There are few things more exciting than a sprint down the straight at HQ, particularly when some outstanding horses are engaged and particularly when it’s at Group 1 level.
Those stars will align for us on Derby Day, when the likes of Farnan, Anders and Swats That take their place in the 2020 Coolmore Stud Stakes field, and it looms as an intriguing betting race.
Coolmore Stud Stakes – Winner
No. 7 Anders – Bet Now: $9.50
He was perhaps a little flat in the Blue Sapphire last time out, but the other two horses in that race are clearly good, and Anders still rates as a key winning chance in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
The Not A Single Doubt colt ended his two-year-old season with consecutive wins at Wyong and Rosehill, and put the writing on the wall with an utterly dominant performance in the Listed Rosebud when resuming this time, beating home the likes of Ole Kirk.
He repeated that performance and result in the San Domenico Stakes in what was his only other run prior to the Blue Sapphire, and I think that he’ll be at absolute peak order for this contest.
Coolmore Stud Stakes – 2nd
No. 1 Farnan – Bet Now: $5.50
Hugh Bowman slaughtered the ride when he failed to live up to the hype in the Run To The Rose when resuming, and while he has had a couple of minor ailments since that run, Farnan is reportedly cherry ripe for the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Another three-year-old son of Not A Single Doubt, Farnan recorded five wins from six starts during his two-year-old season, peaking with an easy win in the world’s richest two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper.
Gai Waterhouse all but declared him for every race that he will contest this spring prior to his resumption, and while the campaign hasn’t panned out as expected, the Coolmore still looks a winnable race for him.
Coolmore Stud Stakes – 3rd
No. 12 Swats That – Bet Now: $8.50
Swats That faces a rise in class into the Coolmore Stud Stakes, but she has been outstanding this preparation, and I can’t find a reason why she won’t be in the finish again.
The Shamus Award filly stamped herself as a runner to follow when she won the Bendigo Gold Rush on debut, and tuned up nicely when she resumed in September to second behind September Run in the Cap D’Antibes.
Since that run, she hasn’t looked back, and put paid to her rivals in bot the Scarborough Stakes at The Valley and the Thoroughbred Club Stakes at Caulfield.
She’s fit, treated well in the weights and wouldn’t look out of place in the Coolmore Stud Stakes winner’s stall.
Coolmore Stud Stakes – 4th
No. 14 September Run – Bet Now: $4.00
For mine, there looks to be four genuine standouts in the 2020 Coolmore Stud Stakes field, and September Run is the last of those.
September Run needed the run when she finished fifth in the Silver Shadow first-up in Sydney, but she beat home Swats That and co. in the Cap D’Antibes, and went on with the job in the Listed Poseidon Stakes.
I don’t think she quite has the class of a couple of these rivals, but she’s obviously proven down the straight, and she can fight out the finish again.
Coolmore Stud Stakes Suggested Bets
- 2 Units E/W #7 Anders
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections above