Here we have some of the many specials we will be running over the next week, you wont find most of these markets at other bookies so keep your eyes peeled! We update this list a few times each day once the markets are released, you can go straight to them by clicking the “Bet now!” button.
06/03 GOLF Colossal Selects – Arnold Palmer Invitational – Bet now!
06/03 TEST Colossal Selects – IND v ENG – Bet now!
06/03 NRL Colossal Selects – Knights v Raiders – Bet now!
06/03 AFL Colossal Selects – Swans v Demons – Bet now!
07/03 NBA Colossal Selects – GSW v Bucks – Bet now!
07/03 NRL Colossal Selects – Warriors v Sharks – Bet now!
08/03 AFL Colossal Selects – Blues v Lions – Bet now!
08/03 NBA Colossal Selects – Nuggets v Celtics – Bet now!
08/03 NBA Colossal Selects – Mavericks v Heat – Bet now!
Newmarket weights to determine whether Espiona’s next assignment.
Chris Wallerwill study the weights for this Saturday’s Newmarket Handicap before deciding whether Espionaruns in the $1.5 million event at Flemington or returns to Sydney.
The daughter of Extreme Choice caught the eye late when steaming home into third placing in the 1000-metre Black Caviar Lightning, won by Imperatriz.
The star Kiwi mare was late last week confirmed as a Newmarket starter, where she is expected to be 58kg topweight, and Waller said how Espiona measures up against her and some of the other better-performed nominations will determine whether she takes her place in the 1200m race.
“I just want to see not what weight she gets, but how she fares in the weights against the other horses,” Waller said.
If Waller opts against running in the Newmarket, she will most likely appear in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick.
The five-year-old was one of 13 nominations for that $750,000 event, which will herald the return of The Everest winner Think About It, and Waller would not have too much issue seeing her jump from the 1000m of the Lightning to 1300m second-up.
“I don’t see 1300 metres being much of a problem, I think it is a good distance for her,” he said.
“Her first-up run was terrific. She is effective now both ways as well as up the straight.”
Espiona is one of two Canterbury Stakes nominations for Waller, who also has Golden Slipper winner Shinzoentered.
The valuable son of Snitzel has not started since his third placing in the Coolmore Stud Stakes third placing and Waller tossing up whether he is ready for the 1300m first-up.
“I’ve still got to make a decision if Shinzo is quite ready for it,” he said.
Shinzo had had two trials this preparation, a third over 900m at Randwick on February 8 before a sixth placing in an 850m trial at Randwick a fortnight later.
James McDonald has bestowed high praise on unbeaten colt Storm Boy saying, “he’s as good as you get”.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrain Bottdon’t just have their sights set on the Golden Slipper with Storm Boy, they are also eyeing off a clean sweep of the juvenile triple crown.
As the raging Slipper favourite made light work of his Skyline Stakes (1200m) rivals at Randwick on Saturday, Bott was already thinking of the bigger autumn picture and the heights the $60 million colt might reach.
He revealed that he and Waterhouse were keen to target the youngster, not just at the Golden Slipper (1200m), but at the ATC Sires’ Produce (1400m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m) as well.
“We’ve had to prepare for the Golden Slipper, but we’ve got big targets for the triple crown as well,” Bott said.
“I’d like to think he is only going to be better suited getting over the 1400, 1600 metres in time.
“It’s very exciting for everyone involved.”
Having his first start since demolishing his Magic Millions rivals, Storm Boy wasn’t the best to begin but quickly mustered speed to take up the running under new jockey James Mcdonald.
As the pressure came on at the top of the straight, the $1.18 favourite found another gear, extending his advantage and cruising to the line 1-1/2 lengths clear of stablemate Prost($12) with Duvana($18) another 1-1/4 lengths away third.
Bott said it was a relief to see Storm Boy return so well from his Magic Millions foray and tick the final box in what will be his last start before the Golden Slipper in three weeks.
“It’s always a little bit nerve wracking seeing these profile horses come back off that turnaround,” Bott said.
“He’s a lovely style of horse, he’s got plenty of gears.
“It’s his first run (back) and at 1200 metres off a while between races and a freshen up – he’s only had the one trial and he’s a lovely, big colt – so I think condition-wise, that will tighten him up nicely.”
McDonald was having his first race day feel of Storm Boy and came away brimming with praise for the Coolmore colt.
He believes there is still more under the bonnet and expects the youngster to thrive in a high-pressure race like the Slipper.
“He’s as good as you get,” McDonald said.
“He’s strong, he knows he’s really good and the more you ask him the more he keeps giving.
“Until he gets into a high-pressure race, I think that is when you’ll see a fair dinkum horse.”
Connections are yet to decide if McDonald will keep the Slipper ride, or if it will go to English jockey Ryan Moore, who jetted in to claim last year’s two-year-old centrepiece for Coolmore on Shinzo.
However, McDonald made it clear he is keen to stick with the Skyline Stakes winner.
“Ryan (Moore) is obviously their number one and we’ll see what happens, but if I get the opportunity, I’d love to ride him,” McDonald said.
The Michael Freedman-trained Manaaltook out the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) for the fillies to remain the only non-Tulloch Lodge two-year-old to claim a black-type race in Sydney this season.
Manaal also denied Waterhouse and Bott when capturing the Gimcrack Stakes in September and while Freedman said she would most likely press on to the Slipper, he admitted the males looked hard to beat this year.
“She is one of the better fillies around, whether they can stack up against the colts remains to be seen,” Freedman said.
“We thought we could come here and get the job done, we’ll have a think about the Slipper.”
The Golden Slipper picture took further shape last week when Storm Boy had his first start since the Magic Millions carnival and while he did not elevate his peak rating, he tightened his grip on Slipper favouritism.
While he will still be favourite after Saturday night, the Slipper market is set to be reshaped and a main danger defined this weekend with the Todman Stakes and Reisling Stakes to be run at Randwick.
