The Epsom Handicap Race Day at Randwick today is one of the biggest Spring Carnival Race Days on the Australian Racing Calendar with three Group 1s to be decided.
Happy Clapper, above, is the faavourite for the Epsom Handicap at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Group 1 Epsom Handicap is run over the famous Randwick Mile and is run in conjunction with the Group 1 The Metropolitan over 2400m for the stayers and with the Group 1 Flight Stakes for the fillies.
Another dress rehearsal for the $10m The Everest will be run with Chautauqua, Fell Swoop and English being tested against each other in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes.
The middle distance gallopers will line up in the Group 2 Hill Stakes while Sydneysiders will see the new season two year olds step out for the first with the colts and geldings lining up in the Listed Breeders’ Plate while the fillies will compete in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes.
All day race results will be posted race by race on horseracing.com.au.
2017 Epsom Handicap Day Results
Race 1 (12:20pm) – Listed $150,000 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate (1000m)
The Chris Waller trained Performer took out the first two year old race of the new season, the Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate.
Performer, above, wins the Breeders’ Plate at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Performer ($5) was last to leave the barriers but winning jockey Hugh Bowman took up a midfield position and then waited until he Exceed And Excel colt balanced up in the straight and brought him with a late run to beat Bondi ($4.60) by three quarters of a length with Santos ($18) running on for third.
The James Cummings trained Hiemal was sent out as the $3.70 favourite and after running in a forward position faded in the straight to finish sixth.
- 1st – Performer
- 2nd – Bondi
- 3rd – Santos
Race 2 (12:55pm) – Listed $150,000 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m)
Hugh Bowman wrapped up the two year old double when he drove Satin Slipper to a narrow win in the in the Listed $150,000 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes.
Satin Slipper ($6.50) settled midfield for Bowman and once he had her balanced up in the straight, the filly really hit the line hard to score a narrow win on the $21 outsider Setsuna with Fiesta ($13) holding down third position.
The $4.60 favourite Witherspoon was caught wide throughout from the outside barrier and battled on in the straight to finish in eighth position.
- 1st – Satin Slipper
- 2nd – Setsuna
- 3rd – Fiesta
Race 3 (1:30pm) – Listed $125,000 Schweppes Dulcify Quality (1600m)
Jockey Michael Walker teamed up trainer James Cummings to win the Dulcify Quality on Ataraxia.
Ataraxia, above in royal blue colours, wins the Dulcify Quality at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Walker settled Ataraxia ($7.50) just behind the two leaders and the three year old sustained a solid run in the straight to hold off the fast finishing Dissolution ($6) with the well fancied Sambro ($4 favourite) battling on for third.
- 1st – Ataraxia
- 2nd – Dissolution
- 3rd – Sambro
Race 4 (2:05pm) – Group 2 $500,000 Ilive Appliances Hill Stakes (1800m)
Jockey Michael Walker wrapped up a race to race double with an all the way win on Classic Uniform in the Hill Stakes.
Walker slowed the pace in the middle sections which was enough to save some energy for Classic Uniform ($7.50) who was able to hold the strong challenge of the runner up Embley ($10).
Third place Mackintosh was sent out as the well supported $2.80 favourite but after over racing for Joao Moreira in the middle stages, found wanting in the straight and couldn’t peg back the leader.
- 1st – Classic Uniform
- 2nd – Embley
- 3rd – Mackintosh
Race 5 (2:40pm) – Group 1 $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m)
Jockey Glyn Schofield combined with the James Cummings trained Alizee to score a last to first win in the Flight Stakes.
Alizee, above, wins the Flight Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Alizee was sent out as the $2.90 favourite on the back of a win in the Group 2 $200,000 McGrath Estate Agents Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on September 16 and made the punters happy with an easy two and a quarter lengths win in the end.
The Bjorn Baker trained Champagne Cuddles ($3.80) was relegated to the runner’s up stall for the fourth week in a row while Cellargirl ($10) ran another honest race to fill third spot.
- 1st – Alizee
- 2nd – Champagne Cuddles
- 3rd – Cellargirl
Race 6 (3:20pm) – Group 2 $500,000 Santos Coffee Premiere Stakes (1200m)
The Ben Smith trained In Her Time put in claims for a slot in the $10m The Everest with a first up win in the Premiere Stakes.
Winning jockey Corey Brown settled In Her Time ($4.80) on the back of the leaders and once heads were turned for home, he let the mare open up and she was able to hold off the fast finishing English ($5.50) with Clearly Innocent ($8.50) doing his best work over the concluding stages to fill third spot.
Today’s $2.80 favourite and The Everest favourite Chautauqua was also winding up over the last 100m after settling in his usual spot at the tail of the field to finish sixth, two and three quarter lengths from the winner.
- 1st – In Her Time
- 2nd – English
- 3rd – Clearly Innocent
Race 7 (4:00pm) – Group 1 $1m Epsom Handicap (1600m)
A great confident ride by Blake Shinn saw the top weight Happy Clapper take out the 2017 Epsom Handicap.
Happy Clapper, above, wins the 2017 Epsom Handicap at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Shinn had the Pat Webster trained Happy Clapper ($2.40 favourite) in the firing line from the start and stalked the leaders Red Excitement and Saville Row to the home turn.
Shinn had Happy Clapper full of running in the straight and the seven year old was able to hold off the Chris Waller trained Tom Melbourne ($8) who found the runner’s up stall for the fourth time from his last four starts.
The Lindsay Park trained Snitzson ($26) ran on from back in the field to finish third.
- 1st – Happy Clapper
- 2nd – Tom Melbourne
- 3rd – Snitzson
Race 8 (4:45pm) – Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m)
European import Foundry was full of running when he won the The Metropolitan at Randwick.
Foundry, above, wins the 2017 The Metropolitan at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Lightweight jockey Michael Dee was rewarded with his first Group 1 win after producing a flawless ride to punch Foundry ($10) to a comfortable win over the Darren Weir trained Big Duke ($5) who tried hard in the straight.
Kiwi stayer Chocante ($21) raced on the pace behind the leader Broadside and battled on in the straight to hold down third spot.
- 1st – Foundry
- 2nd – Big Duke
- 3rd – Chocante
Race 9 (5:25pm) – $100,000 Snitzel Sprint (1200m)
Outsider Isorich upset the more fancied runners to score another gutsy win in the last race on Epsom Handicap Day, the Snitzel Sprint.
Irish jockey Lee Magorrian rode a confident race on Isorich ($21), stalking Tango Rain ($4.20 favourite) all the way resulting in a dog fight the length of the straight before holding off the fast finishing I Thought So ($4.80).
Tango Rain tried hard and never gave up to be in the photo and wound up in third spot.
- 1st – Isorich
- 2nd – I Thought So
- 3rd – Tango Rain
