Canterbury Stakes Tips - Sunshine In Paris can overcome the wide barrier in Canterbury Stakes

Adam Cusworth

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Last updated: 05 Mar 2025

Adam Cusworth 05 Mar 2025

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Canterbury Stakes set for March 8, featuring top sprinters.
Magic Time is the favorite after winning the Expressway Stakes.
Sunshine In Paris and Pericles offer strategic betting options.

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 09: Tyler Schiller riding Lady Laguna wins Race 7 James Squire Canterbury Stakes during "The Agency Randwick Guineas Day" - Sydney Racing at Royal Randwick Racecourse on March 09, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

The Canterbury Stakes will be held on Saturday March 8 and sees some big names in action in the first Group 1 of the calendar year.

2025 Canterbury Stakes Preview
2025 Canterbury Stakes Best Bet
2025 Canterbury Stakes Value Bet

Here is our preview of the action

2025 Canterbury Stakes Preview

The Canterbury Stakes is one of two Group 1 races for the day at Randwick and assembles the sprinters up against each other at Group 1 level.

It is tight at the top of the market with the recent Expressway Stakes (1200m) winner, Magic Time, just holding favouritism ahead of Switzerland, while Sunshine In Paris is in the mix at her first run back from a spell. The Team Hayes-trained Here To Shock has firmed since the barrier draw.

Six of the 12 runners will be resuming, while a further five come in with just one run under the belt. They crawled early on in the Expressway Stakes and Magic Time showed the superior turn of foot. Airman also comes out of that and faded into 5th.

Switzerland lacked the dash in the Lightning Stakes when 4th, going just 2.6 lengths faster than standard benchmark but was a big improver at this stage of her last preparation. Pericles is another that has had one run, placing 8th in the Futurity Stakes (1400m) but only beaten three lengths and going 8.4 lengths faster than standard

Ceolwulf is a big name that was back on a slow tempo in the Apollo Stakes (1400m) when resuming before placing 4th. That might be the form for this race with Via Sistina amongst the beaten brigade behind Fangirl.

Sunshine In Paris, Stefi Magnetica, Militarize and Royal Patronage are among those that are first up. Sunshine In Paris recorded quick time when resuming in the spring with a win in the Sheraco Stakes before later taking out the Champions Sprint.

Militarize has not been seen in just under a year and was a narrow runner-up behind Fangirl when fresh last year. The Chris Waller-trained galloper returns as a gelding and has the class but has not set the world on fire in two lead up trials.

Here To Shock has not had a genuine spell since last year and returned off a seven-week break to trounce his rivals in New Zealand at Group 1 level last month. He faces his biggest test but has consistent form around some quality gallopers.

2025 Canterbury Stakes Best Bet

We can expect improvement from Switzerland second up, while Magic Time maps well. But I am willing to roll the dice on Sunshine In Paris, despite the Anabel Neasham and Rob Archibald galloper drawing wide in barrier 12. She is likely to settle second half of the field and will need a bit of tempo to enable the field to string out a bit so she can find a spot. Her form last spring was first class, producing very tidy figures when fresh, while she defeated all but the gun mare, Bella Nipotina, at her only go over the 1300m.

2025 Canterbury Stakes Value Bet

Pericles has snuck under the radar in the betting and I love the fact that he goes to a slightly shorter trip this time around. He only tired late in a strongly run Futurity Stakes before pulling up lame. Second up at his last preparation he was a dominant winner at Moonee Valley, albeit in weaker company. But he is one that should throw himself into the contest early on by finding a prominent spot and the odds on offer do look to be juicy.

Verdict

Canterbury Stakes

Canterbury Stakes Tips

Sunshine In Paris

Best Bet

@5/1 - 5 Units

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Pericles

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