Australia: Bet Friday night card featuring 2 Group 1 races

The Everest winner, Think About It, returns to action in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick on Friday night U.S. time.

The program includes the Randwick Guineas (G1) for 3-year-olds and a loaded prep race to the world’s richest 2-year-old event, the Golden Slipper (G1). The first of Randwick’s 10 races is set for 8:30 p.m. EDT.

Fans’ enjoyment will be heightened by the launch of Sky Racing World’s new website. Watch the Randwick card on the live TV page while comparing live odds between North America pools and TAB fixed odds in Australia. SkyRacingWorld.com will also feature speed maps to better anticipate race shape as a complement to new and improved past performances.

Trainer Joe Pride dominated The Everest in October, finishing first and third in the world’s richest turf sprint with Think About It and Private Eye. With combined earnings of more than US$13.2 million, both horses will start favorites in their races Friday night while taking divergent paths this campaign.

Think About It resumes in race 7, the Canterbury, at 6 1/2 furlongs. Pride has thought about it and is keen to pursue longer assignments.

“The race I really want to win is the Doncaster Mile (April 5),” Pride said, “but he’s such a good horse, he’ll find a way to get it done.”

In between, Think About It, who currently boasts a 13: 11-0-2 career record, will contest the George Ryder Stakes (G1) on March 22.

“If he’s able to win those three races,” Pride said, “you’ll be flat out getting anyone to argue that he’s not the best horse in the nation.”

Private Eye will be kept to shorter races and heads the wagering for Friday’s sixth race, the Challenge Stakes (G2) at five furlongs. Pride has identified the T.J. Smith Stakes on April 5 as Private Eye’s chief target, because “I think that’s his best track and distance, the (six furlongs at) Randwick.”

If Fangirl and Think It Over, who have traded results in two recent races, are the dominant older horses at this early stage of the Sydney southern autumn carnival, the 3-year-old who split them three weeks ago thoroughly deserves favoritism for the Randwick Guineas, set as the eighth race. Despite facing some top-notch 3-year-olds, Militarize (8-5) will relish the return to his own age group and is already a Group 1 winner at the Randwick mile as a 2-year-old.

Celestial Legend (3-1) lacks seasoning but stamped himself a future star with a brilliant performance to win the Hobartville Stakes (G2) in his sixth start. His trainer, Hall of Famer Les Bridge, 85, won the Hobartville 40 years ago.

“From the first day I saw this colt, I have loved him,” Bridge said. “This is a really good horse, and in six months he’ll be three or four lengths better.”

Another win by Celestial Legend would return the smile to Bridge’s face, after his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs lost their season-opening National Rugby League game last weekend in Las Vegas. Bridge’s car has Rabbitohs license plates and seat covers, but he describes being a fan as “like getting a life sentence.”

Celestial Legend, who has the same owner as 2020 The Everest winner Classique Legend, will race beyond seven furlongs for the first time.

As impressive as Golden Slipper future-book favorite Storm Boy was in victory last weekend, there is abundant depth in this season’s 2-year-old ranks. Friday’s Todman Stakes (G2), carded as the fifth race, is a critical, high-quality prep for the world’s richest juvenile race on March 22.

Undefeated colts from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne converge in the Todman with wagering headed by Straight Charge (8-5) ahead of Espionage (3-1) and Switzerland (3-1). The eight horses with race experience are a collective 17: 12-3-1, and the field includes a pair of first-time starters.

Friday night is the second of seven straight weeks featuring Group 1 racing culminating in the championships at Randwick on April 5 and 12, when more than US$16.55 million in purse money will be up for grabs.

Apart from premium Sydney racing, the new live TV page at Sky Racing World offers a variety of international racing channels.

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV on Friday night, with first post at 8:30 p.m. EST.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael’s vast U.S. experience includes race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders’ Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway. Coverage of Randwick for Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by Sky Racing World.