Surround Stakes Tips & Preview 2023
Canterbury Stakes Tips & Preview 2023
Looking for Canterbury Stakes tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2023 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick.
CANTERBURY STAKES BETTING SNAPSHOT
It is the New Zealand mare, Imperatriz, that heads the market with Palmerbet at the $1.90 quote, while the Godolphin three-year-old, Golden Mile, is at $6.50. Artorius resumes after a winter campaign that saw him place twice in the UK and is at $7, while Electric Girl is the other runner under double figures at $9.50.
Lombardo is one of six of the 11 runners in the field that is first up and is at the $13 quote, while the eight-year-old, Cascadian, is at $14. Converge heads the rest at the $34.
CANTERBURY STAKES FORM ANALYSIS
Imperatriz has won 12 of 17 and is unbeaten in three runs this preparation. Air her most recent start she trounced the likes of Babylon Berlin and Levante by more than four lengths to take out the Group 1 Bcd Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa. Levante has since come out and claimed the Group 1 WFA Classic (1600m) at Otaki.
Imperatriz has firmed slightly in the early betting and ran 1:20.70 over the seven furlongs at her most recent start, which compares well to what the local gallopers have produced on Good decks in recent times.
Formlines are many and varied in this race with no runners coming out of the same race at their last start. Golden Mile was solid in the Expressway Stakes (1200m) behind the race-fit Mariamia and just lacked the dash late in the piece. He was a second up winner in the spring before running 4th behind Jacqiunot in the Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill.
Electric Girl is another that comes in with a run under her belt and was impressive in taking out the Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) on February 18 at Rosehill. She was strong late in the piece to go 1:15.19 and has been an improver when second up in the past.
Argentia and Quantico are the others that have raced this year. Argentia was solid when 5th at Sandown at her most recent start behind Lofty Strike. Uncommon James was the runner-up that day and has since claimed the Oakleigh Plate (1100m).
Quantico was a first up winner at Randwick and might not have been suited by the slow early tempo when only managing 6th last week in the Liverpool City Cup (1300m). The John O’Shea-trained galloper is on the one week back up and comes into it with a solid tempo up front.
Artorius is another that likes to get back and has some world class form but always seems to be running on. A few of these like to go forward and we can expect the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained galloper to have one last crack at them. Zac Purton comes down from Hong Kong to take the ride.
Lombardo and Cascadian are others in the market. Not quite convinced about Lombardo, who needs to rediscover the form we saw in 2021. Cascadian is capable of producing something fresh and was solid enough when first up in the spring with a 3rd behind Snapdancer and I’m Thunderstruck in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
CANTERBURY STAKES TIPS AND BEST BETS
Hard to match up some of the form here but Imperatriz does look world class and I am willing the take the odds-on. She toyed with her rivals last time and the 1200m-1400m distance range seems to be when she produces her best. The daughter of I Am Invincible is likely to settle just behind the leaders with James McDonald on board and I don’t think that they will go hard enough to bring the likes of Artorius and Quantico into the race. She looks to be a solid bet.
