While the massive operations of Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher have more winners and runners,the Godolphin blue is the green light when it comes to punters seeking to place a bet at Ladbrokes.
Godolphin star filly Zardozi will be a punters’ favourite in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.getty
The betting company found Godolphin was clearly their punters’ preferred stable in 2023,with an average hold of more than $48,000 on the blue army’s runners. That grew to an average hold of more than $57,000 per race,again the highest for any stable.
“Godolphin can affect the result of a Saturday afternoon for us if they have good chances at the end of the day because punters just trust them,” Ladbrokes’ Adam Hamilton said.
“Often,you are adding a[top jockey like] James McDonald or Jamie Kah,and that only adds to the volume of confidence in their horses. They have a smaller,select team but have history and tradition behind them and punters are happy to follow them.”
Cummings,who will saddle Zardozi in the Vinery Stud Stakes,Tom Kitten in the Tancred Stakes and Cascadian in the Australian Cup among others on Saturday,is well aware of the responsibility that comes with being a member of the Godolphin team.
“We are always striving to win and looking for excellence and quality with integrity,” Cummings said. “It is interesting that the punters see that in our team. It is good,they share in our successes like winning the Galaxy last week with Zapeteo.”
The Galaxy win took Cummings’ group 1 count for the season to four,and he’s hoping for number five at Rosehill or Flemington on Saturday.
Cascadian wins last year’s Australian Cup.Racing photos
Cascadian,although rising in years,remains a favourite at Godolphin and will defend his Australian Cup crown at Flemington.
“He is humming this preparation,but he meets a very strong field,including Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni,” Cummings said. “However,he has been a horse that has been able to pull out big runs on big days.”
The Godolphin trainer will be trackside at Rosehill to see his and Tom Kitten in the Tancred Stakes.
“Zardozi has been building to her group 1 goals and couldn’t have been more impressive in the Phar Lap Stakes last start,” he said. “She will be better at 2000m and Oaks winners from Melbourne have a good record when they get to this race. It will be a good challenge for her against a very good filly from New Zealand.”
While Godolphin tops the Ladbrokes hold lists,the Golden Slipper winning team of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott at Tulloch Lodge isn’t far behind.
The Waterhouse-Bott team was in the top three of both lists,while the West Australian stable of Grant and Alana Williams and Queensland’s Tony Gollan are always popular with punters in smaller markets with big consistent holds.
Waller and Maher,with their thousands of runners,aren’t in the top investments per runner but find their way into the top 10 per race,where they often have multiple runners. Waller sits third with an average hold of just over $40,000 per race,while Maher,when in partnership with David Eustace,was ninth on the list of investment per race.
Meanwhile,two of racing’s biggest stars in the past couple of seasons,the Kerry Parker-trained Think It Over and Zaaki from the Annabel Neasham yard,were retired on Thursday.
They featured in one of the most memorable moments in Queen Elizabeth Stakes history when Nash Rawiller took Think It Over to outside fence to run down Zaaki in the jewel of The Championships in 2022.
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