Atlantic Jewel has stifled betting on Saturday’s Group Two Sapphire Stakes at Randwick to the point where she is the only one of the 13 runners at single-figure odds.
The Mark Kavanagh-trained star is the $1.40 TAB Sportsbet favourite to take her record to six wins from six starts when she competes for the first time since racing away with the Wakeful Stakes in the spring.
More Strawberries and Parables at $13 are the next picks.
Joe Pride, who will saddle-up a favourite of his own when Rain Affair tackles the Group One TJ Smith Stakes (1200m), isn’t expecting either of his two Sapphire Stakes (1200m) runners to upset the Victorian filly.
But he is hoping both Ladys Angel ($21) and Phenomenal Lass ($35) can be competitive, pending track conditions at Randwick.
“They’re honest, consistent mares,” Pride said.
“One (Ladys Angel) loves the wet and one loves the dry.
“The track will probably be somewhere in between so hopefully they both get their chance.
“They’re around the mark at this level and they’re both chances to finish in the first three.”
Ladys Angel bumped into an in-form Steps In Time at her first two runs this campaign, finishing fifth to the mare in the Breeders Classic and third to her in the Wiggle Stakes.
Pride stepped her up to Group One company last start in the Coolmore Classic (1500m) but she didn’t get her favoured wet conditions and was a battling 11th to Ofcourseican.
She drops back to 1200m on Saturday, a distance over which she notched a black-type victory in last year’s Listed Hall Mark Stakes.
Phenomenal Lass, already a multiple stakes placegetter, has been mixing her form of late and followed a close second to Celts at Moonee Valley in February with a 1-1/2-length seventh to the same mare in the Birthday Card Stakes at Rosehill last month.
Glen Boss takes the ride on her with Craig Williams to partner Ladys Angel.
