Australia: Stablemates Ellsberg, Steely favored in 20-horse Villiers Stakes

Stablemates Ellsberg and Steely will be the first two choices in a crowded field of 20 in Saturday’s Group 2 Villiers Stakes at a mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.

Trained by the team of Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Ellsberg and Steely meet for the first time in a race in which they both are expected to be a factor following recent wins.

Ellsberg, 4, won the Group 3 Festival Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Nov. 27 for his fifth win in 13 starts. Ellsberg raced near the front throughout and won by 1 1/4 lengths as the 7-5 favorite, reversing a seventh-place finish in a field of 18 in the $5.64 million Golden Eagle Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 4-year-olds at the same distance at Rosehill Gardens on Oct. 30.

Ellsberg is capable of setting the pace, but is more likely to race from a stalking position under jockey Tim Clark.

Steely, 5, has won 8 of 20 starts, including three of his last four races. The only loss in that sequence was a second by a nose in the $150,400 Goulburn Cup at seven furlongs at Goulburn Racecourse on Oct. 31.

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Steely rebounded to win a lucrative handicap at a mile by three-quarters of a length at Kembla Grange Racecourse on Nov. 20.

With such a large field in the $536,100 Villiers Stakes, a fortunate trip will be vital, particularly for runners coming from off the pace. Steely drew post 4, while Ellsberg is in post 9, which should suit their running styles.

Ellsberg was 7-2 in early betting Thursday, a relatively short price considering the size of the field. Steely was 4-1, followed by Brutality at 7-1.

Brutality was fourth behind Ellsberg in the Festival Stakes, and third in a seven-furlong handicap at Rosehill Gardens on Dec. 4, beaten slightly more than 1 3/4 lengths. Brutality closed from sixth to be closest at the wire, and now has a slightly longer race to aid his running style from post 13.

The mount of Regan Bayliss, Brutality has every chance to be in contention in the final furlong in what is likely to be a tight finish.

Randwick has a 10-race program beginning at 8:20 p.m. Eastern, or 5:20 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.