Robert Sangster Stakes Tips & Preview 2023

Looking for Robert Sangster Stakes tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2023 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville.

ROBERT SANGSTER STAKES BETTING SNAPSHOT

It is Passive Aggressive that heads the betting markets with ladbrokes after the barrier draw at the $4 quote, ahead of the Group 1 winner, Bella Nipotina, at $4.50. Godolphin have a crack at this race with Zapateo after her two recent wins and she is a $7.50 chance, while Espiona ($8.50) and Marabi ($9) are others under double figures. 

There are 14 horses in contention in the fillies and mares Group 1. Ruthless Dame and September Run are both at $13, while Literary Magnate and Roch ’N’ Horse are $17. Seradess heads the rest at the $26. 

ROBERT SANGSTER STAKES FORM ANALYSIS

Five runners had their last start in Sydney but only two of those come out of the same race. Passive Aggressive has won five of her seven starts and comes off a last start failure in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m). The Grahame Begg-trained galloper did not seem to handle the Heavy 9 track that day and was a winner at Randwick prior to that over the 1000m She is two from four at the distance. 

Zapateo is in career best form and her past two wins have come at Group level. She cleared out to win by more than two lengths in the Sapphire Stakes (1200m) on April 8, running 1:11.28 on a Soft 7. The daughter of Brazen Beau produced the fastest last 600m and overcame a wide run in transit. 

Espiona is another with two recent wins and seems to be back to her best. The Chris Waller mare had the rails run when claiming the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) on March 11, defeating Pride Of Jenni. Ruthless Dame was 10th in the same race, beaten four lengths. She might bet better over the shorter trip. Both of those runners have had nearly two months in between runs. 

Roch ’N’ Horse is the other to come down from Sydney and was 9th in the All Aged Stakes (1400m) at her most recent start. The Mike Moroney-trained mare is a two-time Group 1 winner over the 1200m. Both of those wins were at Flemington. 

Bella Nipotina is always competitive at this level and is right in it after a 3rd placing in the inaugural The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot on April 15. She settled back and was briefly held up before working home well with the winner going 1:09.53. 

Marabi has had a bit of a stop start career and has had just one run this year for an 8th in the Lightning Stakes (1000m). She never really relaxed on the straight track that day but still ran a good time. The daughter of I Am Invincible just needs to relax a bit better and is four from five over the 1200m. 

She claimed the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) in sizzling time before running 5th behind September Run in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) just over a year ago. That was the last win for September Run, who did have excuses when 4th in the William Reid this year. Chain Of Lightning was 9th in the William Reid Stakes and does not seem to be going as well as last year. 

ROBERT SANGSTER STAKES TIPS AND BEST BETS

Monitor betting moves for Marabi, who is capable but is the a question mark with only one run in the last year. The two I am most keen on are Bella Nipotina and Zapateo. Hard to split this pair. Pace in the race should be reasonably genuine with Passive Aggressive and Marabi likely to bowl along and things should set up nicely for both horses. I wouldn’t mind seeing Bella Nipotina settle slightly closer than her last two starts and the Maher/Eustace five-year-old should be able to do that from barrier 5. I love what Zapateo has been producing in recent times and think that this race is well and truly within her grasp. We might get towards something in the Soft range with the forecast rain on Friday and that should suit both horses.