By Brad Gray
RACE 1 – 12.30PM: BISLEY WORKWEAR REGINALD ALLEN QUALITY (1400m)
2. Wild Botanica battled on bravely at Rosehill last start in a genuinely run 1300m race against the older mares. The daughter of Spieth has been a handy pick up for Lee and Cherie Curtis and although she is giving away weight to most of her rivals, she brings genuine city-class benchmark form to the table. The same can’t be said for many others engaged here. She maps beautifully to settle in the first couple and her only previous run on a heavy track resulted in a dominant maiden victory in Queensland. 6. Lonrioli is a tall, rangy filly who will be better again in time but it all clicked for her at start three at Goulburn. She went straight to the front and just kept on running. Don’t mind the wide draw for her allowing Andrew Adkins plenty of time to roll across. Blueblood filly 9. Orzala put a poor debut behind her to bounce back at Newcastle, breaking her maiden.
How to play it: Wild Botanica each-way.
Strips fitter: James McDonald and Nature Strip have gone from strength to strength since last year’s Everest triumph. The veteran will go around as an odds-on favourite to make it a double at Randwick on Saturday.Credit:Getty
RACE 2 – 1.05PM: BIG DANCE WILD CARD (2000m)
1. Kirwan’s Lane is a pattern horse. Most recently he has needed his resuming run before firing at his next start. The six-year-old has won three of his past four second-up. Most encouraging perhaps is how well he went fresh this time back when only a couple of lengths behind Surf Dancer, finishing alongside Ellsberg. The six-year-old has won seven from 16 over the mile and is 4:2-0-1 over the Randwick 1600m. The 62kg weight is offset by the claim of Dylan Gibbons and he shouldn’t be left with any excuses from the perfect gate. Gets the perfect set-up to produce his best, which wins this, even with 60kg. He was touched off by Mensa Missile at Rosehill last start and he drops 8kg from that placing. 3. Steely clocked the second quickest last 600m of the meeting when seventh at Randwick first-up in a slowly-run race behind Remarque.
How to play it: Kirwan’s Lane to win.
RACE 3 – 1.40PM: NEW TAB APP CRAVEN PLATE (1800m)
1. Cascadian is entitled to be an odds-on favourite on the back of his brilliant Hill Stakes win where he knocked off Numerian and Montefilia. A repeat of that performance and he beats this field by even further. The eight-year-old has a terrific affinity with Randwick and he loves wet tracks. Prior to his three-length romp two weeks ago he ran fourth in a hot Makybe Diva Stakes field at Flemington. James McDonald has ridden Cascadian six times for three wins and two minor placings. The other nod for Cascadian holding his form, as that’s all he has to do, is how well he has coped with dropping back in trip in the past. 3. Surf Dancer got complete control in the group 2 Shannon Stakes at Rosehill last start but there was a lot to like about the way he quickened to put his rivals away. The form has been franked since via Ellsberg.
How to play it: Cascadian to win.
RACE 4 – 2.15PM: THE STAR ST LEGER STAKES (2600m)
2. Stockman is beautifully set up out to 2600m. He carried the 56.5kg top weight in the Metrop last start and wasn’t suited by the muddling speed, which turned the staying feature into a sprint home. He doesn’t have a turn of foot once he gets into his preparation and is better suited to a genuine staying contest. Despite those excuses, he was still beaten less than a length. Kicker is how well he is in under the set weights and penalties scale as the highest-rated runner. 6. Cadre Du Noir gapped his rivals in the Tatts Cup two starts ago over the Randwick 2400m before regressing onto a firmer track at Rosehill where Grove Ferry got the better of him late. Inclined to assess him here off the big Randwick win. Well placed back onto a wet deck. Keen to give 8. Chalk Stream another chance.
How to play it: Stockman to win.
RACE 5 – 2.50PM: THE KOSCIUSZKO (1200m)
3. Front Page was brilliant winning the Wagga Town Plate first-up last preparation. He put four lengths on his rivals having sat outside the leader. 2. Handle The Truth was seven lengths back. The lightly-raced six-year-old has won five of his 13 starts with three of them coming first-up. Hence he goes into this fresh. He also draws the perfect gate to stalk the speed with Tyler Schiller in the saddle, and it was the apprentice who piloted him to his Wagga win. Obviously he has been a horse plagued with issues but when he is on song, there aren’t too many country-trained gallopers that can match him. Particularly given they’ll have to come from behind to beat him. Don’t understand why 1. Art Cadeau is double-figure odds. The defending Kosciuszko champ jumped $4 favourite a year ago and justified that with a typically tenacious win. Sure, he carries 2kg more but he has gone to another level again since then and loves Randwick (6:4-1-0).
How to play it: Front Page to win, quinella 1 and 3.
RACE 6 – 3.25PM: FUJITSU GENERAL SYDNEY STAKES (1200m)
7. Remarque is reformed. He is yet to taste defeat as a gelding. The four-year-old promised so much earlier in his career but wasn’t delivering on the track. That’s all changed now as he works his way back through the grades. He comes through benchmark company but like the way he put his rivals away over this same track and trip two weeks ago on a heavy track. Hugh Bowman has been aboard in both wins this time back and he sticks with the cherry on top being the plum barrier. 2. Kementari has obvious claims coming through the Premiere Stakes where he finished on the heels of a trio all at the pointy end of the TAB Everest market. ‘Special K’ wouldn’t have looked out of place representing the Godolphin slot. Nash Rawiller is also the last jockey to win on him. 3. Gem Song is a great fresh horse and this looks a plan to target this race first-up.
How to play it: Remarque to win.
RACE 7 – 4.15PM: THE TAB EVEREST (1200m)
1. Nature Strip is the world’s best sprinter and he has the best jockey in the world on his back. That’s a formidable combination. It’s a pretty simple scenario for Nature Strip. If he produces his best, he’ll win. He’d have to underperform to be beaten. You’ve only got to watch replays of his last three wins to understand why he is an even-money favourite. He looked to be in second gear when winning The Shorts first-up, which you’d think he could only improve off. Nash Rawiller jumping back on is key to 2. Eduardo. The duo have combined 14 times for nine wins and four placings. Want to forgive his fourth in The Shorts as he wasn’t ridden to his best asset: his sustained speed. Last year’s TAB Everest and the past two runnings of the TJ Smith Stakes says he’ll be in the minors again. 4. Masked Crusader is another proven big-time performer.
How to play it: Nature Strip to win.
RACE 8 – 4.50PM: SILVER EAGLE (1300m)
It all went pear-shaped for 1. Mr Mozart first-up in the Theo Marks Stakes when he fired up in the middle stages. That saw him wide and working for the latter half of the race. Just as he looked to be fading out of the finish he picked himself up off the canvas to raise a second effort. That was on a good track too. The four-year-old relished wet tracks at the back end of last campaign, winning three on the bounce. 8. Loch Eagle’s Canterbury win first-up had to be seen to be believed. The question mark remains as to what he beat but he mixed it with 3. Vilana and 4. Kiss Sum last preparation which ties in well here. 2. Startantes should have been fighting out the finish with Nimalee in the Golden Pendant last start if not for striking traffic. That’s always the risk with her racing style, however.
How to play it: Mr Mozart to win.
RACE 9 – 5.30PM: FIVE DIAMONDS PRELUDE (1500m)
It’s hard to tip against a last-start Epsom winner like 1. Ellsberg. It’s not as if he did it with a featherweight either. He only got half-a-kilo off Top Ranked who he dead-heated with. Given the company he faces in this, he isn’t too badly treated even with 59.5kg. The five-year-old handles all tracks, maps to get a lovely smother just in behind the speed and if anything, coming back slightly in trip to 1500m looks a positive. Looking back through Ellsberg’s history, some of his best performances have come fourth-up and the way he has returned this campaign, would expect similar here. You have to go back to June 2021 but 2. Ayrton put a gap on Ellsberg at Eagle Farm. He did more than enough first-up behind I Wish I Win at Sandown. The obvious knock is that one of Ayrton’s worst career runs came on his only try on wet ground.
How to play it: Ellsberg to win.
RACE 10 – 6.10PM: FURPHY ANGST STAKES (1600m)
1. Polly Grey is the epitome of a wet-tracker. She’s a completely different horse when she gets conditions to suit. The Randwick track won’t be as wet as last Saturday but she just needs the track in the soft or heavy range and she’s sure to get that. The last time she raced on a heavy track she ran Zaaki to a length. The evergreen eight-year-old is just so well placed at the weights given her rating is a whopping 20 points clear of the second highest. Can’t find a lot of speed on paper so can see her lobbing into a prominent spot by default. Wouldn’t be surprised to see 11. Narrated sneak into the placings given she is the only obvious leader in a field largely made up of backmarkers. Her record reads 6:3-2-1 on heavy ground. Be forgiving of her defeat to 8. Finepoint last start on a good track. Got a perfect ride there and she delivered.
How to play it: Polly Grey to win.
