Kingsford Smith Cup Tips & Preview 2023

Looking for Kingsford Smith Cup tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2023 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm.

KINGSFORD SMITH CUP BETTING SNAPSHOT

A field of 16 plus three emergencies have accepted for the Kingsford Smith Cup and it is Think About It that heads the market with NEDS after the barrier draw at the $4.60 quote, just ahead of Rothfire at $6. A Case Of You, Converge and King Of Sparta are others in single figures and are at the $9 quote. 

Vilana is one of two Godolphin contenders and is at $13, while his stablemate, Paulele, is at $17. Eduardo splits that pair at $13. Chaillot is one of the emergencies and is at $21 alongside Gentleman Roy, while Antino, Emerald Kingdom and Palaisapan head the rest at $26. 

KINGSFORD SMITH CUP FORM ANALYSIS

Formlines are many and varied here. Think About It is race favourite and comes in with the picket fence formline having won his past five. He is seven from eight career starts and resumed off a 10-week break with a win in the Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Gosford ahead of Bacchanalia. 

The Jo Pride-trained galloper settled midfield and overcame a very slow early tempo to score that day, going just 4.3 lengths slower than standard. He can improve off that and will need to get somewhere near his personal best of 7.9 lengths faster than standard. 

Rothfire is one of three runners that come out of the Victory Stakes (1200m), taking out the Group 2 ahead of King Of Sparta, while Paulele was 4th. The winner stuck to the task and went 7.5 lengths faster than standard. King Of Sparta produced the fastest last 400m and 200m, while Paulele might have improvement to come at his second run off an eight-week break. 

A Case Of You and Vilana were in action in the Doomben 10000 (1200m) at their most recent starts. A Case Of You was 6th in the Victory Stakes behind Rothfire before running 5th to Giga Kick. He has had just three runs since coming to Australia and has some merit on his Doomben 10000 run and out to the 1300m. Vilana was never really a threat and might need a Soft to Heavy track to produce his best. But he might not get that with sunny conditions forecast in the lead in and on race day. 

Gentleman Roy and Converge both drop in distance after finishing well back on the Heavy 9 going in the Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick back on April 1. Both are a chance down in distance. 

Eduardo is another that had his most recent start at the Sydney carnival when 11th in the Galaxy (1100m), beaten under four lengths. He is better suited under the weight-for-age conditions of this race and landed in front of Giga Kick when fresh at his run before the Galaxy when runner-up behind Passive Aggressive in the Challenge Stakes (1000m). 

Is there a diamond in the rough? Not sure if Chaillot and Antino can feature even if they do sneak into the field. Both are last start winners but will need to produce a personal best to take this out. Kirwan’s Lane comes out of some excellent races and is three from seven at this stage in previous preparations but will need a bit of luck from the gate. Hard to make a case for some of the others.

KINGSFORD SMITH CUP TIPS AND BEST BETS

This is wide-open and it might be worth exploring something around the each-way quote. Eduardo is a sneaky contender and comes in fresh. He just needs to produce over the 1300m and is capable of doing that. Paulele can be an improver out of the Victory Stakes and will appreciate what looks to be a solid tempo. He can be saved for one last crack at them and is another at the each-way quote that I am keen on.