The Metropolitan Preview and Tips 05/10/24

It’s not just any normal week in horse racing, we have a massive day with four Group One races for us racing fans. It will be an action-packed day of racing, so make sure you clear your schedule and get in front of a TV (if you’re not lucky enough to be able to head to the track and watch the races in person).

There are three races that will take place at Randwick Racecourse, including The Metropolitan, the Epsom Handicap and the Flight Stakes. Along with these three races, there’s another that takes place at Flemington Racecourse, the Turnbull Stakes.

I’ve got a set of best bets for all four races, so you won’t miss out on any of the action. For this article in particular I’m focusing on The Metropolitan. My Saturday tips have landed here at OnlyRacing and I can’t wait to see who comes out on top. Let’s get stuck into some tips!

So, what does the race tempo look like for The Metropolitan in 2024? Well, with the likes of Military Mission and Serpentine, I think the race will be run at a fairly fast pace. The favourite, Unusual Legacy, will get a pretty good run from the friendly barrier draw.

Future History is another that will probably be near the front of the pack. First Light and Alegron will get an easy run from their gate, so that could be in the mix as well and should be ones to watch, especially in the early stages.

Unusual Legacy might be the third emergency, but he does book his spot in the race thanks to multiple scratchings. He was the favourite even before the scratchings and now that it has been confirmed he has a spot in the race, his odds have shortened even further. At the time of writing, he is the $4.60 favourite with PlayUp.

Carrying the lowest weight of all on his back - 50kg - which is a 7kg swing on the top weight in the race. This will be his first run at the 2,400m and it looks like trainer Chris Waller has him set up well. He finished runner-up in a 1,900m race when he was left wanting a little more, so I think the step-up is a great decision.

I reckon Que Tempesta is a fairly safe bet for The Metropolitan this weekend. Another international runner who tackles the race and he has two Australian runs under his belt so far, a fifth in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes and a sixth in the Group 3 MRC Foundation Cup. At Bet365, Que Tempesta is currently paying $9.00 to win The Metropolitan.

The distance works in his favour with his last three victories coming at a distance of over 2,200m. So, while he has just been given pass marks for his first two runs in Australia, he does his best work over longer distances. Drops down in weight since his last run and that will make him feel like a brand new horse I reckon.

Value I have searched for and value I have found, in the form of Zardozi. In an open field, there’s always a lot of value to be found, but I think Zardozi takes the cake and her formlines are pretty strong coming into this one, with a Group One, Two and Three under her belt in the last few weeks.

She is currently paying $10 to win The Metropolitan, thanks to Dabble. She’s got a bit of class as well, being a Group One winner and runner-up in the ATC Oaks. The distance works perfectly and she comes in pretty light at the weights, with just 52kg on her back. The barrier might be a little sticky, so luck will be needed, but she is good enough.

I think Future History could ruffle a few feathers in this one. He comes into this one third-up and I think he has finally found his footing after being in Australia for a little while now. I don’t think we saw the best of him last Spring and this Autumn, but so far this Spring I’m interested and think he’s going to have a great campaign.

In his last race, he finished just 0.1L off the leader in the Group 3 MRC Foundation Cup and before that, he came third in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes. Those formlines stack up pretty nicely here and while he does present some value, I also believe he has a genuine winning chance as well. He is currently paying $10.50 to win the race with QuestBet.

Okay, so not the highest-priced roughie I’ve ever found, but I think Etna Rosso is a great choice for those looking for an each-way or place bet (or to include in wider exotics). He comes into this one with some pretty decent form, having won two of his last four races. He is only lightly raced and also comes in pretty light at the weights as well.

Even though he doesn’t have a lot of experience under his belt, he is progressing through the grades nicely. Jockey Kerrin McEvoy sticks with him here and the two seem to be developing a nice relationship. Gets an extra 100m which I think suits well. He is currently paying $9.50 to win with Bet Right.

All my The Metropolitan horse racing tips and their odds can be found here:

Bookmaker	Tip	Odds
	Unusual Legacy (win)	$4.60
	Que Tempesta (each-way)	$9.00/$3.25
	Zardozi (each-way)	$10/$3.30
	Future History (each-way)	$10.50/$3.50
	Etna Rosso (place)	$3.40