By Brad Gray
Race 1 – 12.35pm: HERITAGE REAL ESTATE (1200 METRES)
3. Namaste won a recent Warwick Farm trial in good style. He first trialled back in September when it all came too soon, boxing away to be beaten five lengths by North England. The Savabeel colt, trained by Bjorn Baker, obviously took benefit from a break. In winning a trial on January 3, he was the fastest out of the barriers, took up the running and found the line late. That looks the obvious reference for this with 4. Nordic Viking in third and 1. Barbarossa working home late into sixth. The early betting marks those as two of the main dangers to Namaste. The other piece to that trial puzzle is that Coolmore colt Wodeton ran second and he has already been backed in the Golden Slipper despite being unsighted at the races. Godolphin colt Barbarossa is a half-brother to group One-placed sprinter Encryption, being out of gun mare Guelph. He cruised to the line under a hold in his first Hawkesbury trial before being asked to do more at Warwick Farm.
Zac Lloyd and Trafalgar Square at Randwick.Credit: Getty Images
How To Play It: Namaste WIN
Race 2 – 1.10pm: CENTRAL COAST MAYOR’S MIDWAY HANDICAP (1600m)
14. Trafalgar Square has to jump from 1200m to the mile, but her pedigree suggests she’ll handle the trip being a daughter of Churchill. At least Trafalgar Square does have some upside being a three-year-old filly. She also comes through one of the best Midways we’ve seen run recently with Zoubaby, Emmadella and High Blue Sea all running well subsequently. Thought she had her chance given she settled in behind the speed in a slowly run race but she looked one paced to the line, holding her ground. It’s worth a shot out to 1600m now. Seems to respond well to being kept fresh too. Might be the right time to ride 1. Luvoir like they stole him. Catch me if you can. The Wyong track should suit, he’s hard fit and drawn wide to carve across. He is the type of horse that can find form suddenly. The eight-year-old stuck on okay at Randwick last start beaten just two lengths by Inquiring Minds.
How To Play It: Trafalgar Square WIN
Race 3 – 1.45pm: TAB HIGHWAY HANDICAP (1100m)
9. Ritzsun was beaten by the barrier at Wyong first up. He settled out the back and rattled home to be beaten half a length by Welcome Gypsy, a handy benchmark-level mare. Ritzsun was hard in the market as the second favourite. That was on the back of two dominant wins at Scone to kick off his career. He’ll handle whatever going Wyong will throw up and still has more to come with just three career starts next to his name. Jockey Christian Reith has been aboard the three-year-old gelding all the way through and heads to Wyong for the one ride. Danny Williams has never hidden his opinion of 3. Kreon. The four-year-old grey found himself in a Kosciuszko at just his sixth career start, yet it all came too soon. He was wide the trip throughout from a wide gate, which didn’t help. Trialled well behind stablemate Highway Strip who threw away a Highway win first up. 1. Duke Of Bronte has pulled up with heat stress after failing at his past two starts.
How To Play It: Ritzsun WIN
Race 4 – 2.20pm: DOMELAND BENCHMARK 100 HANDICAP (1350m)
8. Grand Impact looks well-placed up from Melbourne for Mick Price and Mick Kent jnr. The lightly raced five-year-old fought out the finish in a BM84 at Pakenham last start having settled in behind the speed. Before that he was dragged back to last at Moonee Valley from a wide draw, finding the line late. His tactical speed looks a huge asset here given the make up of the field. There isn’t another noted leader. 5. Elettrica has led at times throughout her career but ran well with a change of tactics to be ridden more conservatively last start. That doesn’t leave any other candidates. Grand Impact drops to 52kg up in grade. He raced in a Coolmore as a three-year-old before a lengthy spell. He is racing his way back to form and finds a perfect set-up now fourth up. A wet track won’t bother him either. 6. Excelladus is into his third preparation for Joe Pride. He has won third up in both of his previous campaigns. He is on the seven-day backup and should get his toe into the ground.
How To Play It: Grand Impact WIN
Race 5 – 2.55pm: WYONG EQUINE CLINIC F&M BENCHMARK 78 HANDICAP (1100m)
3. Dollar Magic doesn’t win out of turn, but she’s rarely out of the finish. The six-year-old has won four of her 23 starts with a further 14 minor placings. She comes off a last start fourth in the Canterbury Sprint, a Listed race over 1200m beaten a couple of lengths by Iowna Merc and Pereille. Here she is back to a BM78 against the fillies and mares. It’s the first time this campaign that she races against her own sex. Like the drop back to 1100m from 1200m, she draws to get the right run and the prospect of a soft track suits her perfectly. Two starts ago she went toe-to-toe with the flying Fire Star on a wet track at Rosehill. 1. Le Melody has won four from six first up. She’s an excellent fresh mare. She didn’t win first-up last campaign, her first for Brett Cavanough, but she did run second to Our Kobison in a BM88 with Sebonack in third and Boston Rocks in fourth. No official trial to judge her off.
How To Play It: Dollar Magic WIN
Race 6 – 3.30pm: CENTRAL COAST COMMUNITY NEWS 3&4YO BENCHMARK 72 HANDICAP (1300m)
2. Invader Zim was excellent first up in a sprint home behind Disneck. The winner backed up at Randwick last Saturday to win again. Invader Zim can only build off that return. The prospect of a soft track on Saturday is a bonus for the son of Invader. Second up last preparation Invader Zim beat Kerguelen and Yorkshire. That was on a wet track over 1300m. Chris Waller has entrusted claiming apprentice Ben Osmond, offsetting the 60kg. The pair should get a perfect trailing run from barrier 1. 3. Headley Grange picked up where he left off last preparation. He is also still improving. Some knock on staying at 1300m given he has won out to the mile. Should settle midfield from the gate. Have also scored him up with a wet track likely. 10. Imposant had the task of chasing home Tuileries at Randwick first up. She ran as well as she could in defeat. Would prefer this to be 1400m but that return sets up her summer campaign.
How To Play It: Invader Zim WIN
Race 7 – 4.05pm: DE BORTOLI WINES BENCHMARK 88 HANDICAP (2100m)
4. Zaphod has won four from seven to this early point in his career. He faces his toughest test so far on Saturday in a BM88, but he looks to get the right conditions to measure up. He resumed this time back with an eye-catching second over 1800m at Rosehill before winning at Eagle Farm. Zaphod draws to get the right run, loves wet tracks off what we’ve seen and he has more upside than any other stayer here. The step out to 2100m looks perfect now third up. 1. Hopeful can improve sharply, particularly if the track is genuinely wet. The wetter the better for this eight-year-old. Nothing has gone right for him in two runs back. He pulled up with cardiac arrhythmia after dropping out at Newcastle first up before having no luck in the straight at Rosehill. Has been freshened since then six weeks between runs. The last time he raced with the same preparation he ran second to Eliyass and probably should have won.
How To Play It: Zaphod WIN
Race 8 – 4.40pm: WYONG LEAGUES GROUP $500,000 THE LAKES (1600m)
1. Robusto worked early to offset a wide barrier at Eagle Farm last start. He was picked off by Transatlantic late but lost little in defeat. That was coming back from the mile to 1400m. That just adds further merit to the performance. Given the run of form he is enjoying at the moment, he is the horse to beat at Wyong for the flying Bjorn Baker yard. Before last start in Queensland, the five-year-old won the Ingham at Randwick, building off a second in the Festival Stakes behind Private Eye. Has shown he can settle just about anywhere with the middle gate given Adam Hyeronimus options. Only has to hold his form to be in the finish again. 2. Osipenko hasn’t won for 90 weeks but he was cruelly denied in a bob of the heads in the Summer Cup two weeks ago. Tavi Time managed to get his nose down when it counted. Osipenko has to reproduce that now back from 2000m to 1600m and overcome a tricky gate.
How To Play It: Robusto WIN
Race 9 – 5.20pm: NBN NEWS BENCHMARK 78 HANDICAP (1200m)
1. Able Willie overraced in the early stages at Randwick first up yet still hit the line locked together with Invader Zim. His stablemate is expected to run well earlier in the meeting to frank that form line. Keep an eye on that. The Chris Waller-trained pair were no match for the winner Disneck but he has since won again. Able Willie isn’t the easiest horse to catch. He tends to float in and out of form, but his best would fight out the finish in this company. It’s an evenly matched field, and he’s the right price to take the punt. 2. Flying Destiny pulled up three out of five lame after failing last start so had a genuine excuse. Forget that. Off his first up run when second to Eye Of The Fire and the way he ended last campaign, he is a big player here. Drawn to get first crack at finding the front but with no shortage of speed, the barrier gives Ben Osmond options.
How To Play It: Able Willie EACH WAY
Race 10 – 6pm: ROYAL HOTEL WYONG BENCHMARK 78 HANDICAP (1350m)
4. Yorkshire should justify being sent around an odds-on favourite to round out the Wyong card. He’s a progressive four-year-old only into his second racing campaign with just five starts. He has won three of those. Resumed at Randwick with a narrow second to Accredited who has since won a BM88 by four lengths as a $1.50 favourite. Yorkshire had a few things against him three weeks ago, other than giving away a fitness advantage. Connections unsuccessfully lodged a protest after Accredited crossed Yorkshire, forcing Yorkshire to fire up in the run. That was also his first run on a good track. All of his previous form was on wet tracks. His race to lose. 1. West Of Africa doesn’t have a jockey booked and has also accepted for the Gold Coast, but he profiles as Yorkshire’s biggest threat if he’s here. Has to turn the tables from first up but he charged through the line from last. That sets up him summer campaign perfectly. Might want a touch further now.
How To Play It: Yorkshire WIN
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
