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Shayne O’Cass’s race-by-race tips, analysis for 2024 Golden Eagle Day at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday

Form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses Saturday’s 10-race card for Golden Eagle Day at Rosehill Gardens.

Shayne O’Cass
5 min read
October 31, 2024 - 4:19PM
Hold All Tickets Episode 10 - A weekend like no other!

Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses Saturday’s 10-race card for Golden Eagle Day at Rosehill Gardens.

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RACE 1: TAB HIGHWAY HCP (C3) 1400m

Everido was one of the minority of horses in history that won a Class 1 straight after winning his maiden, both at home in Canberra, and at his first two starts to boot. Two of his last three starts were in Highways where was good to varying degrees. Venture to say, his last run was the best run of his career. Bravely’s trainer and jockey Matthew Dunn and Nash Rawiller have a 25 per cent strike-rate; goodness knows what it is in Highways. Horse has the form too. Salute Again is ready to do just that.

Bet: Everido to win, quinella 2, 3

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RACE 2: TAB (BM78) 1300m

Gently Rolled could be saved for a (very hard) race at Randwick on Cup Day. More confident here than there myself but we will see. Assuming she stays home on Saturday, Elettrica (81) becomes the only one in the race with a Benchmark starting with the number ‘8’. Thanks to Molly Bourke, we can take 2kg of the 61.5kg which puts her in 4.5kg over the limit. Not bad. Country Championships Final winner, Kosciuszko fifth placegetter and dual acceptor Asgarda has been gifted a good gate here.

Bet: Gently Rolled to win or if scratched, Elettrica to win

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RACE 3: CERRONE (BM78) 2000m

I know we are a few days out from D-Day but State Of America is the topical tip here. Topical and in-form. VRC Derby winning trainer David Payne has the son of Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah on a hat-trick. And may I say those wins were clean-bowled, knocked the middle stump out, flying. USA import Green Belt beat NZ import United Kingdom by a tally-ho on the Kensington track on October 9. The runner-up meets the winner better at the weights but the winner has a much better draw.

Bet: State Of America to win

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RACE 4: KIA (BM78) 1300m

How about this for a rare stat? Four of the last five races that Iron Man has contested, Willaidow has either won or finished second. Let’s not mark Iron Man down too much on most of those runs; he was good to very good in all of them. Drawn well in 2 or is he? Need a good ride now. Fire Star is on a hat-trick. He’s got some deep form, he’s consistent to a fault, and gee he won ‘easy’ last start at Warwick Farm.

Bet: Iron Man to win, quinella 4, 5

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RACE 5: FOUR PILLARS MIDWAY (BM68) 1500m

Barriers aren’t everything (Bella Nipotina won the Everest from 12 of 12) but when the acceptances came out on Wednesday, I kept seeing all the ‘good chances’ drawn so badly. Talking about horses there like Treize and Alabama State, Rolling Magic too. Just for some context, I was with Fugitiva anyway and then she gets 8, comes into 7, which is the dream scenario for a very reliable and in-form mare. If something did flash home and ambush here, it could be the Magic Man, Joao Moreira, on the peaking Piraeus.

Bet: Fugitiva to win, quinella 9, 13

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RACE 6: TOYOTA FORKLIFTS (BM78) 1100m

Remember when Mark Newnham trained Left Field? It was for the first two starts only, both of them midweek fourths, the first one was to Kimochi and the other was a barnstormer behind Dipsy Doodle. There’s enough tempo for sure but what we can’t guarantee is that horses (like her) can sweep down the middle of the track. Infatuation has stakes form and, you better believe it, trial form too. Market watch strongly advised. Tristate will have plenty of pressure up front, but he is used to that.

Bet: Left Field to win, quinella 5, 15

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RACE 7: RUSSELL BALDING STAKES 1300m

How do you draw 12 in an Everest, sit three-wide on the speed, and win? Given that’s what Bella Nipotina endured, she deserved every cent of the $8 million she won. It might be a bit glib and dangerous to declare, but if they couldn’t beat her then, how do they beat her this time when she’s draw 4 and is the defending champion of this race from last year where he held off Private Eye? Private Eye is three starts at the track and distance for two wins (this race in 2022 being one) and that aforementioned second. I Am Me is the danger in my opinion on the forecast fast, flat track.

Bet: Bella Nipotina to win, quinella 3, 12

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RACE 8: JAMES SQUIRE GOLDEN EAGLE 1500m

Lazzat, six starts, six wins, make it 20 lengths cumulative margin, Maiden to Group 1 winner in slightly less than six months. As for the Group 1, it takes a good to win any major by three lengths. Is he just better than them? Going to find out. Ascoli Piceno is another spectacularly talented horse on the international stage. She’s from Japan and she certainly got the visitor’s draw. Jason Collett and Encap are a match made in heaven. Needs luck from box one though. Tom Kitten was good in the Epsom, Joliestar was great in the Everest.

Bet: Lazzat to win, box trifecta/First 4: Nos. 3, 6, 12, 16, 19

• Forest’s ‘fresh legs’ key for Golden Eagle

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RACE 9: ROSEHILL GOLD CUP 2000m

Saganti, an Australian debutant on Saturday, has raced eight times in France, six of them at stakes grade, two of them Group 1’s. He must be the best credentialed horse to go into a race ‘one over the limit’ but I am sure Kent/Price will take that. Relentless Voyager is another European import first-up with a giant resume, suffice to say he was third in the 2023 Italian Derby and ran second in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood before his Ebor eighth of 20.

Bet: Saganti to win, quinella 4, 10

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RACE 10: CITY TATTERSALLS CLUB (BM78) 1500m

You’ve got to feel sorry for the owners (and backers) of Battleton. You could argue that he should or could have won every single one of his five starts this preparation; all bad luck, no bad rides. That said, if I could nail one jockey to his back it would be Jason Collett. He is the ‘Rolex’ of getting the timing right. Congregation hasn’t yet delivered on his pedigree or early promise but he should feel very comfortable in this grade.

Bet: Battleton to win, quinella 1, 10

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s race-by-race tips, analysis for 2024 Golden Eagle Day at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday

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