Defending champion Terravista has opened clear favourite in the 2015 The Shorts odds to go back-to-back in the George Main Stakes Day support race in Sydney on Saturday.
The Joe Pride-trained Terravista is favourite to successful defend his title in the 2015 The Shorts this Saturday in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
A final field of nine sprinters face off in Randwick Race 4 (2:30pm) â the $200,000 Group 2 The Bowermans Office Furniture Shorts (1100m) including the Joe Pride-trained Group 1 winner Terravista.
Drawn in gate six with Hugh Bowman to ride, the returning Captain Rio six-year-old won the same set weights plus penalties feature first-up last September from a similar gate (4 of 10) and pays $2.60 in The Shorts betting at Ladbrokes.com.au to get the job done again in 2015.
He comes off a winning Warwick Farm trial and is undefeated over the distance (2-2-0-0) also boasting an impressive record of four wins and a third from six previous runs at Randwick.
In an open The Shorts market there are four other single figure fancies for the win including $4.60 second pick Shiraz who the punters have come for early, Tony McEvoyâs in-form Zariz six-year-old firming in from an opening quote of $5.
Drawn in gate four with Kerrin McEvoy taking over for Bowman in the saddle, Shiraz has won his past four on the trot including the Group 3 Aurieâs Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington last month and the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at the start of this month.
The next best in betting are then Prideâs other hope of successive The Shorts wins Ball Of Muscle ($7) and Thatâs A Good Idea ($8.50) for Team Snowden.
One of the countryâs most consistent sprinters, Dubawi five-year-old Ball Of Muscle has won eight of his 14 starts and with six other minor placings is yet to run outside the top three.
His latest turf triumph was in Brisbane during the winter when taking out Doombenâs Group 2 QTC Cup (1200m) ahead of fellow The Shorts hopeful Thatâs A Good Idea, and his resuming run was a solid third to Shiraz in the Concorde.
Thatâs A Good Idea returns here with two wins from six previous first-up runs, the Flying Spur gelding having also had six previous Randwick runs for two wins and two seconds.
Rounding out the hopes under $10 for the win is then the Gary Portelli-trained stallion Rebel Dane ($9) with a nice barrier two draw who hasnât raced since a disappointing 11th to Dissident in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick back in April.
Following closely and still in with a chance at more generous prices are the likes of BTC Cup winner Hot Snitzel ($11) and the Chris Waller-trained Shamardal four-year-old Delectation ($13) with the inside runs from barrier one for jockey James McDonald.
See below for the full The Shorts 2015 odds, fixed win markets open online now at Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering CASH BACK on the George Main Stakes in Sydney this weekend if your horse runs 2nd, 3rd or 4th in the Group 1!