Canterbury Stakes Preview and Tips 08/03/25

Make sure you clear your schedule on Saturday because it’s going to be an epic day of racing with four key Group One races acting as the highlight. At Randwick Racecourse, we have the Canterbury Stakes along with the Randwick Guineas. Over in Melbourne, the All-Star Mile and the Newmarket Handicap are the two key races.

We see a field of 12 runners hit the Randwick track for the 2025 Canterbury Stakes. It’s a high-quality field with runners like Magic Time, Switzerland, Sunshine In Paris, Here To Shock and more all making an appearance. The market is wide open at the moment and Magic Time is currently the narrow favourite with PlayUp.

My Saturday tips have arrived here at OnlyRacing for not only the Canterbury Stakes but also the three other Group One races as well. It’s a quality field so there's a lot to dissect. Keep reading to see which runners I have put down as my best bets for the 2025 Canterbury Stakes.

Royal Patronage, who jumps from barrier 11 looks to be the only one in this race with serious barrier speed. So, look for jockey Tim Clark to cut across and lead this one. With only Royal Patronage challenging for the lead, I would say the 2025 Canterbury Stakes will be run at a moderate tempo.

The narrow favourite, Magic Time, will probably settle in two or three runners back off the pace. This will give the mare some cover and the ability to wait for the right time to peel off and close in. Sunshine In Paris is another one of the more favoured runners in the market and she’s got some closing speed in her, so watch for her late.

We see a lot of live chances in the 2025 Canterbury Stakes and I would say this is the race of the day. I did a bit of back and forth, but in the end, I’m siding with Magic Time, who I think maps pretty well for this one. The mare is currently the narrow favourite with PlayUp and she is going around with odds of $4.40 to claim the victory.

Mares tend to perform well in the Canterbury Stakes, winning seven of the last 13 editions. Her first-up victory is probably one of the main reasons she is the narrow favourite, winning the Expressway Stakes by 0.2L. There has been a bit of rain around Sydney over the last day or so and this only helps her chances.

Another mare that I think can give this a red-hot crack is Sunshine In Paris. The 5YO is on the equal third line of betting with Bet365 and is going around with odds of $7.00 to take the win. Sunshine In Paris will be contesting the Canterbury Stakes first up and her first-up record is very good at 4:3-1-0, with the only race she didn’t win being The Galaxy.

The last time we saw Sunshine In Paris was back in early November when she won the Champions Sprint by 0.2L. She’s a runner that will be looking for the rain to stay away though as she does most of her best work on firmer ground. Carries 2kg less than the boys and draws wide, so will need the right breaks at the right time.

For those looking for value, Ceolwulf is the clear choice for me. The gelding was expected to line up in the Verry Elleegant Stakes last weekend but was scratched in what trainer Joseph Pride described as a 50/50 call, so hopefully he is ready to go in this one. Pride also said that he believed Ceolwulf would have been right in the finish in that one.

The gelding has some value about him (like many in the field) and is going around with odds of $7.50 at Dabble. A little spanner in the works as Ceolwulf’s regular jockey, Chad Schofield, is already booked to ride Sunshine In Paris, but Adam Hyeronimus gets the call and will jump from barrier one. Expect a sharp improvement second-up here.

It’s a tight market and I think you would be silly not to consider Switzerland a genuine threat in this one. He put in a decent enough performance in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes last time out, finishing fourth out of 10 runners. The rise in trip from 1,00m to 1,300m will suit Switzerland quite nicely.

The 3YO is already a Group One winner after claiming the Coolmore Stud Stakes in November last year. The colt is currently on the second line of betting with QuestBet, at odds of $5.50. He has a perfect strike rate when second-up (two from two) and JMac sticks with him here. There’s a lot to like.

I think Pericles is a little unloved in the market and he is still worthy of a bet despite the tough competition he’ll face on Saturday. The 5YO had a race to forget last time out in the Futurity Stakes, where he tired late, finishing eighth out of 10 runners. He drops down 100m to 1,300m here, so I think a better performance is in order.

If you’re willing to take a chance, you can pick up Pericles for $26 at Bet Right. Looking back at his last prep, he was a dominant second-up winner and while this looks a little tougher, form is form. Look for him to find a spot near the front of the pack and let’s see what he can do from there.

All my Canterbury Stakes horse racing tips and their odds can be found here:

Bookmaker	Tip	Odds
	Magic Time (win)	$4.40
	Sunshine In Paris (each-way)	$7.00/$2.45
	Ceolwulf (place)	$2.50
	Switzerland (place)	$2.10
	Pericles (place)	$5.75