The G1 Metropolitan: what you need to know

THE METROPOLITAN HANDICAP

Group One, $750,000, handicap

HISTORY

* First held at Randwick in 1866 as the Great Metropolitan Stakes over two miles (3200m).

* Now a 2400m race worth $750,000.

* Among the earliest winners was the Ettienne de Mestre-trained Tim Whiffler (1867) who would be the first horse to claim the Metropolitan-Melbourne Cup double in the the same year. Not until Delta in 1951 could another horse complete the double but three others quickly followed – Dalray (1952), Straight Draw (1957) and Macdougal (1959).

* The four most recent winners have been from Ireland including Foundry (2017), Sir John Hawkwood (2016), Magic Hurricane (2015) and Opinion (2014).

THIS YEAR’S FIELD

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* Trainer Chris Waller has eight runners in the 19-horse field including favourite Brimham Rocks

* Jockeys James McDonald, Tye Angland, Hugh Bowman and Corey Brown have all won the Metropolitan

THE EARLY MONEY

* Brimham Rocks is the favourite, followed by Miss Admiration and High Bridge

KEY COMMENTS

“It’s good to be on a last-start winner going into a Group One race. The horse is full of confidence and I’m feeling pretty confident too” Miss Admiration’s jockey Dean Holland

“I would put him up with my top three chances in the race,” Brimham Rocks’ trainer Chris Waller

“He’s bred to stay and we know he stays so we didn’t feel there was any reason running him at shorter trips” Wall Of Fire’s co-trainer David Eustace

“We were always going to throw him in the deep end at some stage this preparation so I am happy to do it Saturday,” High Bridge’s trainer Chris Waller