Track: Good   Weather: Fine

There is a field of nine runners remaining for the $1,000,000 Bondi Stakes following the early scratching of Akihiro, and three of them had their last start in the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes on 9 October. There are six colts and four geldings, with no fillies running this year. Anthony Cummings train three of the runners and Gary Portelli trains two. The early favourite is three-year-old  Hilal who was the Stan Fox winner and had the best overall race sectionals. Second favourite is Coastwatch who was 2nd in the Stan Fox after 3rd in the Golden Rose. Third favourite is Cotehele who ran 4th in the Stan Fox after a 3.2 length win at Goulburn.

Royalzel was won four of his eight starts and is the only runner to have already won over 1600m.  Dufresne is one of the three Anthony Cummings runners and comes off a 2.4 length win in a maiden handicap over 1500m at Rosehill. Arnaqueur finished 8th in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes over 1800m where he was beaten at the 300m and winded out, while Keefy finished a close 2nd over 1800m at Sunshine Coast last outing.  The other two runners are currently 50 to 1 or longer.

1. Hilal

This Fastnet Rock colt trained by Team Hawkes has two wins and four places from nine starts. He was a 0.6 winner of the Stan Fox Stakes and is attempting to do what Peltzer did last year by winning the Stan Fox then the Bondi. One of the main chances.

2. Coastwatch

A Fastnet Rock gelding trained by Chris Waller. He was the winner of the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality over 1400m at the Rosehill at Kembla Grange meeting on 1400m, came 3rd in the Group 1 Golden Rose then was 0.6 lengths 2nd in the Stan Fox. He has been very consistent and should be in the finish.

3. Royalzel

One of two runners for Gary Portelli. This Snitzel colt has four wins which is more than any other runner. One of his wins was over 1600m in the Listed Taj Rossi Final in July where he won by 3 lengths. Settled at the rear and was always well back in the Golden Rose where he finished 10th of 13. Can improve here.

4. Cotehele

This Tavistock colt trained by John O’Shea has two wins and a place from five starts. He ran 4th in the Stan Fox after a 3.2 length win at Goulburn. A good chance.

5. Akihiro  – SCRATCHED

6. Arnaqueur

Trained by Jean Dubois at Gulburn, he finished 8th in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes over 1800m where he was beaten at the 300m and winded out. Has two wins from seven starts and is not the worst.

7. Dufresne

One of the three Anthony Cummings runners. He comes off a 2.4 length win in a maiden handicap over 1500m at Rosehill. Will find this much tougher.

8. Keefy

This All Too Hard gelding trained by Brad Widdup at Hawkesbury finished a close 2nd over 1800m at Sunshine Coast last outing. Comes back in distance and is a rough chance.

9. Lease

Another of the Cummings trio. Has drawn perfectly in barrier one, but his only win from eight starts was a Wyong maiden. This looks too hard.

10. Reginald

The only maiden runner in the field. This Choisir colt is the third runner from Anthony Cummings and has only had two starts. Was 8.3 lengths 4th in a Warwick Farm maiden on 13 October. Not here.

The following are the top 4 selections for this years race.

Jo’s Tips
1 Hilal
3 Royalzel
2 Coastwatch
4 Cotehele

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Group 1 Cox Plate 2021 (Moonee Valley 2040m)

Group 2 Crystal Mile 2021 (Moonee Valley 1600m)

Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase 2021 (Moonee Valley 2040m)

Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup 2021 (Moonee Valley 2500m)

The Invitation 2021 (Randwick 1400m)