Early on the Coolmore Classic Day card the Sky High Stakes 2018 features a line-up of possible Sydney Cup chances, our insider betting tips and updated odds on the Rosehill Gardens showdown detailed below.
Libran is the Races.com.au team’s tip to win the Sky High Stakes 2018 at Rosehill on Saturday on way to the Sydney Cup. Photo: Steve Hart.
Due to run as Race 2 at 12:55pm (AEDT), the Group 3 $350,000 Sky High Stakes (2000m) features a nine starter field and sitting top of the latest odds at Ladbrokes.com.au is Stampede ($3.10).
Tim Clark is going great guns and retains the ride on the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained entire whose lead-up was a fifth to Winx in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m).
He was never getting near the glamour mare, but should present fit third-up on the weekend getting back up to his pet distance (4:2-0-1) and will likely be ridden up on the pace again with fitness on his side this time.
The danger and market mover in Sky High Stakes betting firming in from $4 to $3.70 is Chris Waller’s proven stayer Libran racing second-up after a fourth in the Chipping Norton Stakes.
Libran is a 2000m specialist boasting four wins and a second from his seven previous runs over Saturday’s distance and is heading towards a third shot at the Group 1 $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m) over the two miles at Randwick on April 14.
So will the top two fancies battle it out for the Sky High Stakes win or is there value tipping an upset this weekend from the likes of three-year-old Salsamor ($8) getting the blinkers on for his test against the older horses here or Waller’s veteran nine-year-old stayer Who Shot Thebarman ($12)?
1st
#2 Libran ($3.70)
The money is coming for Libran second-up and happy to follow the trail as he is three-from-five second-up. Chipping Norton fourth first-up and ran fourth in this race off a seventh in the same Group 1 lead-up last year. Can go better this year in a field lacking a real standout. Was thrashed by Winx first-up in the spring (Chelmsford Stakes) and won the Group 3 Kingston Town Classic (2000m) after that by 1.5 lengths. Tipping a similar result this weekend at Rosehill with Brenton Avdulla aboard from the goo gate 2 draw.
2nd
#9 Salsamor ($8)
Connections of this son of Tavistock scratched him from Friday night’s Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) against his own age at The Valley in favour of this. Australian Guineas ninth last time out at a blowout price, but can finish closer here after closing well at a mile. Looks like he’ll enjoy the step-up to 2000m and should be okay the Sydney way of racing with the blinkers coming on to sharpen him up. Kerrin McEvoy rides and that’s a plus, McEvoy having won the Kembla Grange Classic on Friday aboard ATC Oaks favourite Luvaluva.
3rd
#8 Get On The Grange ($14)
Very open for third, but tipping the ultra-consistent eight-year-old from Wyong. Evergreen veteran having start number 68, but knows how to back-up. Four top three runs in his last five starts, the latest in the Canberra Cup (2000m) just six days ago. Same distance, presents fit and has form around good horses. Don’t discount.
Get behind our insider Sky High Stakes 2018 tips now through Ladbrokes.com.au.
