George Main Stakes Tips & Preview 2022
Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Tips & Preview 2022
Looking for Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2022 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield.
SIR RUPERT CLARKE STAKES BETTING SNAPSHOT
It is the second emergency, I Wish I Win, that heads markets with Unibet at the $3.20 quote, ahead of Ayrton at $5. Showmanship ($7), Tuvalu ($7) and the first emergency, Dragon Leap ($7.50) are vying for third favouritism.
Hilal is next in the market at $11 but will have to do it the hard way from barrier 20 (likely to be 16 after the removal of emergencies and scratchings), while Graceful Girl ($12), Chaillot ($13), I Am Superman ($14) and Sinawann ($16) head the rest of the 16 horse field and four emergencies.
SIR RUPERT CLARKE STAKES FORM ANALYSIS
Plenty of varied formlines here and I Wish I Win comes in with the second best last start benchmark figures of any runner, going 10.8 lengths faster than standard benchmark when winning by four lengths at Caulfield ahead of Gentleman Roy on August 28.
The former Kiwi does not rise in weight for that performance but meets the likes of Bankers Choice (7th) and Buffalo River (10th) on worse terms. But he had plenty on that duo and comes into this second up, while he looks to have improvement to come.
Best last start benchmark figures belong to Tuvalu, who went 11.5 lengths faster than standard when claiming the Winter Championship Final (1600m) at Flemington on July 2.
He comes into this with 11 weeks in between runs and has won his last two when fresh, producing some solid figures in the process.
Ayrton is another contender that is first up and was dominant in the Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield when resuming in the autumn, defeating Streets Of Avalon by more than a length.
The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper went 10 lengths faster than standard that day before heading to Queensland and missing out in the Hollindale Stakes (1800m) and Stradbroke Handicap (1400m). The five-year-old was a fresh winner at his previous preparation at Caulfield over the 1200m, going 8.6 lengths faster than standard benchmark.
Dragon Leap has some form that reads very well, having finished 4th behind Snapdancer in the Memsie Stakes (1400m). I’m Thunderstruck was runner-up that day and has since claimed a memorable Maybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. The Kiwi galloper went eight lengths faster than standard in the Memsie and comes into this third up. Callsign Mav also comes out of the Memsie Stakes and was 6th.
Others in the market are Hilal and Showmanship. Hilal led at a slow tempo in the Winx Stakes (1400m) on August 20 at Randwick before coming 4th and suspect his run looked better than what it might have been. He might need to produce a personal best to figure here.
Showmanship represents plenty of X-factor and is capable of producing some sizzling late sectionals. The former West Australian has won eight of 10 and was off the scene for nearly two years. His last start effort to score at Randwick over the 1200m was outstanding and the Danny O’Brien-trained galloper is right in this.
CAN A ROUGHIE PREVAIL IN THE SIR RUPERT CLARKE STAKES?
Sinawann is one that can improve on his first up run when 6th behind Uncommon James in the Regal Roller Stakes (1200m). He was a bit plain in the Memsie Stakes at his second run in the autumn but had excuses that day and improved nearly six lengths on benchmark figures when second up last year to claim the Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, going 12.7 lengths faster than standard.
Red Can Man is a $21 shot and produced double digit figures at this stage of his autumn preparation when claiming the Belmont Sprint (1400m) over in Perth. The Steven Wolfe-trained galloper is on the back up after finishing 4th behind Baller in the Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) last weekend at Flemington, beaten one length.
I Am Superman doesn’t mind the track and trip and narrowly went down behind Mr Brightside in the PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) on August 13. Buffalo River was 3rd in that race and is a possible leader here. The possibility of a wet track might benefit him.
SIR RUPERT CLARKE STAKES TIPS AND BEST BETS
You could make a case for a number of these, including a few that we haven’t mentioned. Pace looks solid with Callsign Mav, Tuvalu and Buffalo River among those that will push up from their barriers, while Ayrton and Aysar are among a number that like to settle handy. I suspect the likes of Showmanship, Sinawann, Graceful Girl and Bankers Choice should get their chance. Add the complexity in not knowing whether or not the likes of I Wish I Win and Dragon Leap will get a run up until maybe 8am on Saturday. Putting that to the side for now, I have settled on Showmanship. He should get the race run to suit and has produced some extraordinary performances throughout his career when running on. Step up to the 1400m looks to be in his favour and the seven-year-old is four from four at the trip, with one of those coming at Caulfield back in 2020 on a Soft deck. Damien Oliver rides and barrier 10 looks like it will suit.
