French import Avilius has been posted as the early favourite following the release of the nominations for the 2018 Group 1 $750,000 Heineken 3 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on September 29.
Egg Tart, above in green and red colours, is one of the top early fancies for the 2018 The Metropolitan at Randwick. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
The James Cummings trained Avilius is one of 81 horses nominated the Spring Carnival staying feature and has been posted as the early top pick at $4 with Ladbrokes.com.au.
Avilius has had two runs for Cummings since arriving from Europe and has carried the Godolphin royal blue colours to victory on both occasions with a win in a 1600m BenchMark 91 Handicap at Randwick on August 4 followed by a win in the Group 3 $150,000 Premier’s Cup (1900m) at Rosehill on August 25.
Cummings has also nominated Irish import Mr Moonlight Magic for the 2018 The Metropolitan.
Sydney’s leading trainer Chris Waller has strength in numbers and has nominated seventeen horse for The Metropolitan with Egg Tart, Libran and Unforgotten heading the team.
The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig also have a strong representation with Australian Cup winner Harlem heading the ten nominations.
The David Payne trained Ace High is also prominent in The Metropolitan early betting at $10 and the 2017 Victoria Derby winner showed that he is on the way back to his best form with a solid second to the Waller trained Australian Oaks winner Unforgotten in last Saturday’s Group 2 $250,000 Bisley Workwear Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
The weights for 2018 The Metropolitan will be released on Monday September 10 and the final field will be declared on Tuesday September 25.
Early betting for the 2018 The Metropolitan at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Avilius, $6 Unforgotten, $8 Egg Tart, $10 Ace High, Sedanzer, $12 Grunt, Hiyaam, Libran, $16 Auvray, Big Duke, Harlem, Our Venice Beach, Sir Charles Road, Trap For Fools, $21 One Foot In Heaven, Opposition, Satono Rasen, The Lord Mayor, Ventura Storm, Wall Of Fire, $26 Abdon, All Too Soon, Ambitious, Brimham Rocks, Cabezza De Vaca, Carzoff, Dark Eyes, Harper’s Choice, Harrison, Midterm, Miss Admiration, Mr Garcia, Oregon’s Day, Single Gaze, Vengeur Masque, $34 or better the rest.
Nominations for the 2018 The Metropolitan (2400m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6x0022x4x2 | ABDON (GB) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 87 |
| 2 | 1x55462x02 | ACE HIGH | H | 4 | David Payne | – |
| 3 | 672970×005 | ADMIRAL JELLO | G | 6 | Kris Lees | – |
| 4 | x843320x68 | AL HARAM (FR) | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 5 | 1x1120x518 | ALL TOO SOON | M | 4 | David Payne | 84 |
| 6 | 24x32267x3 | ALWARD (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 96 |
| 7 | 5x0x92834x | AMBITIOUS (JPN) | H | 7 | Anthony Freedman | – |
| 8 | 27x56164x5 | AUVRAY (FR) | G | 8 | Richard Freedman | 109 |
| 9 | 11x3326x11 | AVILIUS (GB) | G | 5 | James Cummings | 103 |
| 10 | 24112×0873 | AZURO (FR) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | – |
| 11 | 5021443×00 | BIG DUKE (IRE) | G | 7 | Darren Weir | – |
| 12 | 1021x22x33 | BRIMHAM ROCKS (GB) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 86 |
| 13 | 1x11820x50 | CABEZA DE VACA | G | 7 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | – |
| 14 | 34157×2441 | CARZOFF (FR) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | – |
| 15 | 11x7389x00 | CLASSIC UNIFORM | G | 6 | Gary Moore | – |
| 16 | 5651111×09 | CORDERO | G | 5 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | – |
| 17 | 60×7298842 | DARK EYES | G | 6 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | – |
| 18 | 63×0513206 | DESTINY’S KISS | G | 10 | Joseph Pride | – |
| 19 | x332120x96 | DOMED | M | 5 | John P Thompson | 80 |
| 20 | 0x400521x5 | EGG TART | M | 5 | Chris Waller | – |
| 21 | 274340×000 | EMBLEY | G | 7 | Bjorn Baker | 94 |
| 22 | 14111251×7 | ETAH JAMES (NZ) | M | 6 | Matt Cumani | – |
| 23 | 27019×2761 | EXCELSIOR | H | 4 | Gwenda Markwell | 69 |
| 24 | 532x108x04 | GOATHLAND (IRE) | G | 7 | Kim Waugh | 85 |
| 25 | 3x1111x58 | GRUNT (NZ) | H | 4 | Mick Price | – |
| 26 | 4131x590x9 | HANS HOLBEIN (GB) | G | 7 | Liam Howley | – |
| 27 | x900x6x60x | HAPPY MOMENT (JPN) | H | 9 | Anthony Freedman | – |
| 28 | 67x28167x0 | HARLEM (GB) | G | 7 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 29 | 03×9724115 | HARPER’S CHOICE | G | 5 | Gerald Ryan | – |
| 30 | x140x621x4 | HARRISON (GB) | G | 6 | Liam Howley | – |
| 31 | 119x31x0x1 | HIGH BRIDGE (GB) | G | 8 | Chris Waller | 72 |
| 32 | 2343x312x6 | HIYAAM (NZ) | M | 4 | Mick Price | – |
| 33 | 213x | HUSH WRITER (JPN) | H | 4 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | – |
| 34 | 5333x1x618 | JAAMEH (IRE) | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 35 | 2134x74x97 | JAKE’S HILL (GB) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 74 |
| 36 | 4111×51270 | JUST SHINE (NZ) | G | 6 | Clare Cunningham | 83 |
| 37 | 6369×00640 | KELLSTORM (IRE) | H | 6 | Darren Weir | – |
| 38 | 164x362x53 | KILIMANJARO (IRE) | G | 7 | Liam Howley | – |
| 39 | 1424318×13 | LETTER TO JULIETTE | M | 5 | Garry White | 79 |
| 40 | 528x420x83 | LIBRAN (IRE) | G | 8 | Chris Waller | – |
| 41 | 6321×99574 | MASTER ZEPHYR (GB) | G | 7 | Darren Weir | – |
| 42 | 36164x0x02 | MIDTERM (GB) | G | 6 | Liam Howley | – |
| 43 | 2741x780x0 | MIGHTY BOSS | H | 4 | Mick Price | – |
| 44 | 1224×64317 | MIRIMAR (IRE) | G | 5 | Michael Moroney | – |
| 45 | x419337x35 | MISS ADMIRATION | M | 4 | Mick Price | – |
| 46 | 4x57x15x82 | MR GARCIA (GB) | G | 6 | Darren Weir | – |
| 47 | 63x27314x0 | MR MOONLIGHT MAGIC (GB) | H | 6 | James Cummings | – |
| 48 | x8914228x6 | NAVAL WARFARE (IRE) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 89 |
| 49 | 7433923×39 | NETTOYER | M | 5 | Wendy Roche | – |
| 50 | 5525x546x5 | NEW TIPPERARY | G | 6 | Joseph Pride | 93 |
| 51 | 1131119×4 | NORTHWEST PASSAGE | G | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 98 |
| 52 | 2x203x60x8 | ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN (IRE) | R | 7 | Chris Waller | – |
| 53 | 17424x02x6 | OPPOSITION (GB) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 74 |
| 54 | x222415x55 | OREGON’S DAY | M | 5 | Mick Price | – |
| 55 | x3110328x2 | OUR VENICE BEACH (IRE) | H | 5 | Liam Howley | – |
| 56 | 14×0075673 | OUTRAGED | G | 7 | Kelly Schweida | – |
| 57 | 13114656×6 | PATRICK ERIN (NZ) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 97 |
| 58 | 0151330×00 | PERIBSEN (IRE) | H | 6 | John O’Shea | 90 |
| 59 | x93x5880x0 | PILOTE D’ESSAI (GB) | G | 7 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 60 | 511×824116 | PIONEERTOWN (IRE) | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 61 | 13173x5x60 | POETIC DREAM (IRE) | H | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 62 | 9063431×00 | PRINCE CHERI (FR) | H | 10 | John O’Shea | 96 |
| 63 | 514×521485 | RAQEEQ (GB) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 77 |
| 64 | 2x11x5x0x0 | RED CARDINAL (IRE) | G | 7 | Darren Weir | – |
| 65 | 4332230×02 | ROMANESQUE (IRE) | H | 6 | Jarrod McLean | – |
| 66 | 1x0658x077 | SALSONIC | G | 5 | Jason Coyle | 88 |
| 67 | 2x38x947x0 | SATONO RASEN (JPN) | H | 7 | Chris Waller | – |
| 68 | 122x9131x4 | SEDANZER | M | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | – |
| 69 | 93x7x52113 | SIKANDARABAD (IRE) | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 70 | x43462L1x3 | SIN TO WIN (NZ) | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 71 | 20x22525x0 | SINGLE GAZE | M | 6 | Chris Waller | – |
| 72 | 3314513×01 | SIR CHARLES ROAD | G | 5 | Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott | – |
| 73 | 0000×00763 | TALL SHIP (IRE) | G | 8 | Darren Weir | – |
| 74 | 1416400×01 | THE LORD MAYOR (NZ) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 85 |
| 75 | 11116×6321 | TRAP FOR FOOLS | G | 5 | Jarrod McLean | – |
| 76 | 11x0121x61 | UNFORGOTTEN | M | 4 | Chris Waller | – |
| 77 | 8x3203860x | US ARMY RANGER (IRE) | G | 6 | Liam Howley | – |
| 78 | x110x81112 | VALAC (IRE) | G | 7 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 79 | 98121x05x4 | VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) | G | 7 | Michael Moroney | – |
| 80 | 0x437829x7 | VENTURA STORM (IRE) | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 81 | x6248x220x | WALL OF FIRE (IRE) | H | 6 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | – |
