All Eyes On The Star Championships at Royal Randwick
March 30, 2023
Four of Australian racing’s most sought-after Group 1 races – on the tenth running of The Star Championships Day One – feature at Royal Randwick this Saturday, hosted by Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club.
The Group 1 $4 million The Star Doncaster Mile, Group 1 $3 million Furphy TJ Smith Stakes, Group 1 $2 million Australian Derby and Group 1 $1 million Inglis Sires continues a record-breaking $41 million Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
The raceday will feature the world’s highest rated sprinter Nature Strip – who has won the past three Furphy TJ Smith Stakes – as several of the world’s best jockeys converge on Sydney for a meeting broadcast and viewed across 66 countries.
Saturday also features the $600,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final and five other Group races with total prizemoney across the day of $11.6 million.
Australian Turf Club Executive General Manager Racing and Wagering James Ross said:
“Saturday is without doubt one of the best renewals of The Star Championships as we mark ten years of this spectacular Sydney racing event.
“The Furphy TJ Smith Stakes shapes as another of the world’s best sprints as we also again welcome amongst the very best international jockeys to Sydney against our own world-class jockeys room.’’
Full fields for all ten races at Royal Randwick this Saturday are here and full TAB Fixed Odds markets for all races here.
In the Group 1 $4 million The Star Doncaster Mile which includes 11 Group 1 winners with combined prizemoney of almost $34 million:
- Sydney’s 12-time champion trainer Chris Waller aims to equal the training record jointly held by the legendary TJ Smith (seven) and TJ’s daughter Gai Waterhouse (seven). Waller runners are Fangirl $8-$8.50 TAB (Joao Moreira), Going Global $26 TAB (Brenton Avdulla), Zougotcha $9.50-$10 TAB (Kerrin McEvoy), Lindermann $17-$19 TAB (Dean Holland) and emergency runner Osipenko $12-$13 TAB (Michael Dee).
- The $5 TAB favourite and 2022 victor Mr Brightside trained by Ben and JD Hayes with jockey Zac Purton aboard would be the tenth dual winner of The Star Doncaster in its 158-year history.
- Superstar jockey Zac Purton is looking to win his third The Star Doncaster in less than a decade
In the Group 1 $3 million Furphy TJ Smith Stakes which includes seven Group 1 winners with combined prizemoney of more than $65 million:
- One of Australia’s greatest ever sprinters Nature Strip ($4.50-$5.50 TAB) looks to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive TJ Smith Stakes along with trainer Chris Waller and jockey James McDonald
- TAB Everest champion Giga Kick ($4.20 TAB favourite Zac Purton)is looking to emulate Nature Strip as dual winner of the TAB Everest/Furphy TJ Smith Stakes
In the 162nd running of the Group 1 $2 million Australian Derby:
- New Zealand trainer Andrew Forsmann who has won two previous as a co-trainer with Murray Baker is looking to win a third on his own with Full Of Sincerity ($19 TAB jockey Damian Lane)
- Trainer Graeme Rogerson has $3 TAB favourite Sharp N Smart (Hugh Bowman) with co-trainer Debbie Rogerson. Graeme previously won the Derby in 1997.
In the Group 1 $1 million Inglis Sires:
- Champion jockey Hugh Bowman (Don Corleone $6 TAB) who returns from Hong Kong to ride on Saturday has won this race four times in the past eight renewals
- James Cummings who trains the favourite and Longines Golden Slipper runner up Cylinder ($2.20 TAB James McDonald) shoots for a third win in the past five years
- Gai Waterhouse who has won the race a record seven times has two runners with co-trainer Adrian Bott (Bases Loaded/$34 TAB/Tim Clark) and (Butch Cassidy/$31 TAB/Brett Prebble)
For all racing, general and ticketing information go to theraces.com.au