Coolmore Classic Tips & Preview 2023

Looking for Coolmore Classic tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2023 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill.

COOLMORE CLASSIC BETTING SNAPSHOT

It is tight at the top of the betting with Palmerbet in the Group 1 for the mares with five runners under the double figure odds and they are Annavisto at $5.50 ahead of Hope In Your Heart and Ruthless Dame (both $7.50), who just shade Hinged at $8.50. 

The last start Melbourne winner, Espiona, has also accepted for Flemington and is at $10, ahead of Sheeza Belter $12 and Yearning at $13. Toregene is another that has accepted for Flemington and is $17. She heads the rest of the 18 runners. 

COOLMORE CLASSIC FORM ANALYSIS

Annavisto comes up from Melbourne after blitzing her rivals in the Tressady Stakes (1400m) when resuming on February 18. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper led at a solid clip that day to go 11.5 lengths faster than standard. She draws wide and will have to work hard. Question mark is that she does drop her figure second up and was 4th in the Emancipation Stakes (1500m) after winning the Tressady last year. 

Hope In Your Heart is one of six runners that come out of the Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) and settled worse than midfield before producing the fastest last 200m to go 8.2 lengths faster than standard benchmark, prevailing ahead of Larkspur Run. 

Mustang Valley was 3rd and might have a bit of scope for improvement as she was held up before landing less than a length away. The Kiwi comes into this third up and was a big winner at this stage of her previous preparation before going down to La Crique at Group 1 level. She then came out and won a Group 1 by five lengths in NZ. Yearning never really saw daylight and was 5th, while Mirra Vision also had a couple of excuses and was 6th. 

Outside of Annavisto, another three runners were in action in Melbourne at their last start and they were Espiona (1st), Toregene (2nd) and Pride Of Jenni (4th) in the Mannerism Stakes (1400m). The first two past the post have also accepted for Flemington on Saturday. Espiona went 11.6 lengths faster than standard benchmark, her best ever figure and the best last start figure of any runner. She might be back in business. 

There are now just two fillies in the race with the scratching of Zougotcha. They are Ruthless Dame and Sheeza Belter, who were runner-up and 8th in the Surround Stakes (1400m). It remains to be seen if they can measure up to the mares and both will likely need to achieve a personal best. 

COOLMORE CLASSIC TIPS AND BEST BETS

There looks to be a stack of pace in this race with Annavisto to charge forward, while Pride Of Jenni, Mirra Vision, Expat and Toregene are other that like to be on the tempo. Hinged won’t be far away in the run. Backmarkers should get their chance. I wouldn’t mind seeing Hinged not engage in a speed duel and tuck in just behind them. She is the class runner for mine and at her third run last time, the Chris Waller-trained mare produced a peak figure when going 11.2 lengths faster than standard to place in the Epsom Mile (1600m). She carries more weight than she did that day but should find this easier back against her own sex after placing 6th to Anamoe in the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at her most recent start. Keen on one at a bit of a price and that horse is Excelida. The Victorian worked home well from a mile back behind Annavisto in the Tressady and will enjoy a genuine tempo. She should be charging home late with Brett Prebble in the saddle, while the Ben & JD Hayes stable have been on fire of late.