A bumper day of racing is planned for Randwick this Saturday on George Main Stakes Day including the $125,000 Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m).
The 2010 Bill Ritchie Handicap has drawn an impressive field of 11 runners with Drumbeats installed as the odds-on favourite in the betting now open at Sportsbet.
Drawn well in barrier four, Peter Snowden’s Redoute’s Choice five-year-old is currently paying $4.20 to win the Bill Ritchie.
Drumbeats is the Bill Ritchie favourite but there are lots of runners including Kenny’s World & Girl Hussler that can win at good odds through SportsBet
Drumbeats is sure to improve on Saturday after their gallant first-up fourth to More Joyous in the Theo Marks Stakes a fortnight ago.
In a fairly open betting market three other horses are at single figure odds with Pureness and Girl Hussler paying $6, and Captain Sonador trailing closely at $6.50.
Unbeaten four-year-old Pureness has won all four of its race starts to date and is stepping up to a Stakes company for the first time.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained gelding has drawn wide with the outside barrier 11 however, and with only 1400m to get to the front, must be ridden hard by jockey Craig Williams.
Girl Hussler, on the other hand, has the ideal barrier one draw giving the consistent David Payne-trained mare every chance to enjoy her first spring win.
The four-year-old daughter of Hussonet has finished second in both her season starts when beaten by More Joyous in the Sheraco Stakes and Trim in the Research Stakes.
Captain Sonador also has claims coming off a win over 1200m at Eagle Farm and drawn mid-field in barrier six.
Other Bill Ritchie Handicap starters looking to cause an upset include in-form six-year-old Kenny’s World, Gai Waterhouse’s imported galloper Cannonball and Cameron Handicap runner-up Prince Braeman.
Kenny’s World in barrier eight is already coming off two upset wins after taking out the Show County Quality Handicap at a $41 starting price and then claiming victory in the Cameron Handicap in Newcastle last week as an $18 chance.
The 2010 Bill Ritchie Handicap is scheduled as Race 7 at Randwick on Saturday and is due to jump at 4:45pm.
Take a few minutes now to sign up with SportsBet and then get in on the great early markets for all the weekend’s racing to win big!
2010 Bill Ritchie Field, Barriers & Betting Odds
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Rider | Br. | Weight | Odds* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JOKU | Gai Waterhouse | Nash Rawiller | 5 | 57.5 | 13.00 |
| 2 | MCCLINTOCK | Mark de Montfort | Glyn Schofield | 9 | 57 | 12.00 |
| 3 | BRILLIANT LIGHT | Kerry Parker | Jay Ford | 7 | 56.5 | 11.00 |
| 4 | KENNY’S WORLD | Graeme Murray | Tim Clark | 8 | 56 | 12.00 |
| 5 | CANNONBALL (USA) | Gai Waterhouse | Blake Spriggs | 3 | 55.5 | 17.00 |
| 6 | DRUMBEATS | Peter Snowden | Corey Brown | 4 | 55 | 4.20 |
| 7 | PRINCE BRAEMAN | Paul Perry | Christian Reith | 2 | 53.5 | 15.00 |
| 8 | CAPTAIN SONADOR | Roger Milne | Stathi Katsidis | 6 | 53 | 6.50 |
| 9 | FIST OF FURY | John O’Shea | Jim Cassidy | 10 | 53 | 17.00 |
| 10 | GIRL HUSSLER | David Payne | Weichong Marwing | 1 | 53 | 6.00 |
| 11 | PURENESS | Gai Waterhouse | Craig Williams | 11 | 53 | 6.00 |
*Odds correct at time of publication – check Sportsbet for updates
