By Brad Gray
Race 1 – 12.25PM WIDDEN KINDERGARTEN STAKES (1100 METRES)
1. North England has been playing catch up this time back. The Golden Gift winner missed a run in the Silver Slipper Stakes with a minor hiccup, which put him into the Todman first up before the Golden Slipper second up. He felt the pinch late in the Todman, as the market forecast. Wodeton and Nepotism have franked the form through that race. His Golden Slipper sixth had merit. He was pushed out early to cross from a wide gate. The race was fast run early, so he was entitled to be found out in the concluding stages, yet was beaten four lengths. Third up now back to 1100m and he maps to find the front. Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott won this race last year with Espionge. 2. King Of Pop was trapped three deep throughout in the Golden Slipper from a wide gate. Forget that. Before that, he won the Black Opal in good time. It’s a very different set up for him on Saturday having drawn barrier one. He should tag North England everywhere he goes. Like the way 11. Sylph has trialled.
How to play it: North England to win.
Another Wil (left) edges out Mr Brightside in the group 1 Orr Stakes at Caulfield in February.Credit: Getty Images
Race 2 – 1PM TAB ADRIAN KNOX STAKES (2000 METRES)
9. Polymnia justified being sent around $1.14 at Hawkesbury last start with a dominant win eased down. That maiden is out of the way now. She put 3.5 lengths on her rivals with runner-up Always Right subsequently winning at Newcastle. The O’Shea and Charlton-trained filly was great first up in a fast race behind Conchiero at Warwick Farm, which has since won in Melbourne, before clearing out to run second behind Majorca Sunset. She gives the impression that she will bounce off that win two weeks ago, and it gives her a grounding for this having won over 1800m. The stable won this race last year with Good Banter and this filly looks equally talented. 6. Belle Detelle is by Zed, the sire of Verry Elleegant, out of a Kiwi mare that won out to 2100m. This filly will relish 2000m. The trick will be getting her to settle. She has raced a touch keen in her career to date. She chased home Shanwah at her second start when the $1.50 favourite. At start four she won at Sandown at $1.40 and clocked the third fastest last 200m split of the meeting. Has big staying upside.
How to play it: Polymnia to win.
Race 3 – 1.35PM SCHWEPPES CHAIRMAN’S QUALITY (2600 METRES)
3. Alalcance produced a career-best performance when winning the Manion Cup two weeks ago with a brilliant front-running display. She led, cranked up the pressure in the middle stages and dashed clear. The official margin was 4.35 lengths. That was easingdown. The five-year-old mare looks to own this race from in front again as the only natural leader. It is unlikely she can repeat what she did a fortnight ago, but there is still plenty of room for her to come back off that and win this. 11. Strathtay was the best of the closers in the Manion. Looks to be building nicely into his autumn grand final, the Sydney Cup. He goes into everything. 1. Desert Hero is the runner that could upset Alalcance. The William Haggas stable was up front in reporting that he lost weight in transit and took a while to come to hand. He is a Royal Scot winner and has since placed in a group 1 St Leger. 2. Athabascan peaks now. In his past three campaigns fourth up he has won a St Leger, a Colins Stephens and finished second in a Sydney Cup.
How to play it: Alalcance to win.
Race 4 – 2.10PM HKJC WORLD POOL CARBINE CLUB STAKES (1600 METRES)
It’s plan B for 2. Swiftfalcon as an emergency for the Doncaster Mile, but a handy consolation. The Hawkes-trained gelding clocked exceptional closing splits when rattling home into second in the Hobartville Stakes first up, but nothing has fallen into place for him since. He was outside of his comfort zone in a fast-run mile second up before being set alight in the middle stages in the Rosehill Guineas. The 2000m again found him out, but he was set a task, being exposed a long way from home. That dulled his best asset, his turn of foot. He was brave in defeat to be beaten less than a length. Back to the mile, back in grade. The barrier dictates that he’ll be ridden for last crack. Not ideal when you’re taking even money, but should be too strong late for these. 1. Evaporate is the logical threat and no easy beat either. The race falls away a touch after those two. He ran fourth in the group 1 Futurity Stakes despite being camped three deep, beaten home by Mr Brightside, Tom Kitten and the now retired I Wish I Win. Ran well subsequently in The Kiwi as a $2.50 chance.
How to play it: Swiftfalcon to win.
Race 5 – 2.45PM EVERGREEN TURF COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL (1400 METRES)
There’s the 1. Gallant Star from his first 13 starts. Then there’s the Gallant Star from his past two. The five-year-old ended last campaign in a blaze of glory, demolishing his rivals in the Barn Dance. He came from the second half of the field, winning by five lengths, giving Jason Collett time to pose for a photo on the line. Dubbo-based trainer Brett Robb tipped the gelding out and planned to target the Country Championships. He resumed in the Coonamble heat and was expected to win, sent around $1.18. That he did with Collett taking no chances. He sent the hot pot to the front, and he won like it was a barrier trial. Draws beautifully. Rightfully a firm favourite. 14. Intervarsity is a lightly raced mare, and although the market has her second pick of the Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich runners, she beat 11. Know Thyself in the Tamworth qualifier. Freshened four weeks since, maps well and finds Damien Lane. The counter to that is Know Thyself jumped an odds-on favourite and has since booked a spot in the final by winning a wild card comfortably. The question is how flattered he was by the heavy track.
How to play it: Gallant Star to win.
Race 6 – 3.20PM INGLIS SIRES’ (1400 METRES)
3. Vinrock is the only runner with a 1400m race already to his name. It’s easy for punters to turn their noses up at the VRC Sires as a form reference, given that the past six Sires’ winners have come via the Golden Slipper. The last Sires’-Sires’ double was in 1981. However, Traffic Warden won the VRC Sires’ last year, ran in a Slipper before being beaten a photo in the Sires’. Veight won it the year prior and he ran fourth behind Militarize on a heavy track. History and patterns can be deceptive. Vinrock has a great racing pattern and will punch up to lead or trail the speed from barrier one. Mark Zahra follows him to Sydney to stay aboard. The colt is a month between runs but has trialled well at Randwick since, getting a look at the track. Respect the placement of the Hawkes stable with 9. Federalist. He perhaps should have won at Newcastle on debut when luckless behind 6. Buffalo. That ties into the Todman form. Don’t forget what the stable achieved with Nepotism last Saturday with a two-year-old having his second race start.
How to play it: Vinrock to win.
Race 7 – 3.55PM ASAHI SUPER DRY T J SMITH STAKES (1200 METRES)
The group 1 sprinting ranks are ripe for fresh blood. Enter 5. Briasa. He could not have done much more first up in the Galaxy. It was a remarkable effort to get as close as he did. It’s a near impossible task to come from last over 1100m on a dry track at Rosehill, let alone at a meeting where fence in run was advantageous and provided seven of the 10 winners. His last 600m split was 2.5 lengths quicker than the next best for the entire meeting. The four-year-old steps into weight-for-age for the first time, but he has won six from eight and has had excuses in the two defeats, beaten by wide gates on both occasions. He’ll settle much closer from the draw. Needs to improve again but he can. 7. Joliestar exploded back into form winning the Newmarket, reacting well to the straight for the first time. Freshened since then and four weeks between runs. Was an unlucky third up in the Everest off a very similar preparation. Respect the fresh record of 1. Overpass. He has won four of his past five starts.
How to play it: Briasa to win.
Race 8 – 4.35PM THE STAR DONCASTER MILE (1600 METRES)
1. Another Wil should have won the All Star Mile last start as a $2.70 favourite. He nearly came down in the straight when looking for a gap to let down. Light Infantry Man ran third, and he blew his rivals away in the Australian Cup last Saturday. First up Another Wil ran down Mr Brightside to win the CF Orr Stakes, with five lengths back to third. The history of the Doncaster says that punters should not be put off by wide gates over the Randwick mile. Nine of the past 16 Doncaster winners have won from double-figure barriers. Ciaron Maher also saddles up 2. Gringotts, which looks beautifully set up coming off a group 1 win in the George Ryder. He may have been flattered by the race shape, but he had Fangirl and Ceolwulf launching at him late, two of the best weight-for-age milers in the country. He is four from five over the mile and maps to get the perfect run. 3. Tom Kitten won the All Star Mile before also running in the George Ryder. The lack of pressure was against him there.
How to play it: Another Wil to win.
Race 9 – 5.15PM ATC AUSTRALIAN DERBY (2400 METRES)
The lone filly 18. Aeliana looks beautifully set up after a luckless second in the Rosehill Guineas. She’s no stranger to clashing with the colts and geldings, having raced well in the Hobartville and Randwick Guineas in two runs prior. The daughter of Castelvecchio was charging through the line two to their one late, just missing to Broadsiding. Her last 200m split was 1.5 lengths faster than the next best. It ranked the 10th quickest last 200m split of the meeting. That says staying 2400m won’t be an issue. Damian Lane rides her for the first time, but his job has been made easier by the soft gate. She won’t have to spend a penny early. Plenty of talented fillies have fallen short in this race since Shamrocker won it in 2011, but Aeliana looks to have found the right year. This crop of three-year-old fillies looks superior to the boys. 5. Plymouth raced without luck in the Rosehill Guineas and should have finished closer. That Aeliana form reference looks the best here, which makes him a player at double-figure odds.
How to play it: Aeliana to win.
Race 10 – 5.50PM PRECISE AIR P J BELL STAKES (1200 METRES)
1. Clean Energy defied the pattern to win at Moonee Valley last start. Settling on the fence proved a big advantage. Clean Energy was dragged back in the field to settle ninth in a field of 11 before circling at the turn, flushing out six horses at the top of the straight to run home over the top. The margin doesn’t do the win justice. That’s now three wins from four starts for the Zoustar filly. In her first two starts she beat Lady Shenandoah. 2. Zeitung ran home in fast time behind Enriched in the Fireball first up. He subsequently ran second to Autumn Glow in the Darby Munro. Just has to overcome a tricky draw. 3. Lilac has been no match for Lady Shenandoah and Lady Of Camelot in two recent starts. There is no shame in that. Back in grade here. Maps nicely from the perfect draw. 10. Island Dec gets the tongue tie for the first time, which might suggest she choked down last start. Has won three from three first up, so the five-week break works in her favour.
How to play it: Clean Energy to win.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
