Shayne O’Cass’s extended preview and tips for Royal Randwick

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

Profondo ready to kick off his autumn campaign with a win at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

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

RANDWICK

Track: Soft 6. Rail: Out 3m

RACE 1

Overview: Mayrose, the great granddaughter of 1980s flying machine Mother Duck, looks primed to win. John Sargent has given her two trials, both of them were shipshape. She has won at Randwick, has won first-up and is unbeaten in her only two 1100m starts. Dalaalaat has had a freshen-up and a first class tick-over trial since his dominant win in a 1200m Midway win at Rosehill on Jan 14. Should get the prerequisite fast tempo, just needs an out up the rise. Invincible Kiss finished third to I Am Me earlier this preparation.

The Bet: Mayrose to win

RACE 2

Overview: There wouldn’t be too many faster horses racing at Randwick on Saturday than Mogo Magic. Just for the record, he ran 57.61 for the 1000m on debut at the Sapphire Coast on a Soft 7 if you please. He has won his two recent trials with a cumulative margin of 11-lengths. Arrowfield filly Sumptuary is a well-bred daughter of the Oakleigh Plate winner Snitzel and comes to town off a decisive debut win at Muswellbrook. A harder task has been by a soft draw and a champion jockey riding her.

The Bet: Mogo Magic to win

Tim Clark rides the unbeaten Mogo Magic. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 3

Overview: Shinzo would be apt winner on the day given his sire Snitzel won a Skyline on Feb 26 in 2005 then won the Oakleigh Plate on Feb 25 the following year. Shinzo’s dam is Samaready who won the Blue Diamond on Feb 25 11 years ago. As for Shinzo, he ran a bold third in the Canonbury on debut and can only be improved. Tavs might not be the next Castelvecchio but there was plenty of Castelvecchio in his Canberra maiden win. Nice colt who could be a Black Opal contender.

The Bet: Shinzo to win, Tavs to place

RACE 4

Overview: Maher/Eustace and McDonald - there’s two reasons why Glory Daze is going to be a monumental obstacle for his rivals. If that’s not enough for you, how about his second in the Irish Derby or his two runs Down Under. Almania has Enable form. Let’s clarify that somewhat; he did get beaten 15-lengths but it sounds good just to say it. The Kris Lees-trained son of Australia has been good since he arrived in Australia and if you like ‘tick-over’ trials, you’re going love this horse’s Feb 16 spin around in a 1200m Heat on the Beaumont.

The Bet: Almania to win

RACE 5

Overview: Kerry Parker won the 2021 Liverpool City Cup with the $51 outsider Think It Over and fronts up on the same day two years later with the favourite in the Guy Walter Proven Thoroughbred Stakes namely Hope In Your Heart. Underrated no more, she is a ‘proven thoroughbred’ herself in every way. Mirra Vision is deadly first-up. Dynasties has ‘Group 2 talent’ in my opinion but I concede she will need a good pace, a good ride and maybe a soft/heavy track to win.

The Bet: Dynasties each-way, quinella 4,9

RACE 6

Overview: Skirt The Law is currently the $7 second favourite with TAB Fixed Odds to win the Golden Slipper. Whatever happens here and to Barber in the Blue Diamond will probably see some movement up or down for both. Here’s hoping Blanc De Blanc will get a better barrier in the Golden Slipper bearing in mind she drew 11 of 11 in the Inglis Nursery and 12 of 16 in the Millennium. Drawing barrier 11 of 12 on Saturday does make it harder for her but the way I see it is that she is the best horse in the race with the best jockey in the race riding her.

The Bet: Blanc De Blanc to win

RACE 7

Overview: In Secret has won five of seven and the only two horses to have finished in front of her are Zougotcha and Jacquinot. Has won on Good 4 to a Heavy 8 and everything in between. Revolutionary Miss started $41 in the Light Fingers for no clear reason. She was Group 1 placed before the spell and has been trialling like a bomb. She ran fifth and was terribly unlucky not to have been higher up the order and even closer to In Secret than she did.

The Bet: Revolutionary Miss each-way, Ruthless Dame to place, quinella 7,11, exacta 7 to beat 11

Revolutionary Miss looks a great chance in the Group 1 Surround Stakes. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 8

Overview: If you look at the Chipping Norton honour roll, the only horse in 2023 who wouldn’t look out of place among some of the giants of the turf is Anamoe. No horse in the post-Winx/Black Caviar era is unbeatable but barring the great unknown of horse racing, he likely just wins. This could be Benaud’s calendar year as a fully mature four-year-old son of Reliable Man and a half-brother to Tofane and No Compromise who both aged well. Don’t think he can beat Anamoe at WFA but gee he trialled well.

The Bet: Benaud to place

RACE 9

Overview: For what it is worth, here’s my take on Profondo. He is a legitimate Group 1 horse who could win any major on any given day. You almost have to take out six of his runs, the Soft/heavy tracks ones and then there’s the bad luck, etc. If we get back to Soft 5 or 6, it’s still doable, if we make it to Good 4, game on. Think About It should be unbeaten in his six starts. Is he not the most ‘progressive horse’ in Sydney racing? Harder here again but we’ve said that before.

The Bet: Profondo to win only if Soft 5 or better

RACE 10

Overview: It’s 40 years ago this weekend, give or take, that Sir Dapper won the Skyline. Fitting then that Easy Single will wear the same colours on Saturday as he walks into the barriers situated a mere stone’s throw from Sir Dapper Lodge. Trialling very well indeed. Never Talk is the highest rated horse in benchmark terms, not racing in one of the stakes races at Randwick on Saturday. She is a 93 rater in a Benchmark 88 and does look pretty well treated with 58.5kg after the claim for Dylan Gibbons.

The Bet: Never Talk to win, Easy Single to place