Favourite Needs to Channel Takeover Target in $2mil The Ingham

If the favourite Gringotts is to win the $2million The Ingham (G2) at Randwick this weekend he’s going to need to be nearly as good as Takeover Target and better than any other Ingham runner in 20 years.

There’s plenty to like about the five-year-old son of Per Incanto. He’s won nine and placed seven times in 17 starts, he’s unbeaten in four starts at the mile and he’s coming off a heavily backed win in the $1million The Gong.

He’s also got 60.5kg.

That’d be 7.5kg over the limit weight. No winner has done it in the last 20 years.

The highest weighted winner in that period is Monton with 58kg, on a 52kg limit so 6kg over that base weight.

Here’s the last 20 winners with their weight and the amount over the limit in brackets. All of this information is available in our Stakes Result section here. And here is The Ingham specifically (or Villiers Stakes as it is officially registered).

2023 Loch Eagle 53 (0)

2022 Kirwan's Lane 57 (4)
2021 Brutality 53 (0)
2020 Greysful Glamour (M) 56 (3)
2019 Quackerjack 56 (3)
2018 Sky Boy 53 (0)
2017 Crack Me Up 54.5 (1.5)
2016 Sense Of Occasion 54 (1)
2015 Happy Clapper 53 (0)
2014 Rudy 53 (0)
2013 Ninth Legion 54.5 (1.5)
2012 All Legal 54 (1)
2011 Monton 58 (6)
2010 Dances On Waves 52 (0)
2009 Palacio De Cristal 52 (0)
2008 Something Anything 54.5 (2.5)
2007 Honor In War 54.5 (2.5)
2006 Utzon 57.5 (5.5)
2005 Aqua D'Amore 52.5 (0.5)

And where does the Takeover Target comparison come from?

Well he carried 61kg in the 2008 version, a whopping 9kg over the limit and was first past the post, however lost it in the steward’s room to Honor In War.

So if Gringotts can win this year, it’ll be a mighty effort.

It’ll also be another great result for his sire Per Incanto, enjoying his best year ever in Australia, currently in the top 10 by earnings with 23 winners, three stakes winners and over $5.7million.

This historical perspective applies to crowd favourite Private Eye also of course.

So it does give hope of a big odds winner.

Estadio Mestalla? Port Lockroy? Tavi Time? New Energy? Superazi?

Good luck.