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The beginning of the Championships kicks off on at Randwick this afternoon with a bumper program including four Group 1's.

A lot has been made during the week of the Golden Slipper curse as seven of the last eight failed to win another race.

For mine it's a load of rubbish, you don't become slower for crossing the line first at Rosehill, you may however be found out at three when the others catch up.

Fortunately for Fireburn she lines up two weeks after her Slipper with the old 'ahead of the curve' still in her favour (if true).

In the Slipper she returned the fastest L800m, L600m, L400m and L200m of the race and went past her rivals as if they were nailed to the fence.

Overall she recorded the 13th fastest L200m of the meeting, highlighting her strength through the line and emphasized she will have no concerns with the step up in trip on Saturday.

We had been waiting all season for a two-year-old to stand up and be counted and it was Fireburn in the Slipper.

Her Timeform rating of 118 rocketed her to the top of Timeform's leaderboard and it will take a top shelf performance to knock her of her perch.

In the last 20 years if you backed the top rated horse in the Sires' you would have a 45 per cent strike rate.

If you focus solely on horses rated >=116, your strike rate improves to 50 per cent.

Given the likely wet conditions I mark her a smidge better than toss of the coin odds.

The Group 3 Adrian Knox has come up a shade weaker than recent years however that plays into the favour of the James Cummings trained Mamounia.

An impressive winner at Newcastle over 2000m prior to a break, she really caught the eye first up when narrowly beaten over 1300m.

She did miss a run at Kembla when the races were abandoned on the 19/03 but has since been back to the trials and while up sharply in trip, she will be better suited over 2000m.

From a ratings perspective she almost rates top (weight adjusted) off her last start and given she is expected to improve again, she looks hard to beat.

I've marked her favourite and with 7-1 around, she looks a great gamble.

Simon Dinopoulos' Tips:

Race 3 #12 Mamounia @ $8.00
Race 6 #12 Fireburn @ $2.50

ATC & Racing and Sports' Race by Race Randwick Preview and Race Analysis Card

RACE 4 @ 1:55pm - Group 2 Chairman's Quality (2600m)

Expecting Knights Order and Nerve Not Verve to press forward and set the tempo. Chalk Stream (12) stayed on really well in the NE Manion Cup last start when forced to sit wide throughout. Rates highly off the back of that effort and with further improvement anticipated he should prove hard to beat down in the weights. ZEYREK (6) travelled well throughout and looked the winner early in the straight but didn't appear to see out the trip last start behind No Compromise. Little niggle out to 2600m but trust the stable. GREAT HOUSE (2) should be nearing his peak third up and a key switch with Bowman on. SUGGESTED PLAY: Backing Chalk Stream to go on with the job.

RACE 5 @ 2:35pm - Country Championships Final (1400m)

Strong tempo from the outset with Great Buy, Amulet Street and Lockdown Gamble all rolling forward. Far Too Easy (2) only won narrowly at Grafton to qualify but it was a big effort after being forced to go back from the wide draw. Form prior behind King Of Sparta and Me Me Lagarde sees him rated top and with McDonald booked he is clearly the one to beat. EDIT (6) was good late at Scone and is sure to derive good improvement from that run. Feel he will be better over further but the testing ground plays right into his hands and he looms as a major threat. CAVALIER CHARLES (1) beat the former last start and hits this in great form having won three of his last four. Kah takes over and he is very hard to knock. TESTATOR SILENS (4) hasn't been seen since winning the Nowra qualifier and is proven to handle all conditions. Big chance again. SUGGESTED PLAY: Slight lean to Far Too Easy - great race.

RACE 6 @ 3:15pm - Group 1 Inglis Sires (1400m) 

Daumier has the pace to work to the front from wide out. Fireburn (12) couldn't have been more impressive in the Golden Slipper last start when she went past them like they were standing still in the straight. Ran sharp figures and recorded the 13th best L200m of the meeting. Only has to hold that form out to 1400m and she is sure to take plenty of beating. SHOWCOURT (10) had no luck late in the Todman Stakes and gives the impression he will relish the step up in trip. Drawn to get every chance for McDonald and looms as a major threat. DAUMIER (1) stuck on fairly well in the Golden Slipper last start and should get an easier time in front this time around. Zahra sticks and he has to be included. SHE'S EXTREME (13) was a complete forgive run in the Slipper and has to be kept safe. SUGGESTED PLAY: Very keen on Fireburn.

RACE 7 @ 3:55pm - Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m)

Solid speed up front with stablemates Zoumon and Castlereagh Kid rolling forward. Hitotsu (1) returned in great order last start when taking out the Group 1 Australian Guineas. Since kept fresh and this has always been the main target. An unconventional preparation for most but this stable is breaking the rules of late. Just has to handle the conditions as he's clearly got these covered on class. REGAL LION (5) was hard to miss late at Newcastle on Monday when strong through the line behind Character. McDonald now legs aboard and he looms as the main danger on the quick back up. FORGOT YOU (3) was outclassed in the Rosehill Guineas but this is more his go. The blinkers come off and if able to settle early he has to be included in the main chances. CHARACTER (8) was given a 15/10 ride by Tommy Berry on Monday when winning the Tulloch Stakes. Well set up on the quick back up and no reason to think he won't run well again. SUGGESTED PLAY: Hard to go past the class of Hitotsu.

RACE 8 @ 4:35pm - Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m)

Star sprinters Nature Strip and Eduardo to take up the running closely attended by Overpass and Rule Of Law. Nature Strip (1) was awesome first up in the Lightning Stake before off his game last start in the Challenge Stakes. Trust Waller to get him right with four weeks between runs and the wide draw is a big plus as it gives McDonald plenty of options. Aims for his third TJ Smith Stakes in a row and is sure to take plenty of beating. EDUARDO (2) has been his sparring partner for many seasons now and has lowered his colours before. The query is 1200m but he gets every chance from the soft draw. SHELBY SIXTYSIX (6) has been a remarkable story and something we are unlikely to see again. Was a good winner of the Galaxy but this is much harder. Will swim so that has to give him some hope. MASKED CRUSADER (3) has been off his game but he is more than good enough and should be nearing his top third up. SUGGESTED PLAY: Stick with the class in Nature Strip.

RACE 9 @ 5:15pm - Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m)

The capacity field ensures a solid tempo with Laws Of Indices, Forbidden Love and Ellsberg the most likely to take it up. Forbidden Love (16) is the definition of airborne and arguably should be unbeaten this time in. Has won the two weight-for-age leads up and has certainly beaten the handicapper. Faces a different scenario with the capacity field but should be prominent from the outset and who else but Jamie Kah aboard. She is sure to be in this for a long way. I'M THUNDERSTRUCK (2) elevated sharply last start but was simply unsuited by the race shape. This looks to be far more to his liking and Bowman legs back aboard. Has a big peak in him and he looms as a major threat. CONVERGE (20) is the ideal profile horse and while a touch plain last start if he gets back to his form from the Randwick Guineas he is sure to be right there at the finish. ELLSBERG (7) rates well at the weights and appears the next in line. SUGGESTED PLAY: Backing the in-form mare Forbidden Love.

Race Analysis Card - Randwick April 2