SOUND OF NATURE NEEDS TO WIN TO SECURE AN EPSOM START

THE Lee Freedman-trained imported galloper, Sound of Nature, was today the medium of a nationwide plunge with corporate bookmakers betting on the Bill Ritchie Handicap, 1400m, at Randwick on Saturday.

As much as $10 was bet about Sound of Nature, which is now into $4.60 favoritism as he chases a start in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick the following weekend.

Sound of Nature, coming off wins at Sandown and Geelong, would secure ballot-free entry into the Epsom, for which he has shortened from $151 to $51, if he won the Ritchie.

The plunge on Sound Of Nature has deposed Bryannbo’s Gift from Epsom favoritism with Mark Read’s IASbet.com. In latest markets they have Sound of Nature at $4.60 from Bryannbo’s Gift and Faulconbridge at $5.50 each, then McClintock at $7.50.

Racing to Win is all the rage with bookmakers for Saturday’s Randwick feature, the Group 1 George Main Stakes and remains in the red at $1.90 after $1.95 had been bet.

This was despite heavy support today for the John Thompson-trained Onemorenomore at around the $5.50 mark. One punter had a single bet of $10,000 on the three-year-old.

Onemorenomore won the Group 1 Champagne Stakes, at Randwick in the autumn over the same distance as the George Main. He has run two good fourths since a spell but takes on the older horses under weight-for-age conditions on Saturday.

The Peter Snowden-trained Denman has been heavily-backed at $1.60 to win the Stan Fox, for which there are only five acceptors, and is now into $1.45.

Speed Gifted, which failed for the Freedman stable in last weekend’s Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield, has been solidly backed to win The Metropolitan at Randwick on Saturday week. As much as $12 was bet about the import that is now the $4.20 favorite.