Group 1 racing at Rosehill Gardens continues on Saturday with the Tancred Stakes 2018, formerly The BMW, and heading the early entries for the weight-for-age feature is last weekend’s impressive Ranvet Stakes champ Gailo Chop.
Golden Slipper Day’s Ranvet Stakes winner Gailo Chop is the headline 2018 Tancred Stakes nominee for this weekend back at Rosehill. Photo: Steve Hart.
Master Victorian trainer Darren Weir is still to confirm a seven day back-up for his in-form French import but has Gailo Chop among the dozen nominees for the Group 1 $1.5 million Tancred Stakes (2400m).
Tancred Stakes nominations have also been extended until 11am (AEDT) on Tuesday morning.
Deportivo seven-year-old Gailo Chop atoned for his second as the beaten favourite at Flemington on Super Saturday in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) relishing a Soft Rosehill track on Slipper Day.
He lined-up as the favourite again this time in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and was far too good for his seven rivals beating home the Nick Olive-trained mare Single Gaze (2nd) and Prized Icon (3rd) by three lengths.
There is a good chance he will return to the track on successive Saturdays stepping up in distance for a shot at the Ranvet Stakes – Tancred Stakes double last achieved by Silent Achiever (2014).
The always-honest Single Gaze who put in her typically fighting effort for the Ranvet Stakes second has also been nominated for a possible rematch with Gailo Chop in the Tancred Stakes.
A five-year-old daughter of Not A Single Doubt, Single Gaze has form over the mile and a half having run second in last year’s Caulfield Cup during the spring.
The mares have won two of the past four editions of the Tancred Stakes with the aforementioned Silent Achiever (2014) and Jameka (2017) last year.
The other mare among the Tancred Stakes nominations for 2018 is Lee Curtis’s Beneteau four-year-old Lasqueti Spirit whose only win in a 20 start career was the all-the-way upset as a $101 roughie in the 2016 VRC Oaks.
Trainer Liam Howley for the powerhouse Lloyd Williams stable is in with two entries, Mt Macedon looking to start their 2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin and The Taj Mahal who was scratched from last Saturday’s Ranvet Stakes due to a rain-affected track.
Monsun eight-year-old Almandin has had two good runs this time in including a fourth when only one and a half-lengths beaten in the Australian Cup.
As for Galileo four-year-old The Taj Mahal, his first-up run since defeating Almandin in the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) last November was an Australian Cup eighth that he should improve on second-up over the extra distance.
Other standout Tancred Stakes entries this Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival include Richard Freedman’s last start Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) winner Auvray and the Chris Waller-trained runner-up out of that race Libran.
Auvray, if accepted, will be chasing the Sky High Stakes – Tancred Stakes double completed in 2015 by Hartnell.
See below for the current Tancred Stakes 2018 nominations, futures betting to reopen shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2018 Tancred Stakes Nominations
Rosehill Gardens – 31/03/2018
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x21402x24 | ALMANDIN (GER) | G | 8 | Liam Howley | 113 |
| 2 | x24x45x0x9 | AMBITIOUS (JPN) | H | 6 | Anthony Freedman | 110 |
| 3 | 412127×561 | AUVRAY (FR) | G | 7 | Richard Freedman | 107 |
| 4 | 43150×1121 | GAILO CHOP (FR) | G | 7 | Darren Weir | 116 |
| 5 | 15867×2816 | HARLEM (GB) | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 109 |
| 6 | 7530x00x78 | LASQUETI SPIRIT | M | 4 | Lee Curtis | 99 |
| 7 | x616528x42 | LIBRAN (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 8 | 0x56111034 | SINGING (FR) | H | 8 | Kris Lees | 102 |
| 9 | 54420×2252 | SINGLE GAZE | M | 5 | Nick Olive | 109 |
| 10 | 46925041×8 | THE TAJ MAHAL (IRE) | H | 4 | Liam Howley | 106 |
| 11 | x76200x437 | VENTURA STORM (IRE) | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 106 |
| 12 | 2x94491x67 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | G | 9 | Chris Waller | 109 |
