3 minute read

Time to mature and the ultimate gear change can equate to a first up win for Redzel in the Hyland Race Colours Benchmark 70.

Redzel resumes after a three start spring campaign where he competed at stakes level, running behind the likes of subsequent Group 1 winners Exosphere, Japonisme and also dual stakes winner Counterattack.

The campaign came in well below expectations with the son of Snitzel having looked incredibly sharp in winning a 735m Rosehill barrier trial prior to resuming.

Group placed as a two-year-old when third to Furnaces, Redzel has always shown an abundance of promise.

Prior to that Group placing, he was a convincing three length debut winner at this course where he beat runner up Japonisme.

His undoing has always appeared to be his coltishness however expect that to be a thing of the past with connections electing to geld Redzel in his latest spell.

Hopefully the decision will be rewarded with a more focused version of the Snitzel three-year-old this campaign.

The removal of both Blinkers and the Crossover Noseband for his first up outing each suggest this to be the case.

Wednesday’s Benchmark 70 Handicap (1000m) at Warwick Farm shapes as an ideal starting point for the newly gelded three-year-old.

Redzel possesses a master Timeform rating of 108, achieved when third to Furnaces in the Kindergarten Stakes.

Weight adjusted ratings have him rating well clear of his rivals on career figures based on that showing.

Hugh Bowman riding is a positive as is the inside barrier they will jump from.

As far as midweek Benchmark events go, the fifth event at Warwick Farm does shape as a deep one in terms of depth.

Raido has placed in each of his three starts this campaign, the latest over this distance at Randwick behind stablemate Felines 18 days ago.

Form out of that event has since held up tremendously.

Felines was a dominant winner at Randwick last weekend while runner up Rose Of Man also performed well on the same day, placing in the Highway Handicap.

Raido has drawn to receive all of the favours tucked in behind the speed and comes in nicely at the weights after Sam Clenton’s 2kg claim.

Not one to ran a bad race, expect no different here from the son of Husson.

Redzel’s stablemate Stravigo profiles as a main rival.

Stravigo has won two of his three starts this campaign and last start ran third to River Wild at Randwick over 1200m.

He drops back to the much sharper Warwick Farm 1000m journey here, a trip which the gelding has placed over in the past.

Hebden drops in grade after running second to Kangarilla Joy 15 days ago.

The mare has an excellent record at this course and profiles highly amongst this field on 50 day weight adjusted figures.

Again emphasising the depth in the race, last start winners Mosstar and Palazzo Pubblico must also be kept safe.

It’s Redzel though who is clearly the one to beat in what has the potential to be a breakout campaign for the three-year-old.