruck, a two-time Group 1 winner, and Alligator Blood, who has won four races at the highest level, are expected to dominate the Group 1 Futurity Stakes, a $508,800 race at seven furlongs. They are leading candidates for the $3.39 million All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley on March 18.
Asfoora, Chain of Lightning, and I Am Me lead the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at 5 1/2 furlongs. I Am Me, who has won her last four starts, will start in a group stakes for the first time in the $508,800 Oakleigh Plate and is a danger in the field of 16 from a tracking position.
The Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at a mile at Randwick on Friday evening could produce runners for the All-Star Mile.
Anamoe, the winner of the prestigious Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last October, will have his second start of 2023 in the $407,000 Chipping Norton. A leading contender for Australian Horse of the Year for the 2022-2023 season, Anamoe won the Group 2 Apollo Stakes on Feb. 11. A 4-year-old colt, Anamoe was the 3-5 favorite in early betting for the Chipping Norton, which drew a strong field of 12.
Anamoe is owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by James Cummings, a team that has an excellent chance to sweep the Randwick Group 1 races. In the $407,000 Surround Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile, Godolphin and Cummings start In Secret, who has won 5 of 7 starts including four stakes.
In Secret was the 6-5 favorite in a field of 13 over 4-1 Zougotcha, who will have her 2023 debut in the Surround after winning her final three starts of 2022.
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