Summary of best bets:
Race 6 No.3 Bundeena (Best)
Race 6 No.4 Applaud (Next Best)
Race 8 No.1 Sandpaper (Best Roughie)
Race 9 No.4 Diddle Dumpling (Next Value)
Turf talk:
- Rail +6m Entire
- Tricky rail position but expecting a very fair track overall
- Rails in run and settling forward of midfield in transit likely ideal
Race 1
Intriguing 2YO race to kick off proceedings.
(9) Miss Scandal is extremely unlikely to run here, likely being saved for the G3 Widden Stakes next Saturday.
It looks a race in two between (7) Home And Dry and (11) Sequinned, who locked horns in a recent trial, going to the line under light riding and should battle this out again.
(2) Zambales goes in for third, a half to the star Tempted and has trialled well, though the query is the 1000m given his massive build.
(6) Ciaron’s Star rounds out the numbers and should be running on late.
Selections:
(7) Home And Dry
(11) Sequinned
(2) Zambales
(6) Ciaron’s Star
Suggested Bet: No Bet
Race 2
Wide open Midway.
I’ll lean the way of (9) Kingston Charm, who draws a lovely gate and gets in light with the 3kg claim. Staying at 1600m is a positive, as is the firming track.
(7) Artful Persuasion also draws well and the Lloyd booking suits.
(10) Tenbury Wells is hard to catch but the aggressive Alysha Collett going aboard gives him a chance.
(2) Promitto is the other key runner, with improvement expected second-up.
Selections:
(9) Kingston Charm
(7) Artful Persuasion
(10) Tenbury Wells
(2) Promitto
Suggested Bet: No Bet
Race 3
Plenty of speed expected over 1200m.
Happy to side with (10) Kingdom Undersiege coming off a career-peak rating last start, with the inside gate and booking of Nash the cherry on top.
(5) Joiselle gets in very light with Siena Grima’s claim and stays at 1200m, hoping no more rain arrives.
(4) Crusader Kings is the map horse and should get a soft run in behind the speed.
(11) Show ’Em Howl gets 2kg off with Anna Roper’s claim, comes off a smart 1000m trial and has a sharp fresh record.
Selections:
(10) Kingdom Undersiege
(5) Joiselle
(4) Crusader Kings
(11) Show ’Em Howl
Suggested Bet: No Bet
Race 4
Wide open affair.
I’ll side with the Peter Snowden-trained (7) Hopper second-up. The map is slightly sticky but he has tactical speed and looks well placed stepping to 1400m.
(5) Cinsault needs a good ride from gate 13 but comes off a smart fresh run and should peak second-up.
(1) Pretty Powerful drops back in trip and gets in light with Grima’s claim, peaking third-up.
The consistent (4) Loving is the map horse and should land on speed with Parr aboard.
Selections:
(7) Hopper
(5) Cinsault
(1) Pretty Powerful
(4) Loving
Suggested Bet: No Bet
Race 5
No real speed expected over 2000m.
I’ll lean the way of (1) Townsend, who was run off his feet over 1600m fresh and should improve sharply second-up rising in trip for the Waterhouse & Bott yard.
(6) Sounds Unusual gets a gun map, is fourth-up and ready to win.
(11) Trapalanda maps well from barrier 5 off a strong recent run of form but does look a touch short.
(2) Elliptical rounds out the numbers as a place chance.
Selections:
(1) Townsend
(6) Sounds Unusual
(11) Trapalanda
(2) Elliptical
Suggested Bet: No Bet
Race 6
Happy to approach this with a two-pronged attack.
(4) Applaud looks exceptionally well placed fourth-up dropping back to 1200m and now gets McDonald after not quite seeing out 1400m.
(3) Bundeena has come up big odds but should start favourite, with sharp form lines around Axius and the ability to cross from the wide draw and land on speed.
(8) Zaragoza has opted for Randwick over Canterbury, which suits his big action, while (11) Highway Strip rounds out the numbers but looks a false favourite.
Selections:
(4) Applaud
(3) Bundeena
(8) Zaragoza
(11) Highway Strip
Suggested Bet: Applaud + Bundeena (Win)
Race 7
Wide open 1600m contest with little speed on paper.
I expect McDonald to be positive aboard (3) Sun God to offset this, and I’ll lean his way with the race-fitness edge.
(7) Rolling Magic may roll forward and control things, peaking now with Parr aboard.
(6) Welcometotheshow comes out of fast-run races and may find this more of a sit-and-sprint, which is the knock.
(8) Jamberoo is next best.
Selections:
(3) Sun God
(7) Rolling Magic
(6) Welcometotheshow
(8) Jamberoo
Suggested Bet: No Bet
Race 8
One of the trickier races on the card.
(1) Sandpaper goes on top at big odds after being ridden too hot last time but still sticking on in a strong race. He maps much better here with Nash aboard.
(7) Fire Star maps ideally off a solid tick-over trial, though the rise to 1400m is the query.
(5) Whinchat needs to control the first 400m to be at his best.
(12) Step Aside comes into calculations from the wide draw.
Selections:
(1) Sandpaper
(7) Fire Star
(5) Whinchat
(12) Step Aside
Suggested Bet: Sandpaper (Each Way)
Race 9
There isn’t a huge amount of speed up front, which should suit (4) Diddle Dumpling perfectly. She comes off back-to-back smart wins last prep before an issue, has impressed at the trials and gets the ideal run fresh.
(11) Beside The Ocean is crying out for 1200m, (3) Candlewick did enough first up off the long layoff, and (5) Super Norwest was outstanding fresh, running a career peak.
Selections:
(4) Diddle Dumpling
(11) Beside The Ocean
(3) Candlewick
(5) Super Norwest
Suggested Bet: Diddle Dumpling (Each Way)
Race 10
Wide open way to finish the day.
(13) Miss Spacegirl is progressive, coming off a smart win and staying down in the weights.
(4) Captain Furai gets a nice fresh setup with McDonald aboard.
(9) Miss Hades comes off a forgive run and is at peak fitness with a claim, while (2) Althoff rounds out the numbers but looks very short.
Selections:
(13) Miss Spacegirl
(4) Captain Furai
(9) Miss Hades
(2) Althoff
Suggested Bet: No Bet
