Sydney: Comprehensive preview of every race at Randwick

A COMPREHENSIVE preview of every race for Saturday’s meeting at Randwick with Shayne O’Cass.

DIXIE BLOSSOMS (Pink). Picture: Gregg Porteous

NOTE: RACES are assessed for a Soft 6. All horses are considered starters unless notified by Thursday at 1 PM.

RACE 1

7. CONARCHIE (74) is on the 7-day back-up after a brave run 3rd in the final race of the day last Saturday. The Clarry Conners trained gelding was posted 3-wide for the most part in a pretty fast run race. He did a wonderful job to hold his ground. Barrier 3 tomorrow is a huge turnaround in fortunes — he will get a much better run in transit. It’s about time he drew an alley too — he’s been 8, 10, 11, 12, 11 but been racing really well nonetheless. Speaking of racing well, 3. SUPER TYCOON (81) is absolutely flying this winter winning his last three in fabulous style. Interestingly, the first win of the sequence was that 1-lens victory over Conarchie in a Randwick 1400m Bm78. Here’s a couple of very compelling numbers for Super Tycoon — he’s 4 for 4 at the trip and 1s 1w at the t/d. Obviously a big player. 1. TORGERSON (83) is first-up off his 3rd in the Frank Packer Plate on Apr. 16 and while he is 3s 0-0-0 fresh, I like the way he’s gone about business in his two trials. Record at the trip is 3s 2w and a 5-lens 8th in the Hobartville to Press Statement. gate 1, Bowman.

RACE 2

DEANNE Panya can do no wrong at present and reunites with one of her favourite horses 2. LIE DIRECT (71) after her Jimmy Cassidy-esque performance on the son of Zabeel winning a 2400m Bm74 here on Aug. 6. Lie Direct has been holding his form tremendously well this winter once he has started to get to the 2000m and beyond, he’s showing a lot more ticker than I even credited him with. The way it looks on paper is that Lie Direct’s main threat is 1. BRACES (72) and he was 9-lens away when they met last time. Granted, different day, different race, but I can’t see how or why Lie Direct wouldn’t be most people’s top pick. 3. RICHARD OF YORKE (68) is a Waller import third-up here. His 2 wins from 7 starts are at 2000m and 2414m, that mile and a half win was in a Rating 95 at Ascot so he was no slouch back home.

RACE 3

THIS is the most open TAB Highway Handicap I can remember, 18 runners at the famous Randwick mile start, form from everywhere — in short a real puzzle, but that’s the way the Highways were set up to be. Canberra gelding 5. LOSTASOCK (52) gave a good account of himself in his first Highway when 5th of 16 beaten 2.6-lens from 10th at the 400m. That was a Rosehill 1500m Highway, one would suspect then the extra 100m won’t be too much of an issue, even though his record at the mile is only 7s 1-0-1. Gate 4 and Kerrin McEvoy is a real plus. 8. GRAND ROUGE (55) is racing in his fifth consecutive Highway tomorrow having finished 11/6/3/3 in the previous four. He might be a little query at the 1600m but the blinkers are off (again) and winkers go on first time. 13. AKIKO GOLD (61) is the Tommy Berry mount in the Highway. He was aboard the Spinning World mare when she was 0.2-lens 2nd in that 1500m Highway at Rosehill that Grand Rouge was 3rd in. No worries with Akiko Gold at the trip, she has placed at 2000m and was a 0.5-lens 5th in an 1800m Highway here at HQ on Feb. 13.

RACE 4

I LIKE, nay love, 3. DIVINE PROPHET (76) this spring, he’s my Caulfield Guineas horse. The brother to Proisir has a record of 3s 1-0-1. That win was in a very deep metro maiden at Kembla here he beat Sezanne and Rivo Boy (RIP). The 3rd was at his next and final start last season when he came from last of the 10 to get within 1.1-lens of 1. PRIZED ICON (88) in the Champagne Stakes. Divine Prophet has trialled twice in the lead-up and they were both outstanding efforts in outstanding heats behind Star Turn one day, Impending the next. The 1300m is the Goldilocks distance for a horse like Divine Prophet, not too short, not too far. Massive respects to Prized Icon, he’ll be seen in all the big G1’s from now on but I just fancy that 7. POUND STERLING (65) could pull out a huge run. This magnificent looker by Written Tycoon was never going to lose at WF after that trial a few weeks earlier and he won the race with a degree of authority. Interestingly, Pound Sterling debuted with an even 5th in the Divine Prophet race at Kembla but he’s a better colt now.

Champion mare Winx. Picture: Simon Bullard.

RACE 5

CAST your mind back to the Scone stand-alone and what do you think of? If you are like me it’s definitely 4. MANAYA (75). This half-sister to Hot Danish had won a couple of trials in the lead up to her debut in the Listed Woodlands by about 15-lens combined. I had her down as a moral at Scone but I expected her to lead all the way not come from a seemingly hopeless 15th of 16 at the turn and win by 1.5-lens. Normal horses don’t do that. Her trials have been far more low-key this time but that’s okay, she’s been more than acceptable in both. If she wins tomorrow, we might be looking at a very, very good filly/mare for the future, short and long term. I am not the only one but I’ve always been a fan of 5. OMEI SWORD (75) and not only because I love her breeding, High Chaparral and Irish Lights. Clearly with that pedigree, whatever she did at 2 (G2 Magic Night runner-up) was a bonus because she is bred to win a Guineas (like her mum). She’s had the two lovely trials leading into the Silver Shadow. Classy. 7. BACARELLA (66) has been trialling rather well but I am somewhat worried about the 11 draw. Winkers first time.

RACE 6

5. LE ROMAIN (104) is in the big league now. It’s always interesting when these good 3YO’s turn 4YO and have to take on proper, more seasoned, hard heads. A lot of very good 3YO’s have fallen by the wayside when making the step. Bottom line vis-a-vie Le Romain is that you can’t knock until he has tried and while this is a decent test for him, I am with him. The Kris Lees trained galloper covered himself in glory in the autumn with 2nds in the Eskimo Prince and Hobartville prior to his Randwick Guineas win. He’d had enough come the Rosehill Guneas and may not have stayed 10 furlongs anyway. The trials has been fine, he loves Randwick and is 2s 1-0-1 fresh. 2. MESSENE (106), 1. GENERALIFE (106) and 2. VASHKA (106) all have the same rating, are all first-up and have all trialled well. Any one of the trio could win this without surprising. Oh and a little point of interest the trifecta in last year's Show County are all here; Decision Time, Boss Lane and Vashka.

RACE 7

LET me say I hope 6. WINX (123) wins for racing sake and I am definitely not laying her. She most likely will win but she’s not Black Caviar, she can be beaten. At $1.30 most of us working men and women can’t play so I will definitely having my 10 bucks on 5. VANBRUGH (99). He is $26 which is a great price. He’s a G1 winner at 3YO here over 2000m but he’ll be trained for the Epsom this time in and that means he’ll run well fresh over the 1400m. I thought his trials have been just outstanding; geez he has furnished into a nice horse. I honestly think he can beat the great mare on the day. There’s no pace or speed in this race, that hurts most of them bar Rebel Dane, Vanbrugh and Winx to a lesser extent. G1 winners trialling line Vanbrugh just can’t be let go around at $26, Winx or not. Outside of the Waller duo, one would expect 7. LUCIA VALENTINA (116) to be somewhere in the medals. She might no be a champion by Winx or Black Caviar standards but she’s a damn fine mare. You don’t win Queen Elizabeth Stakes’ like she did unless you are very good. Trials — tick, first-up — tick, probably needs it softer than this to beat Winx I think. In short, Cheer Winxy but back Vanbrugh.

RACE 8

GOOD race. Any one whose been watching the trials in recent weeks will be tipping you 6. DIXIE BLOSSOMS (80) big time. The Ron Quinton trained mare has been utterly sensational running on for 3rd in her two trials at Randwick on Jul. 15 and Aug. 9 respectively. She was going to resume at Randwick two weeks back but had the big weight on the bottomless track. This is quite a good race but Dixie Blossoms might be THE mare to follow up through the ranks this spring. You never know, if Ron Quinton thinks she an run a mile, she might even be there at Flemington for the Myer? That’s a long way off I know, let’s start with the Toy Show as an entree. 1. HEAVENS ABOVE (101) is by far the highest rated mare in the race and is 4s 2-1-1 at the venue, 2s 0-1-1 fresh. The Tim Martin trained daughter of Street Cry won the G3 Aspiration prior to those consecutive 2nds in the Epona and the Queen of the Turf. Classy no doubt but has 59kg and I think giving Dixie Blossoms 5kgs is a lot. 3. PEARLS (92) is a Tea Rose winner over the t/d and a winner fresh. Had two very quiet trials but will be ready and able.

RACE 9

IF the track was rated good tomorrow, they fair dinkum give the great Zephyr Bay’s 1000m track record a nudge! This is going to be breakneck (if they all run). That is going to suit one horse better than all the rest and it is 13. I CAN ROCK (68). This flashy chestnut has to be ridden stone cold but he has a huge finish on him. It’s a matter of clear air for the surge (gate 2?) and whether it becomes a mathematical impossibility for him to win, he can’t run a sub 32s sectional surely. Hang on to your hats though, he will be finishing like a shot out of a gun late. Those that are bound to be closer to the front end will obviously be hard to run down, the good ones among them I mean like 3. HAPTIC (82) and 2. SOUTHERN LEGEND (83) who have each been trialling like superstars. If there was a blowout, I'd say maybe 6. ZOUTENANT (75) who has been gelded since he last ran and has blinkers off again. He beat Vanbrugh in a trial here on Aug. 2 and it was a some win too.