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Redzel, the world’s highest stakes earning sprinter, has a point to prove in Saturday’s $2 million TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick.
Redzel is the rarity on the list of the world’s highest prizemoney earners as he is surrounded by horses recognised as stayers or middle distance stars.
There is not another acclaimed sprinter in the top 20 on the global prizemoney list that is headed by Arrogate, Winx and a host of Japanese champions.
The latest standings have Redzel in 12th place on the world prizemoney list with his Australian earnings of $A15.498 million converting to £8,345,673.00 (GBP) for the purpose of international comparisons.
The bulk of his prizemoney has come from his wins in the first two runnings of The Everest, the world’s richest race on turf.
They are among his 14 career wins but the naysayers are now questioning whether the rising 7YO still has the mettle to beat the cream of Australia’s sprinting talent in the TJ Smith – the autumn equivalent of The Everest over the same course and distance but offering some $10.5 million less prizemoney.
The TJ Smith field of 11 boasts six of the crack sprinters who contested the 2018 Everest where Redzel beat Trapeze Artist and Osborne Bulls.
That same trio line up on Saturday along with unplaced Everest runners Santa Ana Lane, Vega Magic and Shoals.
Redzel has raced three times since the Everest with his best result a first-up second in the G2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on March 9 when he was worried out of a win by another TJ Smith rival Ball Of Muscle.
Redzel followed the Challenge Stakes with a disappointing eighth in the G1 Galaxy (1100m) on a heavy track at Rosehill, his beaten margin of almost seven lengths one of the worst performances of his career and raising concern that the gelding can regain his Everest form.
While there are doubters – reflected by his drifting odds in TJ Smith betting - those closest to Redzel are solid in their belief that he can bounce back on Saturday and take another big step up the global prizemoney list into the top 10 of all time stakes earners.
Peter Snowden, who trains Redzel with his son Paul, says the return to weight-for-age after carrying 59.5kg under the handicap conditions of the Galaxy is the key to a form turnaround by his star sprinter on Saturday.
“Redzel got a bump in the Galaxy and never recovered on the heavy track,” Snowden said.
“It was hard for him to pick up and get going again under such a big weight.
“The TJ is a different race. It will be a different race at the weights.”
Snowden also points to Redzel’s superior record at Randwick where he has recorded eight of his 14 wins as another key factor in his favor on Saturday.
Redzel’s jockey Kerrin McEvoy shares Snowden’s view of his Galaxy effort.
“You just have to put a line through his last start,” McEvoy said.
“We got a bad bump and it cost us momentum. That’s always hard when you’re in a handicap with a big weight.
“I wouldn’t be jumping off him just yet.’’
The scenario for Redzel improved considerably on Tuesday when he followed up a strong fast gallop at Randwick with an ideal TJ Smith draw in gate five, a barrier that will give McEvoy all the options in the first 200m.
“The draw will work for us. He’s best when he’s near the front,” McEvoy said.
“I know if I can ride him how I want he'll be very hard to beat.’’
The TJ Smith presents the fourth round in Redzel’s battles with Trapeze Artist.
Redzel finished second to Trapeze Artist in last year’s TJ Smith only to turn the tables when they met in the Everest in October.
In between Trapeze Artist finished fourth with Redzel fifth in the Premiere Stakes (1200m) won by Santa Ana Lane at Randwick two weeks before the Everest.
