The bookies are taking no chances with the reigning Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon who is out to return to top form as favourite in Tulloch Stakes 2017 betting in Sydney on Saturday.
Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon is current favourite to return to form in 2017 Tulloch Stakes betting this weekend in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
A gun field of three-year-old Australian Derby types face off in Rosehill Race 5 at 2:50pm (AEDT) on The BMW Day in the $200,000 Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m).
The Tulloch Stakes field is down to twelve colts and geldings after the early scratching of the highly-spruiked New Zealand Derby runner-up Rising Red (12).
Heading the updated Tulloch Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au at $3.40 and firming is the James Cummings-trained More Than Ready colt Prized Icon.
Last spring he took out the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in Melbourne and has had three starts since this campaign.
Two back he ran a nice second to Hey Doc in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 4, before his disappointing tenth when seventeen lengths beaten on a Heavy (10) track in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) last Saturday.
He returns to the same track and distance on the short seven day turnaround and likely to encounter another bottomless track making him a bit of a query as the favourite in Tulloch Stakes betting.
Hot on his heels as the $3.70 second favourite is the genuine early market mover Jon Snow.
Without Rising Red to represent the Kiwis and frank the Rosehill Guineas winning form of the NZ Derby champ Gingernuts, Jon Snow has been well supported.
Prepared across the Tasman by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, the Iffraaj colt comes off a third in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) from March 4.
He is down in distance for his Australian race debut and on a rain-affected track for dual Australian Derby winning trainer Baker is a major danger.
Occupying the third line of betting for this weekend’s ATC Derby lead-up at $7 is Acatour prepared by Peter & Paul Snowden.
The Sebring colt was last seen running eighth to Inference on a Heavy (10) Randwick course in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m).
The distance and track conditions expected for Saturday are both queries, but he is being kept safe in the markets.
Rounding out the single-figure Tulloch Stakes hopes at $9.50 each are the John O’Shea-trained Honeywine and Chris Waller-trained Wine Bush drawn in barriers two and four respectively.
Street Cry gelding Honeywine is back up in Group company for the first time since his close fifth to the filly Yankee Rose in last October’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
His latest run was a disappointing seventh of eight runners in a Benchmark 78 in mid-February, but he has since trialled well in the wet running second to First Seal in a March 7 hit-out.
He looks like he’ll run well on a mud track and the distance looks ideal.
Wine Bush, to be ridden by Damien Oliver, is a three-year-old son of High Chaparral who is also out of a non-black-type lead-up.
He ran fifth over 1900m at Rosehill a fortnight ago and is up in grade for the first time since his unbeaten run behind Prized Icon in the Victoria Derby.
Check out the full Tulloch Stakes 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and latest markets below – prices provided by Ladbrokes.com.au the home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).
