Canterbury Stakes Tips - Pride's star to pounce fresh at Randwick

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: 08 Mar 2024

Alex Marsh 08 Mar 2024

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The Canterbury Stakes is the first of two Group 1's on Saturday's Randwick card
This WFA feature is run over 1300m
Think About It heads the market

Expired

Think About It is aiming for his third Group 1 win in the Canterbury Stakes. (Getty)

Given Group 1 status in 2013, a year which saw the champion Pierro celebrate in style by denying More Joyous a hat-trick of wins in this race, the Canterbury Stakes has a fine honor roll since first being run in 1929.

Along with popular recent winners in Trapeze Artist and Happy Clapper, this 1300m WFA Group 1 has seen the likes of Sky High, Manikato and Placid Ark salute over its history, all elite gallopers in their time.

Think About It is all the rage in the early markets.

2024 Canterbury Stakes Tips

Best Bet - Think About It

He has built an impressive record, with 11 wins and two thirds from 13 starts, and he quickly worked through the grades, having won his WFA and handicap debuts at Group 1 level.

After landing his target last spring in The Everest, connections will stretch the five-year-old over longer distances this autumn and he should be fine with that on breeding.

With the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) a potential aim over The Championships, the 1300m of the Canterbury Stakes looks a lovely starting point for Think About It.

He has trialled well leading into Saturday's return and although barrier seven is far from ideal in the small field fresh, the gelding finds a very weak race for WFA standards.

Think About It hasn't lost in four first-up attempts and he's also unbeaten at Randwick, while with a speedy Malkovich setting the tempo, he should be able to blend in late.

Value Bet - Coal Crusher

He doesn't have the class of Think About It, but the stablemate to the fav has a fitness edge, arriving to the Canterbury Stakes third-up and the blinkers do go back on here.

Coal Crusher wasn't beaten all that far by Think It Over when they last met over his distance in spring and then with the blinkers applied, he took out The Hunter after that.

The six-year-old easily accounted for King Of Sparta in the Newcastle feature and that runner-up won his next two outings, which included the Group 2 Expressway Stakes.

Coal Crusher chased well into second in that same February 17 event and with a tearaway leader involved there, it perhaps left him a little flat with 60kg last Saturday.

When it comes to seven-day back-ups and knowing when to put the blinkers on, Joe Pride is arguably the best in the business and as far as place bets go, this gelding makes some appeal.

Verdict

Canterbury Stakes

Our tips for the 2024 Canterbury Stakes are:

Think About It

To Win

@9/10 - 5 Units

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Coal Crusher

Top Two

@11/4 - 1 Unit

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