Race-by-race tips and previews for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting

Race 1 – 12.30PM MIDWAY HANDICAP (1500 METRES)

9. It’s A Wonder has been freshened up since just missing in an identical Midway a month ago as a well-backed $4.80 chance. It was over the Rosehill 1500m. She also went into that four weeks between runs, so there is a pattern there. The mare doesn’t win out of turn due to her get-back style of racing with two wins from 13 starts, but she’ll knock off one of these sooner rather than later. Just needs to conserve her energy in the middle stages. Kerrin McEvoy has ridden her at her past two starts and he sticks. She wanted to overdo things a touch last time, yet still charged late to run Rush Attack to a narrow margin. That’s a form line that has since been franked in Midway company. It’s A Wonder draws barrier two to settle midfield again. 10. Lugarno resumed a dominant winner at Wyong having controlled the race from in front. There is more pressure here, but he’ll make his own luck once more. The step out to 1500m looks perfect. Found his best form at the back end of last campaign against some handy three-year-olds. Have to admire the consistency of 4. Rush Attack. The knock is the awkward gate and that he loses Zac Lloyd. 8. Hinchinjive hasn’t been done any favours by wide draws either, but should be among the strongest late.

How to play it: It’s A Wonder to win.

James McDonald rides Wodeton to an easy win at Rosehill on debut.Credit: Getty Images

Race 2 – 1.05PM BISLEY WORKWEAR EPONA STAKES (1900 METRES)

5. Sounds Of Heaven only beat one runner home in the group 1 Coolmore Classic last Saturday, but the run wasn’t as bad as it reads on paper. It was a fast race and once she became detached from the field she appeared to lose interest. She tacked on late to run through the line. The set-up is what appeals as it mirrors what she did first and second up last campaign before winning third up on the back-up. Jamie Melham has been booked for Saturday, and the barrier should see her settle in the first dozen. That looks significant as it doesn’t look a high-pressure race. Not sure what to make of the Aspiration won by 3. Little Baia, which was coming off BM72 wins at Canterbury. 7. Mare Of Mt Buller was the best of the beaten brigade, coming from last in a slowly run race. She won her first three starts and hasn’t added to that since. 1. Hinged didn’t get a lot of room in the straight there and probably needs this trip to reproduce her best.
How to play it: Sounds Of Heaven to win.

Race 3 – 1.40PM ASAHI SUPER DRY N E MANION CUP (2400 METRES)

1. Athabascan looks to have returned as well as ever, if not better. The six-year-old will be peaking come the Sydney Cup, which he ran second in last year behind Circle Of Fire, but can win this on the way through. He powered to the line first up in the Parramatta Cup over 1900m before it was hard to miss his luckless eighth over 2000m last start. All honours to winner 6. Alalcance, but the way he travelled to the 300m mark, it would have been very interesting had he seen daylight. The O’Shea and Charlton-trained stayer is well exposed and pays the penalty for past performances at the weights, but that hasn’t stopped him in the past. Alalcance will do her thing out in front again. 4. Our Anchorage looks the only other noted go-forward horse, so she finds the right race to go back-to-back. Rises 2kg from that win. Tim Clark stays aboard and if he can run the race to suit again, she’ll look the winner. Jumped $2.80 last start, so the early price is justified. The barrier doesn’t help 11. Birdman, but he looks ready now third up.
How to play it: Athabascan to win.

Race 4 – 2.15PM HYLAND RACE COLOURS DARBY MUNRO STAKES (1200 METRES)

3. Autumn Glow was labelled the most promising filly in the country before a setback curtailed her spring. That was on the back of three straight wins to launch her career. She beat the boys on debut and then won the Up And Coming at her second start. The daughter of The Autumn Sun didn’t make the Surround Stakes, recovering from bone chip surgery, so Chris Waller elected to keep her for the back half of the Sydney autumn carnival. The 1200m is a little query she’ll need to answer, but she has been dynamic over 1300m and looks to be targeting an Arrowfield Stakes after Saturday, so will have been kept fresh for sprinting targets. Has cruised to the line in three trials. Draws well and James McDonald rides. 2. Enriched dashed home in a slowly run Fireball Stakes last start, showing a brilliant turn of foot. The shape of the race allowed for it, but he clocked the fastest last 200m split of the meeting. First and second from that race won their subsequent starts.
How to play it: Autumn Glow to win.

Race 5 – 2.50PM RANVET STAKES (2000 METRES)

6. Via Sistina is building perfectly into her autumn and only now gets out to her best distance. The seven-year-old has had five runs over 2000m in Australia for Chris Waller, winning four of them. The defeat was when second to Pride Of Jenni in last year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Last start in the Verry Elleegant she needed every bit of the mile to beat Fangirl and 3. Lindermann, but was pulling away on the line. It’s hard to make a case for any of the rivals that she beat home three weeks ago to turn the tables, which leaves the two internationals as the wildcards. Bookies are taking no risks early, posting $1.40. Hard to tip against her. 2. Fawkner Park clocked a near identical closing split to Via Sistina when first up over the mile. That gives the gelding a great platform for his preparation. He has a great record over 2000m (8:5-0-1), loves Rosehill (6:3-1-0) and does his best racing on firm tracks. The speed should be genuine with American mare 7. Full Count Felicia running along out in front. The way she won at Woodbine in September was like Pride Of Jenni.
How to play it: Via Sistina to win; Via Sistina-Fawkner Park quinella.

Race 6 – 3.25PM SKY RACING ROSEHILL GUINEAS (2000 METRES)

11. Aeliana is racing like she wants 2000m. She is sired by Castelvecchio. It’s no easy task to win this race as a filly – the last was Riverina Charm in 1989 – but Montefilia, Jameka and Silent Achiever have all placed since then. Aeliana hasn’t had the acceleration to match it with 1. Broadsiding and 3. Swiftfalcon in the Hobartville or Randwick Guineas over 1400m and 1600m, but her work through the line was encouraging. She maps well from barrier one and there’s enough in the early price to lean her way. It would be in the best interests of 2. Goldrush Guru to make this a test of stamina. If there are any chinks late at the end of 2000m in the Randwick Guineas trifecta, he’ll find them out. He has improved each run back and clocked the fastest last 200m in the Australian Guineas when third. Jamie Melhan comes to Rosehill to stay aboard the Victorian Derby winner. Broadsiding didn’t look to have any excuses last start. Linebacker had an extra run under his belt and that perhaps was the difference.
How to play it: Aeliana to win.

Race 7 – 4PM THE AGENCY GEORGE RYDER STAKES (1500 METRES)

1. Ceolwulf’s fifth in the Canterbury Stakes last start was much better than it looked. He was only marginally outside the quickest closing splits in the race, which belonged to Sunshine In Paris. He ran as well as he could given the set-up. Remember, he missed the Verry Elleegant with a minor setback, and the five-year-old fronted up a week later back to 1300m instead of tackling the mile. The autumn gets back on track now out to 1500m third up. The four-year-old proved himself to be the best miler in the country in spring, winning the Epsom and then the King Charles. 3. Royal Patronage maps to get complete control. He won the Canterbury Stakes well, having settled outside the leader. Looks well set up to build off that. 5. Gringotts is the only other speed in the race and will sit to his outside, but is unlikely to eyeball him. 10. Fangirl looks to have come back as well as ever. Loves dry ground. How the Rosehill track is playing will be critical to her chances.
How to play it: Ceolwulf to win.

Race 8 – 4.35PM TAB GOLDEN SLIPPER [GROUP 1] (1200 METRES)

In such an even Golden Slipper, 8. Wodeton has a lot in his favour. Chris Waller trains, James McDonald rides and he draws soft. Barrier two looks ideal given that the son of Wootton Bassett can race a touch keen in the middle stages. He made a huge statement on debut winning at Rosehill, and although he hasn’t been able to replicate that since, Waller applies the winkers and it’s always been the plan to have him cherry ripe fourth up. 13. Tempted can settle closer from barrier one. She was set up by a fast lead speed in the Reisling, but like that she has a fast-run 1200m under her belt. 7. Skyhook will be looking to replicate Shinzo from two years ago, which won the Pago Pago and backed up to win the Slipper. Had to be impressed by the dominance of his win last Saturday, despite getting control from in front. 16. Marhoona gave away race experience, fitness and positioning when a narrow second to Tempted in the Reisling. She rode a fast speed yet stuck on gamely and is open to further improvement.
How to play it: Wodeton to win

Race 9 – 5.15PM KIA ORA GALAXY (1100 METRES)

13. Private Harry looks well found stepping into group 1 company for the first time, but the set-up looks perfect. It appears to have all fallen into place for the unbeaten three-year-old. The barrier is ideal, drawn to the immediate outside of likely leader 8. Front Page. That should give Ash Morgan, who has ridden Private Harry in all four starts, the chance to stalk the speed. It’s been a rapid rise for the Nathan Doyle-trained sprinter, but his last-start performance at the Sunshine Coast announced him as a potential top-liner. He broke the track record. The runners that ran second, third and fifth, Lady Of Camelot, Arabian Summer and El Morzillo, have all franked the form line. Front Page is an exceptional sprinter fresh. His record first up (10:5-2-1) speaks for itself. He tackled this race 12 months ago with just half a kilo less and was beaten narrowly. 11. Briasa’s barrier draw has reduced his winning chances. He’d be on top had he drawn a middle gate. Will need a special ride from Tyler Schiller.
How to play it: Private Harry to win.

Race 10 – 5.55PM TAB BIRTHDAY CARD STAKES (1200 METRES)

11. Wooloowin will get last look at these. The Nathan Doyle-trained mare has won four of her seven starts and produced a career-best performance at the Sunshine Coast before spelling. That’s encouraging as far as what lies ahead for the lightly raced four-year-old. She drops to 54kg and after Commemorative was scratched to run in the Galaxy, it’s a wide-open mares race. The daughter of Capitalist has had one trial at Rosehill in mid-February, cruising to the line in a slick heat run in the fastest time of the morning. 7. Outback Miss boasts the obvious form line of the Wenona Girl Quality. The question heading into that race was the 1200m, yet she answered that. She was ridden a touch more conservatively but responded well, running through the line behind Commemorative. Respect that 5. Shezanalister jumped a heavily backed $5 second favourite in that same race. She pulled up with cardiac arrhythmia. Horses often bounce back from that at their subsequent start. Was only beaten half a length at Rosehill two starts ago by Time To Boogie, despite her record suggesting she prefers Randwick.
How to play it: Wooloowin to win.

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Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au