By Brad Gray
Race 1 – 11.15AM THYMELY FOOD CO 2YO HANDICAP (1200METRES)
8. Matusalem stamped himself as a two-year-old to follow after an eye-catching debut at Warwick Farm a couple of weeks ago. He’ll need to the turn the tables on 2. Namesake but the barrier and extra 100m should see him do that. The colt, by The Autumn Sun, was always going to be better as he got over further distance given his breeding, so to do what he did over 1100m bodes well for the future. He fits the profile perfectly as a JJ Atkins contender for Chris Waller. Namesake has to be a threat again given his breeding also suggests he’ll be better as he gets out over more ground. Like the gaps back through the field from his debut victory and that we’ve seen the form franked from that race already. 4. Snapback had the excuse of finding himself in an awkward spot first up. Doesn’t have those concerns here.
How to play it: Matusalem to win.
Think About It (left) is a star on the rise.Credit: Getty
Race 2 – 11.50AM TAB HIGHWAY HANDICAP (1200 METRES)
5. Remlaps Commander finished second last in his first Highway Handicap run three weeks ago, but he had genuine excuses. He travelled three wide the trip, having worked forward from the wide gate, and was said to have not handled the heavy track. The three-year-old should bounce back off that, winning a heat at Muswellbrook in good style since. Jenny Duggan jumps back on having won on the colt at Newcastle first up. With just the four starts to his name, the son of Extreme Choice has more upside than his rivals. 1. Blow Dart led in that same Highway as Remlaps Commander and boxed on bravely at the finish to be beaten a little more than three lengths. The form through that race stacked up last Saturday with the three horses that beat him home fighting it out for the minors behind Bianco Vilano. The four-year-old drops 2kg from that performance after the claim of Hannah Williams.
How to play it: Remlaps Commander to win.
Race 3 – 12.25PM MIDWAY HANDICAP (1200 METRES)
Kept coming back to 2. Turning; the main reason being that he is going to get the run of the race. The barrier gives Brad Rawiller the chance to stalk the speed. It’s not so simple for many of his main threats who are likely to be giving the gelding a couple of lengths turning for home. The four-year-old is a chunky little sprinter so tends to take a run to find winning form. With that in mind there was plenty of merit to his luckless first-up fourth behind Miss Jay Fox with 60.5kg on his back. With even luck he just about wins. Turning boasts a second-up record of 3:2-0-1. 3. Broken Arrows races well fresh, has trialled up nicely and boasts a great record at Gosford (4:2-1-1). 10. Miss Fox hasn’t been able to let down with her customary big finish at her past two starts on heavy tracks.
How to play it: Turning to win.
Race 4 – 1PM TOOHEYS 3 & 4YO BENCHMARK 72 HANDICAP (1600 METRES)
3. Rediener has to overcome a tricky gate, especially given the lack of pressure on paper, but willing to gamble that he has the class and recent form to record back-to-back victories. The three-year-old has returned a gelding this time back and has gone to another level. He was fantastic first up in a deep race where Hawaii Five Oh ran second before boxing on well behind Razeta in listed company on a heavy track. He got his dues last start winning what looked to be a stacked midweek race. The son of Redoute’s Choice looks beautifully set up out to the mile now on the 11-day turnaround. 4. Miss Madison loomed to win at Rosehill last Saturday, but her wheels spun late in the very testing conditions. Perhaps her condition blew out late too, only being second-up.
How to play it: Rediener to win.
Race 5 – 1.35PM PRESTIGE WEDDING & EVENT HIRE BENCHMARK 78 HANDICAP (2100 METRES)
11. Unamerican is the only last-start winner in the field, and what a win it was. The six-year-old made a mess of his rivals in the Orange Cup, justifying the confident support in betting. He put just shy of five lengths on Marsabit in second and he’s come out and won himself since. You wouldn’t think there’d be a lot of upside left given the gelding is 30 starts into his career, but a repeat of last start and he wins this, too. Unamerican has been back to the trials since his win and he cruised to the line under double grips. His record at Gosford reads 3:2-0-1 and can’t find a lot of pressure on paper so he can take up a prominent position in the run. 8. Comme Bella Fille profiles as the potential big improver.
How to play it: Unamerican to win.
Race 6 – 2.10PM MMM THUNDER THOUSAND BENCHMARK 78 HANDICAP (1000 METRES)
13. Kin has just the one career win to her name, a 900m maiden at Newcastle last preparation, but luck deserted her on a couple of occasions during the spring that followed. The filly should have won at Caulfield second-up, running into traffic. In her last start before spelling she ran a gutsy second down the straight to stablemate Renosu. Kin has looked great in a couple of trials ahead of her return and love the set-up tomorrow for her: a fast-run 1000m where she can stalk the speed with just 52.5kg on her back. 2. Vowmaster was a late scratching last Saturday after the track was downgraded at Rosehill. Plan B is a week later back to 1000m but doubt that worries him as he was brilliant first-up last campaign and should have won. 6. Winning Verse is a fast mare that should not be underestimated. Like the way she has trialled.
How to play it: Kin to win.
Race 7 – 2.45PM DE BORTOLI WINES TAKEOVER TARGET STAKES (1200 METRES)
We still don’t know how good 1. Think About It is. That’s the lure of the four-year-old, who has won six of his seven starts. All of his rivals here, with due respect, look to have just about found their level. What faces Think About It tomorrow is no easy task, however. The barrier complicates things, but we’ll leave that up to Sam Clipperton, who rode him in all four of his wins last campaign as he charged through the grades. It started in a midweek BM72 before ending with a dominant all-the-way win in group 3 company, beating Gravina and Bandersnatch. 7. Blondeau is back to defend his Takeover Target Stakes title after slipping up the fence to win it last year. The five-year-old is two from two over this track and trip, both wins coming first up. That wouldn’t be lost on Chris Waller. If it’s a pattern that works, stick with it. There was nothing between 8. Clemenceau and 3. Bacchanalia in the Star Kingdom.
How to play it: Think About It to win.
Race 8 – 3.25PM THE COAST (1600 METRES)
2. Military Expert had a lot against him first-up and was entitled to fade out of the finish. He was posted deep throughout and it was on a track closer to heavy than soft. He doesn’t like wet tracks. Barrier one tomorrow gives Rachel King options. Imagine she finds herself just in behind the speed. He is a four-year-old that has improved sharply second-up in his past two campaigns. Second-up last preparation, jumping from 1400m to the mile, he gapped Uncle Bryn and So Si Bon before being narrowly beaten by Gentleman Roy. Thereafter, he ran third in the group1 Toorak. Rustic Steel won this race 12 months ago coming off a fourth in the Provincial Midway Championships final, which is what 13. Kayobi will be out to replicate. Kayobi started favourite there but failed to quicken on the heavy track. 1. Welwal hasn’t had much luck with barriers this preparation, which has seen him give away unsurmountable head starts. Doesn’t have that same excuse here.
How to play it: Military Expert to win.
Race 9 – 4.05PM BUTERIN L’ESTRANGE GOSFORD GOLD CUP (2100 METRES)
3. Desert Icon stuck to his task courageously first up over the mile in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup behind stablemate New Mandate. That’s the first time in his career he has even placed first-up. His second-up form, on the other hand, tells a very different story, reading 4:2-0-1. He covered ground throughout a couple of weeks ago, too. He is a well-exposed seven-year-old stayer now, but he showed last campaign in Melbourne, with a couple of dominant wins, that he hasn’t finished adding to his tally yet. The other two ticks are getting out to 2100m, which seems to be his sweet spot on what he has done in Australia for Chris Waller, and where he’ll likely find himself in the run. Should be fighting out the finish. 7. Bois D’Argent was said to have felt the firmness of the track at Moonee Valley first up when disappointing as a $5.50 chance. That was seven weeks ago now. His trial since was a beauty at Rosehill suggesting that he is back on track.
How to play it: Desert Icon to win.
Race 10 – 4.45PM GOSFORD IT BENCHMARK 78 HANDICAP (1200METRES)
It’s easy to forget that 12. Flag Of Honour has only had one preparation. The three-year-old raced his way through from a maiden at Newcastle to competing against some of the best youngsters in the country. He ran fourth in the Ming Dynasty behind Golden Mile before backing that up with a similar run in the Dulcify behind Williamsburg and Communist. Hethen bled from both nostrils at Randwick, excusing his poor run. He has served the mandatory three-month ban. Like the way he trialled most recently at Gosford, looking sharp to win a heat over 1000m. 3. Short Shorts was undone by a heavy track at Randwick last start, where she failed to replicate her blistering first-up win at Kembla.
How to play it: Flag Of Honour to win.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
