Randwick Racing Tips for October 3 – Tempted to tune up nicely for The Everest

Here are our best bets from the meeting, which features the time honoured Epsom Handicap.

Autumn Boy looks ideally placed to add another Group 1 victory in the Epsom Handicap. The Chris Waller-trained four-year-old was runner-up to Sheza Alibi in the Makybe Diva Stakes last start, producing a figure more than nine lengths faster than standard benchmark, and his record over 1600m is outstanding. He won the Caulfield Guineas and has finished runner-up in three other Group 1 miles, with Sheza Alibi responsible for beating him on each occasion. Autumn Boy was also a third-up winner of the Rosehill Guineas during the autumn, so he should be ready to peak at the same stage of this preparation. With Sheza Alibi absent, barrier one and James McDonald aboard, he gets an excellent opportunity to land another major.

Tempted is clearly the one to beat in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes, the final Everest lead-up for several of these runners. The mare finished runner-up to Ka Ying Rising in last year's Everest and has not been beaten since, winning three from three during the autumn before returning with an impressive victory in the Concorde Stakes. They went hard over the 1000m that day and she came from worse than midfield to reel in Headwall and Beiwacht, and the rise to 1200m should only suit. Tempted is likely to get back from barrier five but there looks to be enough tempo ahead of her to set the race up nicely, while any rain at Randwick should be no concern.

Beskar looks the one to beat in the final race of the day at Randwick. The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained gelding resumed in the Concorde Stakes over 1000m and was far from disgraced when finishing eighth behind Tempted, beaten only around three lengths. The four-year-old settled handy to a hot tempo and did well to stick on, recording a figure 16.5 lengths faster than standard benchmark, the strongest last-start figure of any runner in this race. The rise to 1200m is more suitable and he was a big second-up improver during the autumn, improving more than eight lengths on benchmark figures when going from a third at Caulfield to winning the Darby Munro Stakes at Rosehill. He has won on Soft ground, draws ideally in barrier four and has James McDonald aboard.