Randwick.
Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick, with
Nature Strip a confirmed runner and
Bivouac 50/50 after also being entered for the longer
Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on the same program.
They head the weights at 58.5kg for the
Newmarket Handicap but connections revealed a fortnight ago that neither horse would run, a snub to the most revered sprint in the country especially given they were weighted to be competitive – using history as a benchmark – and also that the Newmarket purse of $1,25 million dwarfed the $500,0000 for the two Sydney races.
The bypassing of the
Newmarket by two star sprinters who had established an enticing rivalry has been frustrating for the