Hope In Your Heart is current favourite to take out Saturday’s Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) after the shock withdrawal of the original top elect Pericles from the mile classic on Tuesday.

Hope In Your Heart is one of the best in Epsom Handicap 2023 betting for the Sydney mile showdown this Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.

The James Cummings-trained Pericles was withdrawn from the official Epsom Handicap field just hours after final acceptances were taken after he was found to have blood in his nostrils following a piece of trackwork on Tuesday morning.

The following stewards’ report stated that “a subsequent endoscopic examination of the horse detected blood in its trachea”.

The event came as a major blow to the Godolphin stable after Pericles had been saved especially for the Epsom and earlier scratched from the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) back on September 16.

Updated Epsom Handicap betting markets at Ladbrokes have the Kerry Parker-trained mare Hope In Your Heart as the $7 favourite in barrier 10 with Craig Williams in the saddle.

The five-year-old daughter of Dundeel has a decent mile record (5:1-3-0) and was also fourth behind Mr Brightside in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at the track and trip as a 30/1 outsider back in April.

Mr Brightside has firmly franked that form winning all three of his starts this prep including defeating Alligator Blood, who went on to successfully defend his Underwood Stakes title last weekend, by 1.5 lengths in Flemington’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) a fortnight back.

Hope In Your Heart meanwhile ran second after the Doncaster in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) here on the quick back-up.

She resumed on September 2 when 1.6 lengths third to Pericles in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) and looks a genuine chance to salute at elite level on the weekend.

The next best two in betting both hail from the Chris Waller stable with the master trainer chasing his fifth Epsom Handicap victory since 2011.

Waller plays a very strong hand again in 2023 with eight final acceptors for the Epsom seven of which are assured of a run plus the second emergency Political Debate.

The best of the Waller contingent in the Epsom markets are the winter’s Group 1 Queensland Derby winner Kovalica ($9) and the in-form Rediener ($10) drawn in barriers seven and two respectively.

Last weekend Brazilian hoop Joao Moreira answered an S.O.S. call from Waller and travelled down under to partner Militarize to a thrilling late victory in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes.

The ‘Magic Man’ will be after more Group 1 glory on the Aussie turf booked to ride Ocean Park four-year-old Kovalica in the Epsom.

The horse was good in Queensland last prep wining the Queensland Guineas and Derby with a third to Huetor in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) in between.

Fresh he ran ninth with 58kg behind Golden Mile in Rosehill’s Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) with improvement to come second-up on Saturday over the extra distance and back to 54kg.

Rediener meanwhile gets in on the Epsom Handicap minimum carrying 50kg with Kathy O’Hara to ride the four-year-old son of Redoute’s Choice.

The progressive staying type chases his fourth consecutive win having enjoyed back-to-back winter wins including in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic at Eagle Farm over the mile before taking out the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) here a fortnight back with O’Hara aboard.

Another last-start Group 3 winner for Waller in the mix at $13 is Flying Artie five-year-old Democracy Manifest with the Randwick specialist (7:3-0-1) coming off a Group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) victory by 2.46 lengths at Newcastle two weeks ago.

Evergreen eight-year-old The Inevitable is also being kept safe at current Epsom Handicap odds of $10.

The John Keys-trained Tasmanian raider, formerly with Scott Brunton, was huge here in the autumn when under a length back third to Mr Brightside in the $5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at a big price at The Valley.

He was runner-up only a quarter-length off the winner in the Theo Marks earlier this prep and presents as a danger with a strong second-up record (7:4-1-0), previous winning form at the track, and a nice strike-rate at a mile (6:3-1-1).

Cummings may have lost Pericles but he is still represented in the Epsom line-up on the weekend with Theo Marks winner Golden Mile ($15) donning the Royal Blue silks with Blake Shinn riding the Astern four-year-old from the second outside alley.

The Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) is the another elite level feature on Epsom Handicap Day in Sydney with markets for the Caulfield Cup lead-up led by the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Just Fine, along with the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) for the fillies.

2023 Epsom Handicap Field & Barriers

Table Credit: Racing Australia.