Randwick Preview & Best Bets – 24/08/2024

in Randwick 22 Aug 2024

It is Winx Stakes Day at Randwick this Saturday. The Group One contest is the feature race, but there is also a strong supporting card, including the Group Two Silver Shadow Stakes and Group Three Show Country Quality.

Here are our best bets from the card at Randwick on Winx Stakes Day.

BEST BET: FANGIRL

Race 8

Chris Waller’s mare Fangirl is a three-time Group One winner and has accumulated over $8 million in prize money. The six-year-old looks set to add to her tally in the Group One Winx Stakes, where she is the standout runner in the field.

The versatile mare won the 1,400m contest in 2023, scoring by a neck ahead of Princess Grace. Her record at this racecourse is excellent, as she has also prevailed in the King Charles III Stakes and Apollo Stakes at the Sydney-based venue over the last 12 months.

This will be the superstar mare’s first appearance since she finished as the runner-up in the Verry Elleegant Stakes back in March. Her record shows she runs well fresh, so expect her to be at her best in the feature race on Saturday.

SECOND BEST BET: MANAAL

Race 6

Manaal ended last season as one of the leading two-year-old fillies in Australia. She recorded major wins in the Sweet Embrace Stakes and Inglis Sires’, the latter coming at the highest level at Randwick.

Michael Freedman’s runner should have grown during the winter, so she should be stronger on her return to this 1,400m contest. There will be some major targets this season for the filly, so her connections will be hoping to see a big performance ahead of those races.

With a rating of 102, Manaal is the only runner in this field that is rated over 100. She sets the standard and she will be difficult to beat in the Silver Shadow Stakes.

Best Value: Encap

Race 7

Encap performed consistently well last season without getting a reward for his consistency. The best he could fare is a second-place finish in the Group Two Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill in February.

The four-year-old gelding is dropping down in distance to 1,200m and that may help him. He has shown he has the speed to compete in the sprint division. This race is likely to be run at a fast gallop, so Encap’s stamina could come into play in the final 400m.

Joliestar and Our Kobison both sit at the top end of the betting for this Group Three race, but Encap may have been underestimated by the bookmakers. He looks great value for each-way punters in the Show Country Quality.