A field of potential Group 1 spring sprint types will face off down the Flemington straight on Saturday with the topweight King Of Hastings favourite in A.R. Creswick Stakes 2020 betting this season.
King Of Hastings is favourite to win the 2020 A.R. Creswick Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Listed $112,000 A.R. Creswick Stakes (1200m) shapes-up as the feature race of the weekend in Melbourne with 14 three-year-old sprinters accepted for the set weights plus penalties clash.
In recent years the form out of the race has been franked with the 2018 champion Nature Strip going on to win four Group 1 races including most recently the T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick this April, while last year’s winner Gytrash also went on to win at elite level in the 2020 Lightning Stakes.
Heading the A.R. Creswick Stakes field and betting markets this year is the equal 60kg topweight, the Anthony Freedman-trained King Of Hastings at $3 through Ladbrokes.com.au to make it back-to-back wins.
The in-form son of Ilovethiscity is drawn ideally midfield in barrier six with Craig Williams jumping aboard for the first time since November last year.
King Of Hastings was last seen winning the Gold Topaz (1200m) in easier company at Swan Hill by two lengths on June 7, but looks up to the grade with form around Alligator Blood and a previous victory at the track and distance in a Benchmark 70 race on his record.
Three other youngsters are also under double-figures for the win including Broadwayandfourth who occupies the second line of betting at an easing $6.
Prepared by Mitchell Freedman, the nicely-bred Smart Missile filly was eye-catching at Morphettville earlier this prep when under a length back fourth to Xilong in the Group 2 Euclase Stakes (1200m).
She has had three subsequent runs including a victory against her own kind carrying 58.5kg at Caulfield on May 30, but is yet to finish in the money at Flemington.
Broadwayandfourth is on the quick back-up off a fifth at The Valley last Saturday and presents as a genuine chance here with jockey Ben Melham continuing associations.
The Danny O’Brien-trained Run To Perfection ($7.50) and early market mover Front Page ($9.50) round out the hopes at single-figure A.R. Creswick Stakes odds.
Drawn well in gate four with Damien Oliver to ride, Sepoy colt Run To Perfection has just his second start for O’Brien following his transfer from the Kiwi stables of Stephen Marsh.
Group 3 placed across the Tasman earlier in the year, the untapped three-year-old debuted in Australia running only two lengths back seventh at Flemington over 1400m carrying a hefty 61kg on ANZAC Day.
He drops in weight and distance for this and looks fitter for the run making him a big danger at good odds for Saturday.
There’s been plenty of money meanwhile for the Geoff Duryea-trained Magnus gelding Front Page from Corowa who chases a third win on the trot.
The up-and-comer has carried big weights (61kg) for back-to-back wins at Albury and Wangaratta this prep and has been backed in from an opening quote of $13 to prove his class in the big city this weekend.
The value meanwhile looks to be the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained I Am Eloquent ($10) who is second-up on the weekend following her third when fresh on May 2 in the Euclase Stakes.
The I Am Invincible filly won at Caulfield in Black-Type company last September before running eighth to Flit in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), Saturday just her second run since the Group 1 assignment.
Click here for the full A.R. Creswick Stakes 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 A.R. Creswick Stakes Field & Barriers
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x22515x21 | KING OF HASTINGS |
Anthony Freedman | Craig Williams | 6 | 60kg | 91 | |
| 2 | 8231×75467 | HAWKER HURRICANE | Michael Moroney | Jordan Childs | 11 | 60kg | 82 | |
| 3 | x2145x2272 | ALBURQ | Michael Moroney | Daniel Stackhouse | 13 | 59kg | 73 | |
| 4 | 523616×125 | HI STRANGER | Shane Fliedner | Jye McNeil | 9 | 59kg | 75 | |
| 5 | 118×484615 | BROADWAYANDFOURTH |
Mitchell Freedman | Ben Melham | 8 | 58kg | 79 | |
| 6 | 722×968157 | LUCIFER’S REWARD |
Brendan McCarthy | Jamie Mott | 5 | 58kg | 69 | |
| 7 | x5x17118x3 | I AM ELOQUENT |
Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Regan Bayliss | 7 | 58kg | 78 | |
| 8 | 2124×1237 | RUN TO PERFECTION | Danny O’Brien | Damien Oliver | 4 | 58kg | 78 | |
| 9 | 17x2145x2 | SCORPIUS |
Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Jamie Kah | 12 | 58kg | 68 | |
| 10 | 127×11 | FRONT PAGE |
Geoff Duryea | Lewis German (a) | 10 | 58kg | 70 | |
| 11 | 1161 | KALKARNI ROYALE |
Kevin Corstens | Dwayne Dunn | 3 | 57kg | 73 | |
| 12 | 1x2282x1 | THAT GIRL |
Phillip Stokes | Ben Thompson | 1 | 56kg | 72 | |
| 13 | 11×504 | MERITED | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Mark Zahra | 2 | 56kg | 68 | |
| 14 | 22 | TO HER DOOR | John Sadler | Craig Newitt | 14 | 56kg | 60 |
*Table Credit: Racing Australia.
