Best Bets For Golden Eagle at Randwick

The Golden Eagle at Randwick is one of the premier events on the racing calendar in spring. The $10 million contest is the second richest race in Sydney, and with such lucrative prize money, it often attracts the best four-year-olds in the sport.

Here is a look at the best bets for the Golden Eagle and some of the supporting races on the card at Randwick.

BEST BET: AUTUMN GLOW

Race 8 (Golden Eagle)

Autumn Glow puts her unbeaten record on the line in this year’s Golden Eagle at Randwick. She was one of eight runners nominated for the race by Chris Waller, but the trainer has opted to keep just two of them in the field, with Lord Penman joining his stablemate.

Waller’s star filly picked up her third success at this course when she won the Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m) on her latest outing. It was another impressive performance from the daughter of The Autumn Sun.

Previous winners of the Golden Eagle have fared well over 1600 metres, so Autumn Glow has the perfect profile for this race. She has had a nice prep, with a trial appearance at Randwick on October 20.

Autumn Glow’s chances in the second-richest race in Sydney have been boosted by the jockey booking of James McDonald. He is opting to ride in this race over a trip to Flemington for the Victoria Derby. That looks set to be a smart move from the Champion Jockey as he can steer this talented filly to the biggest prize of her career so far.

SECOND BEST BET: WOOTEN VERNI

Race 9 (Rosehill Gold Cup)

On just his second start since moving to Chris Waller’s stable from France, Wooten Verni got off the mark in Australia with victory in the Group Three Coongy Cup at Caulfield (2000m). It was an excellent performance from the son of Wootton Basset, who took a big step from his debut run.

Before moving to Australia, Wooten Verni had some solid form in Europe. He was a winner of a Group Three contest over 2100 metres at Saint-Cloud, while he also prevailed three times as a two-year-old.

With stamina set to be key in the closing stages of the Rosehill Gold Cup, Wooten Verni can outstay his rivals to score in this Group Three contest, with Maison Louis likely to be not too far behind in one of the minor placings.

BEST VALUE: RUBI’S SERVE

Race 3 (Precise Air)

Lightly raced filly Transcend tops the betting for the Precise Air, however, this will be Michael Freedman’s toughest test yet. She will be taking on some in-form mares here, including Jellicious and Rubi’s Serve. The latter was a winner at Kensington on her latest outing and has looked in good form in the early stages of the season.

With much more experience on her side, Rubi’s Service represents better value than Transcend in this fillies and mare race. She has been underestimated by the odds compilers as she bids for a fourth career triumph.