Shayne O’Cass’s extended preview and tips for Rosehill Gardens

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass examines every race at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday to point you in the right direction to finding a winner.

Zaru (outside) and Sam Clipperton and shooting for another TAB Highway win at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass runs the rule over every race, including suggested bets, for the Rosehill meeting on Saturday.

The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here.

ROSEHILL

Track: Soft 5. Rail: Out 3m.

RACE 1

Overview: Autunno is a great advertisement for his sire The Autumn Sun being such a good looking horse. He must be, given that he cost $400,000 as a yearling. His dam, Believe Yourself, won the Sweet Embrace and was fourth in the Golden Slipper. As for Autunno, he has trialled like he has above-average talent. Steel City was a $700,000 Magic Millions purchase. The son of Merchant Navy and Pittsburgh Flyer is bred to be precocious and is. Ditto for Red Resistance who is ‘primed’. Sense Of Humour has trialled well and so too Figment.

Bet: Autunno each-way

RACE 2

Overview: The barrier was more or less the major factor in With Your Blessing being beaten at Randwick on New Year’s Eve. Disappointed if you backed him but proud if you owned him. He is such a trier, so honest, but the caveat could be barrier 1. Is it a blessing or a curse? Time will tell. Kalino was dominant in the extreme winning first-up. Always competitive. Garrison was brilliant from gate 2 first-up but has barrier 9 this time.

Bet: With Your Blessing to win

RACE 3

Overview: King Of Spades has finished first or second at 10 of his 17 starts. Granted, only three of them are wins but he is a last start Highway winner. Evocator was so impressive winning at Taree on December 18 and trialled like a bomb again after that. Zaru has run in six Highways for a win and two thirds. Sam Clipperton rode him in his win and it was here at Rosehill Gardens. This is his first time at 1500m but everything he has done would suggest first of all that he will run it out.

Bet: Zaru to win

Travest has trialled very well ahead of his race return and looks an each-way chance on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy

RACE 4

Overview: Travest was bred by the legendary Sir Patrick Hogan. The son of Tavistock has won four times, all of them at his home track at Warwick Farm. That’s a worry, but worse still, he is unplaced in all four runs here at Rosehill but I am (dangerously) putting all the eggs into the ‘trial basket’. Gee whiz, he just looks to be absolutely flying and he is two from four fresh. Contributingfactor (and Kerrin McEvoy) are one for one at Rosehill by virtue of that comprehensive Midway win back in the Winter. Has trialled well ahead of this.

Bet: Travest each-way

RACE 5

Overview: Handsome colt Strait Acer gave a very good account of himself at his first Saturday Sydney metropolitan run at Randwick on New Year’s Eve. He got back, as expected, but was warming to the task late and attacked the line with his now trademark purpose. Untapped and getting better with racing. Former Kiwi Hokkaido ran a ‘great’ eighth ’ at Randwick on December 31. Got ‘improver’ written all over him. Cotton Fingers is a major player.

Bet: Strait Acer to win, Hokkaido to place

RACE 6

Overview: Aaron Bullock comes to town on Saturday to ride Oakfield Duke. Cannot let mention of him pass without revising his 28.4 per cent winning strike-rate for the current season. I thought De An Andretti was a good thing, verging on unbeatable first-up but she lost. Not making excuses for myself but I think the horse herself deserves a pardon. They went really quickly and she was made some use of to take advantage of the draw. Got a bit tired late as a result so prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt for that being first-up as well.

Bet: De An Andretti to win

RACE 7

Overview: Spacewalk is a quality three-year-old; his CV says it as much. The son of Exosphere is not top tier but he is a very solid second tier in his age group. He is taking on the older horses on the weekend but he gets the weight advantage and a great draw; probably even close to what you could say is ‘a winning draw’. Smashing trial the other day. Dehorned Unicorn has speed and ticker in equal amounts, only this time a dud draw. Stablemate Mariama is primed for this; by the way, 93 is a big rating.

Bet: Spacewalk to win

Saigon (far right) is backing up from her close second to stablemate Frumos (left) here last week. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 8

Overview: Saigon looks to have found her old form again judging on that close second to Frumos last weekend here. It was as good as winning really when you get that close and at the end of the day, Frumos wouldn’t have won if it wasn’t for Nash Rawiller and the inside run. Not sure barrier 3 has done Saigon any favours but if she gets into the clear and can stay in touch, she can finish over the top of them this time. Banju (respect), Modern Millie (getting close).

Bet: Saigon to win

RACE 9

Overview: Been with Touristic for his two Australian runs and they have been okay without being mind-blowing. you get the sense that he is in fact building to a peak and if he is going to make a name for himself in better races, then you would like to see him put his best forward here with so many stars in alignment on the weekend. Oz Legend was terrible at Randwick on New Year’s Eve but he races well at home and at his trip. Have to do a Glastonbury but not impossible. Three Wise Men peaks on Saturday.

Bet: Touristic to win.

RACE 10

Overview: Jewellery ran seventh of nine when she raced in three and four-year-old company at Canterbury last start but she had a million excuses. Not saying she should have won but she should have finished much higher up the order and that two-length margin between her and the winner was diminishing fast in the last 100m. Trialled since, just went around really, but in a very, very deep heat. Snapped has won three of her five starts including that monumental win on the Hillside track, look at those times, wow. Barrier 1 has to be a major assist for her surely.

Bet: Jewellery to win