Chris Waller’s Flight Stakes winning filly Funstar is odds-on to continue her trainers outstanding record in the 2020 Phar Lap Stakes when she takes on the boys second-up at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Group 2 $200,000 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) is one of the best support acts on the Coolmore Classic Day program in Sydney this weekend, the three-years-old feature attracting a final field of 10.
It is the fillies dominating Phar Lap Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au including an odds-on $1.95 price for Funstar drawn the outside barrier for jockey James McDonald.
The ultra-consistent daughter of Adelaide has enjoyed four wins and two seconds from six runs to date headlined by her Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) victory over the mile during the spring.
First-up last time in she was brave running a narrow second to the star Kiwi Probabeel in the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m).
Now she is tipped to improve with fitness and extra distance on her side in the rematch, McDonald likely to give the hot favourite an off-pace run before charging home late.
Waller has dominated the Phar Lap Stakes results over the past five years preparing all but one of the winners thanks to victories by: Winx (2015), Foxplay (2017), Unforgotten (2018) and Verry Ellegant (2019).
His latest two Phar Lap Stakes winners also went on to win the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) during ‘The Championships’, so the bookies are keeping his contender very safe in betting again this year.
The danger looking at the latest Phar Lap Stakes odds paying $2.60 to continue her winning streak is Jamie Richards’ flying Surround Stakes champion Probabeel.
The New Zealand-trained daughter of Savabeel boats a 50% winning strike rate over her 12-start career to date thanks to winning all three starts this prep.
She franked the form out of the Karaka Million back across the Tasman when saluting at Randwick in the Surround Stakes, turning the tables on Funstar who she finished second to in the Flight Stakes last season.
Probabeel was also second in the Tea Rose Stakes last year to Funstar and on Saturday she will be out to even up the head-to-head record between these two class fillies.
Representing potential value with an upset win in the Phar Lap this season is then the $12 third favourite, Spend, for Hawkes Racing.
A lightly-raced Snitzel colt, Spend has had four starts for two wins and a third following his lead-up victory in a three-years-old handicap over 1400m at Flemington last Saturday.
He is on the quick back-up and rising notable in grade off that, but if he improves and handles the extra weight he could be in the money with the fillies here.
Waller meanwhile also saddles-up two three other runners to take on the stable’s odds-on fancy in the Phar Lap Stakes field with Kubrick ($14), Subpoenaed ($13) and Nudge ($61) looking to fill a place.
Click here for the latest Phar Lap Stakes 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 Phar Lap Stakes Field
# | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 112x4501x8 | KUBRICK | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla | 4 | 56.5kg | 90 |
2 | 1×431 | SPEND | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Joshua Parr | 6 | 56.5kg | 78 |
3 | 21x1356x42 | QUICK THINKER | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Tim Clark | 1 | 56.5kg | 77 |
4 | 6211×3 | TRUST THE PROCESS | Bryce Heys | Michael Walker | 3 | 56.5kg | 61 |
5 | 65x422x111 | PROBABEEL (NZ) | Jamie Richards | Kerrin McEvoy | 5 | 54.5kg | 105 |
6 | 11x211x2 | FUNSTAR | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 10 | 54.5kg | 103 |
7 | 23x2111x77 | AKARI | Brad Widdup | TBA | 2 | 54.5kg | 81 |
8 | 1x2160x12 | SUBPOENAED (NZ) | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 8 | 54.5kg | 78 |
9 | 7x61231x5 | NUDGE | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 9 | 54.5kg | 76 |
10 | 76x22917x0 | ASPECT RATIO | John Sargent | Andrew Adkins | 7 | 54.5kg | 64 |