By Brad Gray
Race 1 – 11.40AM TAB HIGHWAY HCP (1200m)
It’s not hard to knock up a compelling case for 8. Opal Ridge proving too good for this C3 company. The filly gapped last Saturday’s Highway winner Rebel’s Edge first up at Scone, which saw her jump $6.50 in a deep race at Rosehill, where was finished a luckless second to Troach. The winner went on to place in the Rosebud while back in the field was the subsequent San Domenico Stakes winner Sweet Ride. Last start she was trapped four wide the trip in the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes, a race that was also dominated by those on speed. 2. Pure Fuego’s racing pattern makes him a frustrating horse to catch but he can run blistering closing splits and wasn’t beaten all that far by The Big Easy and Shades Of Rose last start. That was seven weeks ago now. He’s had a tick-over trial since and reallycaught the eye winning his heat at Tamworth.
How to play it: Opal Ridge to win.
Surefire is the tip for the feature Chelsmford Stakes. Credit:Getty
Race 2 – 12.15PM MIDWAY HCP (1800m)
6. Scorched Land only has to hold his form to be in the finish again. The five-year-old finds himself in terrific form at the moment, beating Bazooka in a Midway two weeks ago over the Randwick mile. The runner-up had to give him 5kg but he put two lengths on him late to run out a dominant winner. The low draw could even see Scorched Land park up a touch closer than last start. Randwick promises another soft track on Saturday which is perfect for the son of Sizzling. 3. Dick Whittington hasn’t won in two years but hasn’t lined up in this grade for some time either. 7. Bacio Del Mist is a lightly raced staying mare still on the up coming off a big win at Canterbury despite being the rank outsider in the field of eight. She should only improve further out to 1800m third up.
How to play it: Scorched Land to win.
Race 3 – 12.50PM WORLD GYM CASTLEREAGH HCP (1100m)
1. Rubinocchi had excuses last Saturday at Rosehill. The rails in run proved to be some disadvantage last week which didn’t suit the front-running mare. She was five weeks between runs there. The Joe Pride-trained daughter of Rubick looks beautifully placed on the back-up coming back to her own sex and in a four-year-olds and up race. Dylan Gibbons takes off 3kg, which offsets the 61kg. She’ll spear to the front with Gibbons knowing that he is on a hard fit horse that is most dynamic when let stride. There will still be plenty of improvement in 13. Hoovery Lucy given she has spent 43 weeks on the sidelines, but her talent is still likely to see her in the finish somewhere first up over 1100m. Maps to get a perfect run in transit and she trialled well at Rosehill recently.
How to play it: Rubinocchi to win.
Race 4 – 1.25PM YLC CITY TATTERSALLS CLUB CUP (2400m)
It’s been an eventful start to 10. Chalk Stream’s Australian career. He’s only had four starts here but we’ve just about seen it all from him already. We can add missing the start by 10 lengths into the mix after his first-up antics. He reared as the gates opened. The five-year-old is an out-and-out 2400m horse so willing to gamble that he can jump out of the ground out to his right trip second up. Gets in with 53kg and Kerrin McEvoy jumps back on. 6. Raging Bull offers up a different form line to the Premier’s Cup. He was outstanding winning first up over 1800m with 61kg from well back in the field, defying the Rosehill bias at that meeting. Proved himself up to better races as a three-year-old when mixing it with the likes of Anamoe and Hitotsu.
How to play it: Chalk Stream each way.
Race 5 – 2PM SOUTHERN CROSS GROUP CONCORDE STAKES (1000m)
Nature Strip is the best sprinter inthe country but there is an argument to be made that
1. Eduardo is the best we’ve got over 1000m and 1100m. In his seven runs for Joe Pride over that distance range, he has won five of them. One defeat was at the hands of Classique Legend, the other was down the Flemington straight. The evergreen nine-year-old turns up preparation after preparation, handles all conditions and puts himself on speed. The last time he tackled this track and trip he jumped $2.30 in a field that included Nature Strip; now we’re getting a similar price without him here. 5. Athelric maps to tag Eduardo into the straight and, although this is a jump in grade for him, he is chasing five straight wins and is a 1000m specialist. Wet or dry it doesn’t matter for him.
How to play it: Eduardo to win.
Race 6 – 2.35PM DARLEY FURIOUS STAKES (1200m)
7. North Star Lass profiles to be dangerous without another obvious leaders. If her rivals don’t give her due respect, she’ll pinch it. The filly camped outside of the leader in the Silver Shadow and was boxing away at the end to hold down third. That also gives her a fitness advantage over some of her key rivals. There is still no telling which of these fillies will jump out of the ground at three but, given the map favours North Star Lass is likely to get and the merit in her last-start effort, she gets an appealing set-up. 3. Paris Dior is a sharp filly and won’t be far away in the run from the soft draw. Was the last-start winner ofthe Percy Sykes when eight weeks between runs on a testing track. It was a brilliant win. Has caught the eye in her two trials this time back too.
How to play it: North Star Lass to win.
Race 7 – 3.15PM GPI TRAMWAY STAKES (1400m)
1. Zaaki won this race brilliantly 12 months ago. Wouldn’t expect him to produce anything less this time back. Since then he has won another two G1s, placed in a further three and taken out the All-Star Mile. He isn’t getting anyyounger, granted, but it’s easy to justify the eight-year-old being an odds on favourite. His two trials suggest that he has returned just as well as last preparation, which is all we needed to see from him. Should win again, as the early market implies. 3. Converge has been at his most explosive when ridden on the quiet side so the wide draw perhaps isn’t a huge disadvantage to that extent. His record suggests that he improves into his preparation but he has never resumed over 1400m. His form through Anamoe obviously ties in very well here.
How to play it: Zaaki to win.
Race 8 – 3.55PM DAILY PRESS CHELMSFORD STAKES (1600m)
9. Surefire announced his spring return in brilliant fashion at Rosehill three weeks ago. The race worked out perfectly for him, but he had to be sharp at the end of 1400m and that he was, clocking the second quickest last 200m split of the meeting. Is the sprint still going to be in his legs second up given he has long-term goals over staying trips over the carnival? Where does he get to from the wide draw in a race lacking speed? It’s a race that throws up plenty of questions and it’s no forgone conclusion that Surefire repeats what he did first up, but we’ll leave tactics in the hands of James McDonald. The import has now won five of his nine starts and is still very much on an upward spiral. 15. Montefilia has only ever won once first up and that was on debut as a two-year-old but deserves respect.
How to play it: Surefire to win.
Race 9 – 4.35PM CONNECTION 2 SPORTS HCP (1200m)
If the track is genuinely wet, it brings 4. Geo right into the race. He easily accounted for Kiss Sum in a Newcastle Provincial Championships Qualifier on a heavy track the last time we saw him at the races. That was second up out to 1400m but he was 63weeks between runs so was always going to improve. A first-up third to Roots with 60kg doesn’t read too badly for this anyways.
14. Hell I Am is up and running, dodging last week’s Up And Coming for this assignment where he get in with just 53kg. Maps to camp just in behind a genuine speed. Like the way he put away his older rivals in midweek company last start. 5. Silent Impact is two from two fresh and has been at his most dynamic over the sprint trips.
How to play it: Geo each way.
Race 10 – 5.10PM IKON SERVICES HCP (1600m)
Former Kiwi 18. Bold Mac plummets 8.5kg from last start and is likely to find himself on a slightly wetter track. That set-up can see him bounce back. The other big factor in his favour is the low draw. It can see him park up just in behind the speed. It’s a similar scenario that saw him win so impressively at his first run in Australia at Rosehill. Jay Ford was in the saddle there and he reunites with the five-year-old two starts later. 14. Niffler has a fantastic record over the mile (3:2-1-0) and was perfectly set up two weeks ago over this same track and trip. She too drops considerably in weight jumping into BM94 company.
12. Kiss The Bride has a history of bouncing back from a shocking first-up run. He has been back to the trials since and looked great. The blinkers go back on. Wary.
How to play it: Bold Mac to win.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au.
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