As Sydney’s Autumn Carnival fast approaches, some of Australia’s best will launch into 2024 as they resume in Saturday’s $300,000 Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
A field of nine has been declared for the weight-for-age feature. Six of the acceptors for the Apollo Stakes are Group 1 winners – THINK IT OVER, CASCADIAN, ARAPAHO, LINDERMANN, FANGIRL, and MILITARIZE. FANGIRL, trained by Chris Waller and ridden by jockey James McDonald, heads the betting at $2.3.
Evergreen galloper THINK IT OVER stands as a strong chance first-up, with a record that shows four wins from nine when produced fresh. He won this race two years ago first-up, defeating the likes of Colette, Verry Elleegant, and Kolding by close to three lengths.
Glamour girl poised to shine
The $300,000 Group 2 Light Finger Stakes (1200m) at Randwick, Australia, on Saturday will witness a gathering of star fillies returning to action.
ARCTIC GLAMOUR, a two-time winner out of six starts, is sparking significant interest, especially given her advantageous draw and return to a shorter trip for her first race back. Despite securing victories in her first two starts during the spring, the daughter of Frosted didn’t seem to handle when stretched out to the mile in two subsequent runs.
LEARNING TO FLY, trained by Annabel Neasham, is set for her highly anticipated return following an incident in last year’s Group 1 Golden Slipper where she was poleaxed, resulting in the loss of her rider. She had previously showcased plenty of potential with an impressive hat-trick of wins.
