The 2016 Christmas Cup field and betting odds for the staying showdown at Randwick Racecourse on Saturday is now out with a dozen gallopers engaged to face off in the Villiers Stakes Day support act.
Chris Waller’s lightweight Soviet Courage is favourite to take out Saturday’s 2016 Christmas Cup at Royal Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart.
Due to run as Royal Randwick Race 5 at 3:05pm (AEDT), this season’s $125,000 Listed Fugen Christmas Cup (2400m) is one of three black-type summer races on the card.
Heading the Christmas Cup field and weights with 59kg is the Chris Waller-trained Index Linked jumping from the inside alley.
Hugh Bowman rides the veteran Dansili nine-year-old who is out to improve on his seventh to Malice at Rosehill a fortnight back in the Listed ATC Cup (2000m).
Index Linked should enjoy the extra metres on Saturday with winning form over the mile and a half, but gives the weight away to his rivals.
The import hasn’t won a race since Brisbane’s Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2200m) back in June and as such is listed at $11 in the current Christmas Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Sydney’s top trainer Waller has a total of three runners in the line-up also accepting for Beyond Thankful (57.5kg) and Soviet Courage (54kg) drawn in barriers 12 and six respectively.
Blake Shinn retains the ride on Whipper seven-year-old Beyond Thankful after guiding the gelding to a close second in the ATC Cup on December 3.
The horse has two wins from eight starts at the Randwick track and occupies the third line of Christmas Cup betting at $5.50 with plenty of time to overcome the outside alley.
Stablemate Soviet Courage on the light weight in the better gate meanwhile tops the Christmas Cup odds as the $4.20 favourite.
Glyn Schofield is booked to ride the Dutch Art six-year-old again after the pair combined at Rosehill on November 26 for a tidy two length win over the 2400m in a Benchmark 84 under 58.5kg.
Soviet Courage is sure to relish the notable drop in kilos this weekend and is a genuine stayer boasting three wins and three thirds from his eight runs over the distance to date.
Second favourite in the current markets at $5 is Iggi Pop who has finished top three in all but one of his four runs this preparation.
Drawn in gate three with Tim Clark riding on 54kg, the Peter Robl-trained Savabeel eight-year-old was last seen running third in the ATC Cup on the back of a November Topaz (1900m) third at Rosehill.
He has winning form up to two miles so should eat up the extra metres in the Christmas Cup chasing his maiden win since the Listed Queensland Cup (3200m) way back in July of 2014.
Rounding out the single-figure fancies at $9.50 each are the local John Thompson-trained stayer Danjeu and Joe Pride’s Rosehill winner last weekend over 2000m My Psychiatrist.
See below for the official Christmas Cup 2016 field, barrier draw, weights, jockeys and current odds – Fixed Win betting now open at our No. 1 recommended bookie Ladbrokes.com.au.
