The punters only have eyes for one horse in the 2020 Sandown Guineas this Saturday with Lindsay Park’s Caulfield Guineas runner-up Aysar odds-on favourite to win the Group 2 at Ladbrokes Park Hillside.
Jockey Damian Lane rides the favourite Aysar in Saturday’s 2020 Sandown Guineas. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Zipping Classic Day is a key late-spring feature meet headlined by two Group 2 events including the $250,000 Ladbrokes Sandown Guineas (1600m) for the three-year-old milers.
This season’s Sandown Guineas field has drawn just nine runners with the hot favourite Aysar drawn the inside alley.
Jockey Damian Lane retains the ride on the Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes-trained Deep Field colt having ridden him to back-to-back seconds this campaign.
Two back Aysar was narrowly beaten by Ole Kirk in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) before finishing second best again on Derby Day at Flemington only a quarter-length off Crosshaven in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m).
He is a classy youngster who may not be 100% suited to the 1600m, but looks a strong chance to salute for the punters at the short price ($1.75 @ Ladbrokes.com.au) in this small field.
The danger occupying the second line of Sandown Guineas betting at $3.80 is Sweet Reply for Richard & Michael Freedman.
Jockey Damien Oliver has ridden three Sandown Guineas winners to victory in the past 20 years with Scenic Warrior (2000) and Moon Dragon (2001) for Lee Freedman, followed a few years later with Schilling (2007) for Mick Price.
He continues associations on Sweet Reply, a filly by the same sire as Aysar (Deep Field), having partnered her for a last start fourth in a 1400m Black-Type at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
Sweet Reply has finished out of the money just once in her seven career starts and is out to go back-to-back for the girls in the Sandown Guineas results following the success of Pretty Brazen (2019) last year.
This is a notable rise in grade, but she is on the up and only needs to run out the mile to be competitive.
The only other runner at single-figure Sandown Guineas odds is the Mark Kavanagh-trained Horrifying ($9.50) to be ridden by the in-form Jamie Kah from gate six.
Still a maiden after five career starts, nicely-bred Shocking colt Horrifying is another Carbine Club graduate having placed third at 50/1 last time out.
His sire won the 2009 Melbourne Cup so the breeding suggests he can stay, with Saturday his third start over a mile, so expecting improvement here at the end of a consistent campaign.
Outside of the favourite, there has also been a small move on the untapped Symon Wilde-trained All Too Hard gelding Allibor in betting with the youngster backed in from $12 to $10 to score the upset.
Click here for the latest Sandown Guineas 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 Sandown Guineas Field & Barriers
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31×1622 | AYSAR | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | Damian Lane | 1 | 57kg | 105 | |
| 2 | 0x6231 | CAPTAIN CANUCK | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | John Allen | 5 | 57kg | 61 | |
| 3 | 75×223 | HORRIFYING (NZ) | Mark Kavanagh | Jamie Kah | 6 | 57kg | 65 | |
| 4 | 224 | ALLIBOR |
Symon Wilde | Dean Yendall | 9 | 57kg | 61 | |
| 5 | 01 | FURIOSO (NZ) | Matt Cumani | Fred W Kersley | 2 | 57kg | 62 | |
| 6 | 8×84253 | RAPHAEL |
John McArdle | Jamie Mott | 4 | 57kg | 57 | |
| 7 | 6×150 | TALAMO (NZ) | Michael Hickmott | Craig Williams | 8 | 57kg | 60 | |
| 8 | 13×22224 | SWEET REPLY | Richard & Michael Freedman | Damien Oliver | 7 | 55kg | 65 | |
| 9 | 5×31 | VALANETTI | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Michael Dee | 3 | 55kg | 62 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
