Official nominations closed on Monday for this years Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick, with a not-so-surprising favourite leading the market.
2019 champion Happy Clapper is back among the Epsom Handicap nominations for 2019. Photo: Steve Hart.
Te Akau Shark, who ran second during last weeks Group 2 Tramway Stakes, is the odds-on $5.00 favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the $1 million race on October 5.
The Jamie Richards-trained five-year-old has won five from eight career starts and looked particularly impressive last month at Te Rapa when narrowly beaten by Endless Drama.
The classy Kiwi galloper won’t have everything his own way though, as this year’s Tramway winner Dreamforce has been installed as the $6.00 second-elect in futures Epsom Handicap betting.
Dreamforce’s three-length win was particularly impressive first-up, while Group 1 Winx Stakes winner Samadoubt also looks tough to beat on the heels of last weekends Chelmsford Stakes victory.
The third line of betting features Avantage, who is set to return to the races following a Group 1 Sires’ Produce win back in March.
Further down, 2017 Epsom Handicap winner Happy Clapper has opened as a $15.00 chance on the same line as Best Of Days and Verry Eleegant.
A total of 83 nominations have been taken for this year’s Epsom Handicap, with full odd available here.
2019 Epsom Handicap Nominations
| No. | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 002x7509x9 | ALOISIA (NZ) | M | 5 | Anthony Freedman | – |
| 2 | 100x1360x6 | AMPHITRITE | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 3 | x1118118x0 | ARCHEDEMUS | G | 6 | Gwenda Markwell | 100 |
| 4 | 1121x1x13x | AVANTAGE | M | 4 | Jamie Richards | 104 |
| 5 | 12x1550x81 | BALLER | H | 4 | Anthony Cummings | 83 |
| 6 | 3211x5Nx73 | BEST OF DAYS (GB) | G | 6 | James Cummings | – |
| 7 | x925245x52 | CAPTAIN COOK (GB) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | – |
| 8 | 121x128x5 | CASCADIAN (GB) | G | 5 | James Cummings | 98 |
| 9 | 0x3178447x | CHAMPAGNE CUDDLES | M | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 107 |
| 10 | 123x70304x | CHAPADA | G | 4 | Michael Moroney | – |
| 11 | 071516×320 | CLIFF’S EDGE | H | 5 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | – |
| 12 | 34449x16x4 | CON TE PARTIRO (USA) | M | 6 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 102 |
| 13 | 166×222213 | CONNEMARA | M | 5 | Bjorn Baker | 85 |
| 14 | 13×1 | DAWN PASSAGE | C | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 79 |
| 15 | 2257323×34 | DEALMAKER | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 84 |
| 16 | 5x4131x1x4 | DESERT LORD | G | 5 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 82 |
| 17 | 621x8132x1 | DREAMFORCE | G | 7 | John Thompson | 113 |
| 18 | 612x4350x4 | DYSLEXIC | M | 5 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 97 |
| 19 | 1500036133 | ECKSTEIN | M | 6 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 20 | x3033x432x | EL DORADO DREAMING | M | 4 | Kris Lees | 103 |
| 21 | 33x09311x8 | FASTNET TEMPEST (IRE) | G | 7 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 22 | 8321x6720x | FIERCE IMPACT (JPN) | H | 6 | Matthew Smith | – |
| 23 | 1x60110x67 | FIFTY STARS (IRE) | H | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 24 | x432200x39 | FUNDAMENTALIST | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 25 | 12x154134x | GEM SONG | H | 4 | Kris Lees | 100 |
| 26 | 440x13370x | GOATHLAND (IRE) | G | 8 | Kim Waugh | 90 |
| 27 | 38487x86x8 | GOOD ’N’ FAST | G | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 80 |
| 28 | x75x2284x2 | HAPPY CLAPPER | G | 9 | Patrick Webster | 117 |
| 29 | 0x53233x34 | HARTNELL (GB) | G | 9 | James Cummings | – |
| 30 | 322x11x | HURRICANE FIGHTER (NZ) | G | 4 | Michael Moroney | – |
| 31 | x73810x237 | INVINCIBLE GEM | M | 6 | Kris Lees | 108 |
| 32 | 267×252313 | JUNIPAL | H | 4 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 81 |
| 33 | 73×1 | JUST THINKIN’ | G | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 65 |
| 34 | 441x5496x0 | KAONIC (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 97 |
| 35 | 1x43236Px5 | KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 106 |
| 36 | 12331111×5 | KOLDING (NZ) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 100 |
| 37 | 11311113×0 | LE JUGE (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 101 |
| 38 | 233x8124x0 | LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE) | G | 8 | Chris Waller | 109 |
| 39 | 8363216×65 | LONG LEAF | H | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 40 | 3237×41211 | LOOKS LIKE ELVIS | G | 5 | Bryan Dais | – |
| 41 | x041650x62 | MAHAMEDEIS | G | 5 | Nick Ryan | – |
| 42 | 5x812511x8 | MANTASTIC (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 103 |
| 43 | 32x6900x60 | MATERIAL MAN | G | 8 | Pat Carey | – |
| 44 | 115508x0x8 | MICKEY BLUE EYES | G | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 45 | 160x11412x | MIRETTE | M | 4 | Archie Alexander | – |
| 46 | 050x1200x6 | MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE) | G | 8 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 47 | 152x231x20 | MISTER SONGMAN | G | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 84 |
| 48 | 1x2x041050 | MR MARATHON MAN (GB) | G | 6 | Michael Moroney | – |
| 49 | 11x112131x | MR QUICKIE | G | 4 | Phillip Stokes | – |
| 50 | 5003x00x97 | MURAAQEB | H | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 92 |
| 51 | 10x58158x8 | NETTOYER | M | 6 | Wendy Roche | 96 |
| 52 | 60x34000x5 | NIGHT’S WATCH (NZ) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | – |
| 53 | 7x6073447x | NOIRE | M | 6 | Chris Waller | 104 |
| 54 | 4130x08x77 | OOHOOD | M | 4 | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | – |
| 55 | 141x1417x9 | PENSKE | G | 6 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 90 |
| 56 | 1x3516832x | POHUTUKAWA | M | 4 | James Cummings | – |
| 57 | 0x2490431x | PURPLE SECTOR (NZ) | H | 4 | John Thompson | 86 |
| 58 | 25x14941x2 | QAFILA | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 59 | 311x34017x | REDOUBLE | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 102 |
| 60 | 2x2128x11 | ROCK | G | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 79 |
| 61 | 535×512421 | ROMANCER (NZ) | G | 6 | Grahame Begg | – |
| 62 | 192251557x | ROSTROPOVICH (IRE) | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 63 | 1241915×11 | SAMADOUBT | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 112 |
| 64 | 767x740x40 | SEABURGE | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 65 | 54x17x1630 | SESAR | H | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | – |
| 66 | 20×7 | SHOTMAKER | C | 3 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | – |
| 67 | 5x42170x46 | SIKANDARABAD (IRE) | G | 7 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 68 | 1292450×12 | SO SI BON | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 69 | 814×211234 | SO YOU WIN | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 93 |
| 70 | 200x2196x2 | SPANISH WHISPER | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 71 | 22113211×4 | STAR OF THE SEAS (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 99 |
| 72 | 1514x6770x | TALLY | G | 7 | James Cummings | – |
| 73 | 114x111x22 | TE AKAU SHARK (NZ) | G | 5 | Jamie Richards | 108 |
| 74 | 1x111110x6 | THE CANDY MAN | G | 6 | Barry Baldwin | – |
| 75 | 2152×41 | TOFANE (NZ) | M | 4 | Michael Moroney | – |
| 76 | x16932225x | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | G | 9 | Chris Waller | 104 |
| 77 | 241x994x00 | TRIBAL WISDOM | G | 6 | Michael Moroney | – |
| 78 | 8x53403x60 | UNFORGOTTEN | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 105 |
| 79 | 157x2111x9 | VERRY ELLEEGANT (NZ) | M | 4 | Chris Waller | 106 |
| 80 | 4x33x2x6x6 | WREN’S DAY (USA) | H | 6 | James Cummings | 98 |
| 81 | 276x059x87 | YOUNGSTAR | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 82 | 123111x | YOURDEEL (NZ) | G | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 83 | 2221x00x79 | YULONG PRINCE (SAF) | H | 5 | Chris Waller | 104 |
