The Sydney Summer Racing Carnival hits full swing this weekend at Randwick with the 2024 The Ingham where Ciaron Maher‘s flying galloper Gringotts is favourite chasing a hat-trick.

A capacity field of summer milers faces off in this year’s Group 2 $2 million The Ingham (1600m) with markets at Ladbrokes.com.au led by the ultra-consistent Per Incanto five-year-old Gringotts.

It is hard to knock the deserving top elect who sits top of The Ingham betting at $3.90.

The Kiwi bred galloper carries a bit of weight with 60.5kg but was so good last time out with 60kg from barrier 14 of 16 at Kembla Grange to claim The Gong over this distance by nearly a length.

Tommy Berry retains the ride, and they’ll get a sweet run on Saturday from gate seven.

The horse was a $3 million Big Dance winner two back at the Randwick track from gate 19 so is versatile and in flying form.

Gringotts ss a mile specialist boasting a flawless four-from-four record at the 1600m, loves the course (4:2-1-0), and is going great guns.

The danger at The Ingham odds of $8.50 is the early market mover and 61kg topweight Private Eye for Joe Pride.

This evergreen seven-year-old is no stranger to racing against the best of the best and more than holding his own.

He’s drawn wider out in gate 14 for jockey Nash Rawiller and brings in the confidence of a last start victory with a similar heavy weight at Rosehill by nearly three lengths in the Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) on November 30.

Despite the size of this year’s The Ingham field, just one other runner is currently under double figures for the win with Port Lockroy at $9 for Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald.

Tyler Schiller rides the progressive Better Than Ready four-year-old from a favourable gate three draw.

The entire is back east after a successful WA raid winning Perth’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) over this distance at Ascot at similar odds on November 23.

He does rise notably in weight however from 53kg to 58kg and will need to break his Randwick hoodoo having just the one third placing from five previous starts at the track.

Maher meanwhile also saddles-up New Energy ($13) who brings in some strong Melbourne form lines having run sixth to Mr Brightside in the Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington before a Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) win in the wet at Caulfield last time out.

I’mintown coming off back-to-back wins is also being kept safe in the markets at $10 despite the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained runner drawing out wide in gate 22 which will become 18 at best with emergencies out.

The 2024 The Ingham is set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 4:40pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race card.

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