By Brad Gray
RACE 1 – 12.20PM TAB HIGHWAY HCP (1400m)
Would love to see 5. Lockdown Gamble let slide early and take up the running now he’s third up. There doesn’t look to be a lot of speed on paper here either. The lightly raced five-year-old wasn’t beaten far by To The Nines in a Highway Handicap two weeks ago. He resented being restrained in the middle stages but he was coming again through the line to run fourth. 6. Lady Kah has more upside than anything else here. She’s two from two and skipped a few grades second up but won by the same margin. It’s no easy task jumping from a maiden to a Class 3. In that race at Goulburn was 8. Danzadel, which is a proven Highway performer. If 1. Tap ‘N’ Run gets the first half of the race right, he’ll be in the finish.
How to play it: Lockdown Gamble each way.
Rustic Steel is the top pick for The Gong.Credit:Steve Hart Photographics
RACE 2 – 12.55PM COUNT DE RUPEE MIDWAY BENCHMARK 72 HCP (1400m)
4. Danish Prince was only beaten three lengths in the Four Pillars first up and it would have been even less had he got clear sooner. The four-year-old then backed that up with a brave second at Rosehill seven days later in Midway company. He travelled three deep the trip and had to cope with a drop back from 1500m to 1300m. It was a big run. 17. Stolen Jade hold plenty of interest if she’s here. She covered ground fresh at Rosehill and knocked up. She has contested much deeper races than this and was a second-up winner last preparation. 1. Astero had his chance last start in Midway company through the same race as Danish Prince. Should be at his top now third up.
How to play it: Danish Prince to win.
RACE 3 – 1.30PM ELITE SAND & SOIL BENCHMARK 78 HCP (2000m)
7. Colour Sergeant looks ready to get back into the winners’ stall fourth up out to 2000m. It was at this time in his last campaign that he really started to find his form, winning a Midway in dominant fashion. He ended the campaign with a second to Born A King. The five-year-old was coming again through the line at Rosehill last start, just finding the 1800m a touch too sharp, particularly given the way the race was run. 10. Just A Jedi comes through the same race as Colour Sargeant and did run straight past him in the straight. He is flying without reward this campaign and should have beaten Pale King the start prior. 6. Karmazone possesses a turn of foot that few of his rivals can match and he has returned as well as ever. Forgive last start given he got too far back in a leader dominated race.
How to play it: Colour Sargeant to win.
RACE 4 – 2.05PM ELEVEN ELEVEN BENCHMARK 78 HCP (1000m)
8. Quick Tempo has had very little go his way recently and that run of rotten luck continued at Randwick two weeks ago. The four-year-old powered to the line with the hand break still on. He simply had nowhere to go in the straight. He struck trouble behind Maotai last preparation before bombing the start third up behind Shades Of Rose before clocking the fastest closing splits of the meeting in defeat. After winning his first five starts, he’s winless for just short of a year now but it’s not through a lack of form. This would’ve been a target race for 7. Our Bellagio Miss on her home track. She ran second to Athelric first up last campaign and liked the way she trialled up ahead of her return. Four of 6. Stoical’s five career wins have come first up and all five have been over 1000m. He goes like a rocket fresh and is a specialist over this trip.
How to play it: Quick Tempo to win.
RACE 5 – 2.40PM PFD FOOD SERVICES F&M BENCHMARK 78 HCP (1200m)
14. Pretty Wild has won two of her three starts and the miss was a narrow second. It’s a fair start to a career. The four-year-old mare, trained by Chris Waller, has had just the one quiet 850m trial ahead of her return which might hint that there’s improvement to come but she might be good enough to overcome that. 11. Vianello only needed a couple more strides to have run down Way To The Stars first up over 1000m. She had to be coaxed through a flat spot. Well placed out to 1200m and she can only improve given she was 46weeks between runs.
13. Embeller is yet to win beyond 1100m but she hasn’t been far away over 1200m in the past, including last start when a closing third to Plymstock. Just needs to be cuddled up for long enough to produce her short, sharp sprint.
How to play it: Pretty Wild to win.
RACE 6 – 3.20PM TRAFFIC LOGISTICS CG&E BENCHMARK 78 HCP (1200m)
14. Able Willie promised so much after dominating his midweek rivals on debut but he hasn’t landed a knockout blow since. The market expectation has always been there, however. He’s met Mazu in two of those losses and started favourite on both occasions. The four-year-old has undergone tie-back surgery since we last saw him so there was obviously a breathing issue that needed to be rectified. The other thing the gelding had to correct was his racing manners. He simply did too much wrong to be matching motors with horses of that calibre. Trialled nicely, maps well. Worth another chance. 3. Rainbow Connection got his career back on track with a good win at Eagle Farm first up three weeks ago. That coincided with getting back onto a good track. The lightly raced five-year-old has always had a huge amount of ability. He’s well set up to go back-to-back now he’s found winning form again.
How to play it: Able Willie to win.
RACE 7 – 4PM THE WARRA (1000m)
1. Malkovich returns for Warra redemption having run second in this race 12 months ago as a firm $2.35 favourite. He was slow into stride on that occasion, still presented like the winner but was run down in the final stride by Eleven Eleven. Fast forward a year and although he has only won one race since, three of his subsequent nine starts have been at G1 level. He has also been plagued by a run of wet tracks. Drawn to get first crack at the fence, it’ll take a fast one to eye ball Malkovich. The drop back to 1000m suits as does the dry track. He’ll look the winner for a long way. 3. Athelric’s most recent form doesn’t read like much on paper but he looks better placed back to a bend. The cherry on top ishow well he maps. 2. Bruckner is the wildcard. He has spent 55 weeks on the sidelines after running second to Home Affairs in the G1 Coolmore.
How to play it: Malkovich to win.
RACE 8 – 4.40PM THE GONG (1600m)
4. Rustic Steel accelerated brilliantly from midfield to win the Big Dance last start, giving away 6.5kg to the runner-up. They cleared out from third. Now the five-year-old has got out to the mile and found winning form again, expect him to hold it. He won back-to-back races last preparation with a similar set-up, taking out The Coast and Scone Cup. Can’t find too many chinks in his armour. He’s now eight from 17, with his last five by half a length or less. It’s an admirable trait. Put him in the right spot and he’ll more often than not do the rest. 12. Hope In Your Heart was outstanding in the Golden Eagle running on into fourth. It’s a proper race every year and this year is no different with In The Congo and Vilana running the quinella in The Hunter. 14. Purple Sector is a quite achiever. Sees his first good track this campaign and gets into the right spot.
How to play it: Rustic Steel to win.
RACE 9 – 5.20PM ABAX CONTRACTING BENCHMARK 88 HCP (1600m)
With the exception of import 4. Nugget, it’s fair to suggest that the rest of his rivals here have found their respective levels. The lightly raced six-year-old, formerly trained in the UK, already boasts a fantastic record (12:4-5-1) and we got our first look at him at Flemington two weeks ago. The wet track was said to have not suited and 1400m was going to be a tad sharp given that all of his form is over the mile but he was only beaten a length into second behind talented stablemate Detonator Jack. Nugget was first up for 46 weeks too. Profiles like a horse that won’t have too much trouble working his way through the benchmark grades. 11. Solar Apex beat home 2. Steely, flooding home from the tail of the field. He again maps to give away a similar start but look for him late. 15. Momack comes off a dogged second at Hawkesbury to Kirwan’s Lane.
How to play it: Nugget to win.
RACE 10 – 5.55PM EVERGREEN TURF AUSTRALIA BENCHMARK 78 HCP (1400m)
Would be bullish about the chances of 2. Irish Legend over a mile but happy to gamble that he can still prove too classy over 1400m. He attacks this race fresh and we saw what he did on his Australian debut over 1500m behind Wicklow first up. The five-year-old took a while to click through his gears but he was trucking Kerrin McEvoy through the line. To seal the deal is how well Irish Legend has trialled ahead of his second campaign for Les Bridge. 16. Manderboss looks a fantastic knockout hope. Like the way he closed off behind Ang Pow at Newcastle first up before he had no luck in a deep race at Randwick last start that has produced two winners. Expecting more aggressive tactics aboard 4. Mach Schnell now he’s got the run under his belt. That’ll see him give a sight.
How to play it: Irish Legend to win.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au.
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