3 minute read
Tips for Rosehill by Brad Gray.
Race 1 - 11:00AM TAB HIGHWAY HANDICAP (1100 METRES)
The only box 3. Shalstar doesn't tick is the wet track one. Otherwise, it's nearly impossible to poke holes in her claims in this Highway Handicap. The three-year-old filly won a midweek 1000m race first up and beat promising sprinting filly Rita May to break her maiden at her second career start. Two and a half weeks ago she parked in behind the speed on the Kensington track at Randwick and always travelled like the winner. Sneaky Paige made a run at her late but couldn't reel her in. Granted, would have liked to have seen more from Sneaky Paige on Wednesday as the well backed favourite. All four of Shalstar's runs to date, winning three of them, have been on good tracks. What does she face here? We'll only know for sure on Saturday looking at the forecast but either way, she's a deserved favourite.
Dangers: 4. Barradas is also lightly-raced and comes off a dominant win, albeit at Dubbo, but the runner up Brief Statement is a sharp filly herself. Prior to that he won on a heavy track at Gosford, holding off a two-year-old filly that two starts later placed in Listed company in Queensland. 9. Well In Sight won her first three starts comfortably before she was deep ended in better company at Flemington. Has trialled well ahead of her return and she handles all surfaces. 15. Iconic Dame was tested in Highway company at the end of her first preparation and she boxed away gamely in Heavy 10 conditions behind Shelby Sixty Six. 1. Blow Dart is no stranger to Highways, tackling his fifth one here. 14. Brave Maso has some claims at odds.
How To Play It: Shalstar WIN
Race 2 - 11:35AM NED AUSTRALIAN WHISKY HANDICAP (1300 METRES)
Common sense screams that 8. De An Andretti isn't a smart play here. It's not the high percentage play, that's for sure. The untapped filly is 43 weeks between runs and is having just her third career start. Throw into the mix that her full sister Libertini did not go a yard on wet tracks. We'll tackle that concern on Saturday though once we see the rainfall. However, she has more talent than anything else in this field and the way she has trialled ahead of her return causes you to sit up and take notice. The three-year-old made a huge impression on debut scoring an unlikely victory at Hawkesbury before Ron Quinton tipped her out with bigger races in mind. She resumed in the G2 Furious Stakes and was truck loaded late in betting to start favourite.
Dangers: 1. Dehorned Unicorn presents on the quick back up and he'll roll forward and be able to absorb some pressure given he strikes this race fifth up. He ran fifth last Saturday but was only 0.7L off the winner in a race that turned into a sprint home. The blinkers go on for the first time too. He just won't want it too wet. 3. Mihocek continues to build into his preparation, running fourth to Huesca at the midweeks last start. He handles all tracks. You don't see too many Highway winners transfer their form immediately into benchmark Saturday company but 4. Sungblue could prove one of the exceptions. The overall time stacked up well across that Randwick meeting.
How To Play It: De An Andretti WIN
Race 3 - 12:10PM MIDWAY HANDICAP (1200 METRES)
10. Daralina Belle has been beaten less than a length in her last two starts and she's beautifully set up to score her fourth career win on Saturday. The Matthew Smith-trained mare was sent around favourite at Warwick Farm, covering ground throughout, and kept finding the line to run third behind Dehorned Unicorn. Prior to that she just missed in Melbourne with the runner up there Pandora Blue winning last Saturday's Midway at Randwick. She failed on a heavy track at Canterbury in early April but it was bottomless and tackled that assignment first up. A soft track will be fine for her, or even the better side of heavy now she's deep into her preparation. Should be able to park up somewhere forward of midfield and get her chance.
Dangers: 7. Oakfield Arrow will need some luck finding a spot from the wide gate but she's a smart mare building an impressive overall record (14:3-3-2). She already has a Midway win to her name too, leading all the way over 1400m at Rosehill back in January. Has trialled well ahead of her return. 6. Centro Storico kept chasing over 1000m behind Curtis Island and Petulant at Warwick Farm first up, which sets up her preparation nicely. Four weeks later she appears over 1200m and providing the inside holds up, she'll get the chance to add a so far elusive second win to her tally. Has always shown above average talent from day one. The Midway 15. Safado comes out of has already produced two subsequent winners in Rebel Shadow and Dalaalaat. Expecting 16. De An Andretti to run in an earlier race.
How To Play It: Daralina Belle WIN
Race 4 - 12:45PM FUJITSU GENERAL HANDICAP (2400 METRES)
5. Black Queen should peak fourth up out to 2400m. Her fifth at Rosehill last start beaten five lengths had more merit than it reads on paper. For one, the winner Born A King clocked sharp time when winning, albeit set up by a fast lead speed, but we can trust the form. Secondly, Black Queen never found the fence which was a huge disadvantage across that meeting. Yet she still made steady ground, running right through the line. Loved her first up run this preparation too in a deep midweeker over 1400m. The four-year-old is already a winner over this trip in the past and all indications point to her having gone to a new level this preparation. She gets the chance to prove that on Saturday, finding a race where her main dangers don't make a habit of winning.
Dangers: One of those is of course 1. Our Candidate. It's been nearly three years now since he has saluted the judge first. In his defence, he has spent two lengthy periods on the sidelines. The seven-year-old loomed to go straight past Shameless Miss at Warwick Farm last start before she kicked back. The winner has since won the Stayers Cup. 3. Dick Whittington is coming up to two years without a win and there was little between him and Black Queen last start at Rosehill but he found the fence late which may have flattered his finish. Do like him out to 2400m now, however. 4. Oceanic Flash can settle much closer than at Rosehill last start when conceding an impossible start and he has beaten Black Queen once in the past.
How To Play it: Black Queen WIN
Race 5 - 1:20PM BISLEY WORKWEAR HANDICAP (1100 METRES)
If you had any doubt whether 5. Shades Of Rose was ready to take the next step in Saturday company, you only need to watch the replay once of her most recent trial. They simply don't trial any better. The filly parked in behind the speed before ripping clear to put five lengths on her rivals in what seemed to be a couple of strides, clocking the fastest time of the morning for that set of Rosehill 900m heats. At start two she won by seven lengths at Bathurst, breaking the track record before winning at a Canterbury night meeting after going straight to the front. That was on a heavy track. The daughter of Rubick has shown plenty already in her three start career but suspect we've only scratched the surface when it comes to her talent.
Dangers: 1. Authentic Jewel has 10 ratings points on anything else in this field and drops back from Listed company to a BM72 against her own age. Her form this time back is a little hit-and-miss but she'll take catching if she's allowed to find her rhythm in front, particularly over the Rosehill 1100. 8. Petulant had her chance behind Rubinocchi last start but she kept trying, holding down second. A wetter track suits (presuming she gets it). Just has to overcome a tricky map with plenty of speed drawn inside of her. There was nothing between her and 3. King Kapa last start and he gets the blinkers on for the first time. Does 6. Pizzaro run from the gate? He has the upside, and talent, to figure. Keen to found out where 2. Hardware Lane fits in here.
How To Play It: Shades Of Rose WIN
Race 6 - 1:55PM RANVET HANDICAP (1500 METRES)
8. Kanazawa is ready to win. He clocked some of the fastest closing splits of the meeting first up at Randwick over 1200m before backing that up out to 1400m where the barrier beat him. On that occasion he made a long sustained run from well back in the field with nothing to take him into the race and in a slowly run race too. Jojo Was A Man ran down Cross Talk late and the winner has franked the form by winning again since. Just wish that Kanazawa didn't draw so awkwardly again. It's not quite as bad as last start but hopefully it doesn't bring about his demise again. Third up out to 1500m slightly back in grade should see him in the finish again, all being equal and he appears to handle all types of tracks.
Dangers: 6. Kalino finally put it all together last Saturday at Randwick. He appreciated getting out to the mile and he was very tractable. It was the softest of wins in the end and he was the only horse you wanted to be on in the run. Drops back slightly in trip and he perhaps won't want it too wet but he has the talent to go right on with it now. 2. Lease was a touch disappointing last start behind Titanium Power but his form ties in through Kanazawa first up. He's well placed to bounce back. 7. And We Danced is failing to put races away at the moment but she continues to run well. The form through her last start third five weeks ago has been franked since. 5. Flash Flood next best.
How To Play It: Kanazawa WIN
Race 7 - 2:35PM ROSEHILL BOWLING CLUB HANDICAP (1400 METRES)
The wetter the better for 3. Sur La Mer. The four-year-old is really humming this preparation, albeit in midweek company. She scooted through the heavy conditions to bolt in at Warwick Farm second up before she backed that up with a determined win on a drier Warwick Farm surface with 61kg. The four-year-old mare trained by Chris Waller never lacked for talent but lacked a killer instinct. Not now. She's returned with a real sense of determination about the way she goes about her racing. She is no stranger to Saturday company but the timing looks perfect for her to break through at this level now. The daughter of Nicconi has her tail in the air, maps to get a soft run and the sting out of the ground is ideal. It's tailor made.
Dangers: Tough three-year-old 8. Riduna found the front for the first time in her 10 starts career at Newcastle last start and relished the pacemaker role. Shouldn't have much trouble finding the same spot in this. She has handled wet tracks in the past too. Pairs well with Rachel King. Three of her past starts have been in black type races. 4. Per Inaway loses the claim of Dylan Gibbons but gets Hugh Bowman and the former Kiwi won't have to worry about turning the tables on Bella Rouge given her early scratching. All three of her career wins have come on soft tracks. 1. Nicci's Fling wasn't beaten far herself in that same Rosehill race. Irish import 5. Soffika creates interest ahead of her first Australian run given the way she has trialled.
How To Play it: Sur La Mer WIN
Race 8 - 3:15PM FAB INDUSTRIAL LOGISTICS HANDICAP (1800 METRES)
5. Wicklow looks perfectly set up out to 1800m third up on the back of an impressive win at Rosehill last start. That was the real Wicklow. He obviously just needed the first up run given he spent nearly a year on the sidelines prior. It was a lovely ride from Hugh Bowman to slice his way through the field. The four-year-old import has now won four of six six starts for Chris Waller. The trade off for staying in BM78 company is that he is forced to carry 60kg, 2.5kg more than last start, but he is a galloper too good for this grade. Particularly at this time of the season. There are bigger and better things down the line for the Irish-bred gelding. The barrier is the obvious knock but he tends to get back regardless, comes into 13 after the emergencies come out and there is plenty of speed on paper.
Dangers: 14. Naval Seal was potentially flattered by finding the right part of the track last start at Rosehill but he continues to improve despite being deep into his first preparation. 2. La Chevalee loves wet tracks. The 2000m and firm deck last start in Adelaide saw her disappoint, albeit at Listed level. 9. Tinnie Winnie is in career best form and a wet track only enhances her claims. 3. Cadre Du Noir has knockout claims out to a more suitable trip second up.
How To Play It: Wicklow WIN
Race 9 - 3:50PM VALE NICK MORAITIS HANDICAP (1500 METRES)
7. Yiyi looks to be the one that the early market has overlooked in this competitive race. The four-year-old has a history of firing fresh and he skips through the wet without any problem at all. He ran last before being tipped out last preparation but he pulled up slow to recover after being sent around as a well backed $5 chance. Going back to first up last preparation, he clocked sizzling closing splits in a 1400m race where the leaders walked. He also gave the smart winner Kingsheir 7.5kg. There wasn't a lot between him and Lackeen there, yet there is a big discrepancy in the first markets for Saturday. Has two trials under his belt to ready him for 1500m fresh, Jason Collett has won on him before and he maps to get a lovely run in transit.
Dangers: Is the dual acceptor 16. Wicklow here? If so, he is obviously hard to beat. 11. Irish Legend didn't get a lot of room behind Wicklow last start, his first in Australia, but was charging through the line. The prospect of a wet track won't bother him. The knock being whether he is still sharp enough staying at 1500m second up. It's the same query for 12. Easifar coming through that same Wicklow race but she has returned particularly well after a year on the sidelines. 1. Lackeen can park up much closer from a better draw second up while there was a lot to like about 2. Lord Ardmore's return over 1300m. He could potentially flatten off a touch until he gets out in trip now though.
How To Play it: Yiyi EACH WAY
Race 10 - 4:30PM SCHWEPPES HANDICAP (1300 METRES)
4. Waihaha Falls made a statement first up over 1200m that he has returned better than ever. The lightly-raced four-year-old was only having his eighth start at Randwick three weeks ago and despite the reservation of him finding the trip too sharp, he quickened brilliantly to put three lengths on his rivals. The race there turned into a sprint home and there is a different make up in this, which promises to be truly run, and that should only suit him better. He creeps out slightly in trip to 1300m too. The barrier will likely see him settle down in the second half of the field but otherwise, his claims are obvious. He only has to hold his first up form to prove too good again for BM78 company. Any rain around won't bother him either. Want to stick with him over the winter.
Dangers: 7. Tamerlane has a task in turning the tables on Waihaha Falls but he gave away a head start on the back of a conservative ride first up. In the past he has dropped off second up, which is a concern. 13. Fastconi clocked very slick closing splits behind Waihaha Falls but can we trust him to reproduce that now? He seems to dip in and out of form. Then there is the other logical form reference, the race won by 1. Titanium Power. The 62.5kg will test his metal, particularly if it's rain affected. Rory Hutchings knows what makes him tick, however. His stablemate 3. Silent Agenda was perhaps flattered in that same race having found the right part of the track. The same can't be said for 10. Rubamos while 11. Papal Warrior could improve sharpy on a wet track.
How To Play It: Waihaha Falls WIN
