By Brad Gray
Race 1 – 12.30PM MIDWAY HANDICAP (1200 METRES)
5. The Extreme Cat is already a Midway winner at Rosehill. The caveat is that it was over 1400m. However, the Nathan Doyle-trained gelding has been effective over shorter trips in the past. The key looks to be dry tracks, which he’ll get on Saturday with the hot weather forecast. It took the five-year-old three runs to find winning form last time in, but he raced on heavy tracks first and second up. As soon he struck good tracks, he won two straight. Forget that The Extreme Cat failed the last time he was at the races in September. It was a soft track and he pulled up three out of five lame. Has trialled well. Isn’t confidence an amazing thing with race horses? 9. Tenderize was winless for 19 starts. He then scrambled home at Canterbury to make it two career wins. At his subsequent start at Warwick Farm he went straight to the front again and won by a space. Braith Nock maintains the ride and will be out to adopt the same tactics. 12. Let’s Go Again resumed over 900m last preparation before beating Mogul Monarch out to 1200m second up at Kembla Grange.
How to play it: The Extreme Cat to win.
Lady Shenandoah scorched the Randwick turf in winning the Surround Stakes at Randwick on March 1.Credit: Getty Images
Race 2 – 1.05PM BISLEY WORKWEAR HANDICAP (1900 METRES)
The blinkers going back on looks a significant gear change for 5. Father’s Day. The front-running stayer asserted control over 2000m at Randwick last start but got the staggers late. He perhaps lacked concentration late without the shades on. He was also five weeks between his first and second runs. Despite that, he was firm in betting. Third up he should be just about ready and Rachel King jumps back aboard. She has been aboard in both of the gelding’s Australian wins. The blinkers went back on second up last campaign and he improved sharply to run Golden Path to a narrow margin. A lot of the attention will be on the two three-year-old prospects, but they’ll know they’re in a race with hard nut Father’s Day running along out in front. 8. Perfect Play looks to bring strong Melbourne form lines into this. He was only beaten two lengths by odds-on favourite Revelare two weeks ago at Flemington, which has now won five straight races. Would have liked to have seen Prefect Play a touch stronger late given the easy time he had through the first half.
How to play it: Father’s Day to win.
Race 3 – 1.40PM TAB PAGO PAGO STAKES (1200 METRES)
The lack of market support for 1. West Of Swindon first up told the story. He needed the run. Despite that, he still ran second in the Silver Slipper, no match for Beiwcht with Wodeton in third. West Of Swindon missed the Todman last Saturday with a minor setback, which is never ideal, particularly for two-year-olds. However, the Hawkes stable presses on with the colt’s autumn campaign. On debut, he was beaten by the barrier in the Golden Gift when second to North England. He’s shown talent from the start and lines up at just start three with more to come. Maps perfectly in a race without a lot of speed on paper. 4. Skyhook should have won the Skyline. He was disappointed for a run in the straight and had to switch back to the fence, the inferior going. It was a sprint home so can be forgiving when assessing the bunched finish. 10. Valedictorian was beaten less than a length there and could get another easy time in front.
How to play it: West Of Swindon to win.
Race 4 – 2.15PM RACING AND SPORTS MAGIC NIGHT STAKES (1200 METRES)
9. Dream Side had to be dragged back to the tail of the field on debut at Canterbury. She cut the corner, and having momentarily been held up, hit the line locked together with Marhoona. Can make a case that she should have won. That’s an important form reference, recently upgraded with Marhoona since running a brave second to Tempted in the Reisling Stakes on Saturday. 6. Autumn Blonde ran third at Canterbury and was beaten a length in the Sweet Embrace. Josh Parr rode the Trapeze Artist filly in both of her trials before her debut. 5. Strada Varenna looks a sharp filly, but how flattered was she by zipping around Canterbury on debut? Of the seven winners that night, six settled first or second in the run. She didn’t smash the clock either. 2. Artistic Venture was sandwiched between runners in a messy finish to the Sweet Embrace. Backmarkers were flattered by the race shape, but the Inglis Millenium form continues to hold up. Draws 14 of 14 but finds James McDonald.
How to play it: Dream Side each way.
Race 5 – 2.50PM ASAHI SUPER DRY SKY HIGH STAKES (2000 METRES)
1. Lindermann may have been flattered by the race shapes in the Apollo Stakes and Verry Elleegant, but there are no Via Sistinas or Fangirls in this field. There are some talented stayers, but they won’t be peaking until they get out to 2400m in the Tancred and even two miles in the Sydney Cup. This is a stepping stone. The 2000m is Lindermann’s sweet spot and Saturday is his best chance to win this autumn before tackling an Australian Cup. In his two previous runs over the Rosehill 2000m he won the Rosehill Guineas before winning this same race 12 months ago by four lengths, as an odds-on favourite. Nash Rawiller looks to get complete control from in front. 2. Arapaho has been beaten a length by Lindermann in two runs back. Like the way he has been building through the line. He again faces the prospect of chasing down Lindermann in a sit-sprint. In his favour is the step out to 2000m and that he maps to stalk the favourite from the inside gate. Market moves on 5. Vauban will be significant. He started $8 in a Melbourne Cup.
How to play it: Lindermann to win.
Race 6 – 3.25PM CHANDON PHAR LAP STAKES (1500 METRES)
12. Declichy Boulevard was powering through the line in the group 1 Surround Stakes last start. She should have finished a clear third behind Lady Shenanadoah and Lady Of Camelot if not for traffic in the straight. They are the favourites for the Coolmore. It’s a strong form reference given the time the race was run in and that should top off Declichy Boulevard perfectly third up out to 1500m. This is a race Chris Waller and James McDonald have owned recently, combining to win four of the past six. Waller has trained seven of the past 10 winners. Looks a tricky race to map without an obvious leader, but we’ll leave that to J-Mac. 9. Lazzura was rock solid in defeat also through the Surround. She was no match for the quinella, but held down third and the map looks more straightforward for her having drawn barrier two. 8. Powers Of Opal never got into the race in the Surround from out the back. Want to forgive her that. She was excellent second up last campaign against a bias.
How to play it: Declichy Boulevard to win.
Race 7 – 4PM IKON SERVICES MAURICE MCCARTEN STAKES (1100 METRES)
Wouldn’t recommend pinning your hopes on backmarkers over the Rosehill 1100m as a long-term punting strategy, particularly when they are favourite. However, we’ll make an exception with 7. Pisanello. There looks to be a lot of speed drawn in and out, which should set it up for the Godolphin sprinter. 2. Insurrection led an Oakleigh Plate last start and he has drawn widest. Pisanello won three from three last campaign and was brilliant winning first up. He is at his devastating best on dry tracks, so conditions on Saturday should suit and the four-year-old has looked sharp in two trials. With 53kg he sets up to get last shot. Zac Lloyd looks an astute booking. He jumps off 6. Time To Boogie to ride Pisanello. Time To Boogie doesn’t have to lead, but he won’t want to be pinned away on the fence with the leaders coming back into his lap. The alternative is being eyeballed in front. Important decisions need to be made by Regan Bayliss in the first 300 metres. Insurrection may burn across and take running down.
How to play it: Pisanello to win.
Race 8 – 4.35PM COOLMORE CLASSIC (1500 METRES)
4. Lady Shenandoah is a two-time group 1-winning filly, both against her own age. Chris Waller is typically conservative with the placement of his most talented three-year-olds in autumn, yet is happy to line up against the older mares, and from a wide gate. That speaks volumes. The daughter of Snitzel jumped $1.30 in the Surround two weeks ago. The margin was only narrow with a gallant 6. Lady Of Camelot making her earn the win, but that doesn’t detract from the merit of her performance. She smashed the clock, marginally outside of Trapeze Artist’s 1400m Randwick track record. We know the step out to 1500m holds no fears for Lady Shenandoah given how she won the Flight Stakes out to the mile in spring. Lady Of Camelot defied a big late drift and answered the obvious query heading into that race – whether she was too brilliant for 1400m. There was little between the last 200m splits of Lady Shenandoah and Lady Of Camelot, so 1500m looks fine, too. Typhoon Tracy was the last filly to win this race in 2009. 1. Amelia’s Jewel carries 58kg, but recent winners of this race have overcome big weights.
How to play it: Lady Shenandoah to win.
Race 9 – 5.15PM HYLAND RACE COLOURS AJAX STAKES (1500 METRES)
1. Pericles has to carry 59kg, but it is hard to ignore his second-up form (5:3-2-0). James McDonald rides, too. The five-year-old travelled into the Futurity Stakes like he’d be somewhere in the finish but looked to blow out in condition late, beaten three lengths by Mr Brightside and Tom Kitten. That’s group 1 weight-for-age form. Second up over the spring he carried 59kg over the 1500m at Moonee Valley and after settling outside the leader, pulled away to win by 2.5 lengths. The son of Street Boss has also raced well at Rosehill in the past. 5. New Energy’s racing style invites bad luck, but he’s had his share in his nine Australian runs. It masks his level of talent. His two previous first-up runs for Ciaron Maher have been excellent, charging home in some of the fastest close splits of the meeting. That was despite being held up in the latest. This time back he resumes over 1500m instead of 1300m. 4. Freedom Rally’s form ties in neatly with Pericles. The barrier doesn’t help, but Tommy Berry has ridden him well in the past.
How to play it: Pericles to win.
Race 10 – 5.55PM QUAYCLEAN HANDICAP (1400 METRES)
9. Harlem Queen charged through the grades in spring to find herself in the group 1 Flight Stakes third up. That was on the back of two provincial wins. She ran second to Lady Shenandoah. Something had to, and it was three lengths away, but Snow In May ran third, Powers Of Opal fourth and Lazzura fifth. It was a deep race. Nathan Doyle’s placement with his talented filly is curious first up, missing a Surround Stakes and opting to kick off over 1400m in benchmark company. She looked sharp in her most recent trial, taking ground off her stablemate Private Harry, the early favourite for the Galaxy. James McDonald has been booked for Saturday. The way 12. Les Vampires dropped off in the straight before coming again through the line suggested that Adam Hyeronimus should have let the four-year-old roll in front, as opposed to turn the race into a sprint home. That’s easy to say with the benefit of hindsight and Les Vampire was on the sidelines for 42 weeks prior so, ultimately, he did right by the horse. Anyway, he looks well set up out to 1400m now, stripping fitter second up
How to play it: Harlem Queen to win.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
