Eagle Farm hosts the final Group 1 of the season

It has been more than 10 months since Fangirl saluted at Randwick in the Winx Stakes to start another season of Group 1 racing. It will be the fairer sex who close out the year as well with the Tattersall’s Tiara on Saturday. 

We will have full horse racing tips to take on the betting sites at the weekend with our main selections coming from the Eagle Farm card. For now, let’s take a look at the main contenders for the final Group 1 contest of the season.  

Maher to have the Bella of the ball? 

One of the hardiest mares in training, Bella Nipotina has her 14th run of the season on Saturday and the 52nd of her career. She has managed to get her head in front twice, in the Giga Kick Stakes at Rosehill in early November and then in the Doomben 10,000 just last month.  
 
To add to that, she has three Group 1 runner-up efforts in the T J Smith, the Kingsford Smith Cup and then the Stradbroke. The last two were both at this track, one over 1300m and one over this distance of 1400m.  
 
The horse racing bookmakers have her as the $2.80 favourite (price taken from bet365) in the early exchanges and that is no surprise given that on the official ratings of the runners in the field, she is a fair way clear of all of her rivals, 118 compared to 108 for her nearest challenger who is also in the same stable. The downside is a wide barrier in 17 but she was also in 17 when runner-up in the Stradbroke last time out. 

Semana is a quality second-string for Maher  

Ciaron Maher has an excellent second string to his bow in this contest with Semana at $12.00. She had her chance undone by a wide barrier draw in the Stradbroke, a race that saw her trapped wide all the way around. 
 
That was her first run in two months so she is entitled to sharpen up for the effort and has a particularly good record when she is second up, winning two of her three starts. She was runner-up in the Coolmore in March and then third in the Queen Of The Turf at Randwick in April so she has the form at the top table to give her stable mate something to think about. 

Can a roughie wear the Tiara? 

There are a couple of roughies who might be in contention in the Tattersall’s Tiara, led by Bubble Rock at $34.00. For a Group 1 race over 1400m, there does not appear to be all that much early speed in here so she could get a relatively soft lead from barrier 15. She was not ridden as forcefully on her Australian debut as she was when trained in the United States but this is a perfect opportunity for her to get on the speed. 
 
The other one that appeals at a big price is the three-year-old Abounding which is also a $34.00 chance. She has been competing in some good races at Eagle Farm this prep against a few of them who re-oppose on Saturday and has not been beaten far. She needs things to drop right from a wide barrier but as one of the least exposed in here, she at least has the potential for better.  

There is still another month left of the season but this weekend marks the end of the sport at the top level. August 24 is the date that we have to wait for to see another Group 1 as the new season starts at Randwick with the Winx Stakes over 1400m.