Sydney: Comprehensive preview of every race at Randwick

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

Wine Tales. Picture: Simon Bullard

NOTE: RACES are assessed for a Soft 7. All horses are considered starters unless notified by Thursday at 1 PM. (N/R) denotes no rating.

RACE 1

2. YUMA DESERT (75) is aiming for the picket fence this weekend having won all three of her starts this campaign, the first by a big space, the next two by small margins. The Snowden filly has led throughout at each of those three wins bearing in mind too that she drew barriers 1 of 6, 4 of 11 then 6 of 10. Tomorrow she is 8 of 8 and that is face value a negative. We will probably now about her prospects after the first 200m. 4. WAY TOO GOOD (74) is one of two acceptors from the James Cummings stable and looks to be close to her first win this preparation. The Gooree filly ran a super race in the Denise’s Joy at Scone when a close-up 4th of the 15 which she followed with a 3.5-lens 5th of 10 to Yuma Desert in that Bm78 here over the 1100m. Even though Yuma Desert is 1s 1w at the 1200m, I suspect that the extra 100m of tomorrow’s race suits Way Too Good marginally better. 5. DARK EYES (69) hasn’t done much wrong and was a solid 3rd to Yuma Desert in that instructive June 11 race.

RACE 2

WHAT a great line-up this is. This is one race where you can rightfully say that every single runner has some claims to winning. Indeed, I had no less than four horses marked as ‘very hard to beat’ and still not convinced that I have found the winner. Three of my quartet are last start winners led by the debut victor 3. RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (N/R) who won his race on protest at Canterbury on June 8 of the back of two outstanding trials at Rosehill and Randwick where he is trained. He is a Snitzel and has won on a soft 7 so the track surface shouldn’t be of any concern and with natural improvement, I give a nice colt the nod. Clearly he has some competition not least from the likes of 9. INFRA DIG (N/R) who was a closing 3rd to the talented Uncle Mo filly 8. CONCHITA (N/R) who runs here also. Infra Dig is third-up now and ready to peak. 7. HAIR TRIGGER (N/R) was awesome on debut when 5th to Evacuation at Kembla. The horse missed the start and was a conspicuous last right up until the bend. He ended up finishing 5th but only beaten 4.9-lens and take careful note that the winning last 600m was measured in 32.76s so it’s amazing to think what Hair Trigger’s splits were. Trialled since that day and went super.

RACE 3

1. STAR SHAFT (67) looks to have the job ahead to win this from gate 16 (minus however many scratchings) and the top weight with no claim. That said, he is the top-rater and something of a dab hand in the Highway Handicaps. The Muswellbrook local lines up in his 5th Highway having already won one in the past; that was here at HQ over the 1100m on that occasion. He has been racing rather well in his three runs this time on work, two 2nds and a 5th leading into this weekend and that 5th was only 2.3-lens behind Shadow Lord here at the t/d last time and Shadow Lord will himself take beating in the main race of the day later on. 2. RAISED A LEGEND (63) is second-up here off a credible 2nd in a Highway here on June 11 behind the handy Three Sheets. Raised A Legend went into the race with a first-up record of 2s 0-1-0 which is precisely what his second-up record is at present. Drawn ideally in gate 2 for him, an on-pacer. 3. ROYAL ENGINEER (63) has a fine record of 9s 3-2-1 and is a last start Highway winner at Rosehill. Obviously among the chances in another interesting race.

RACE 4

ANYONE with any respect for their money will be giving this race a wide berth — it’s a nightmare. I guess when in doubt ‘Go Waller’ and that’s pretty much where I have ended up with 1. MURPHY’S DELIGHT (78) on top. The Irish-bred 6YO was quite well backed in the 3200m Stayers Cup last start finishing 2nd to his stablemate Opinion on that occasion. He’ll run the trip — we know that — he handles soft (just) but he goes up 5kgs for this on his last two runs in stakes company. So down in class, up in weight — hopefully once cancels out the other. 10. SPANISH STRIDE (66) and 9. NOT A GYPSY (66) are two of the three 3YO’s in the race (Expresso Shot being a filly) and they (the males) have a chance. The pair have raced in the same races at their last three runs and have been pretty well within each other’s reach at the finish. Not only are they coming through the same races but they are also half-brothers paternally at least both being by Not A Single Doubt who has thrown winners over this trip believe it or not.

RACE 5

WALLER again and on paper at least it seems a bit more clear cut than Murphy’s Delight in the marathon. Enter 2. MARENOSTRO (95) the horse who has won his only two this prep. The known wet tracker has won over 1400m twice and now gets out to the mile which should be A-OK given that he has won two at 1600m, three at 1550m and two more at 1500m. The son of VRC Derby placegetter Duelled has only one main drawback and that is the weight. Sixty kilos is a fair impost on most days but a Randwick mile against some handy performers isn’t going to be a snack for the horse but he’s honest and racing so well that he deserves top pick status. 4. BERRY DELICIOUS (91) has been racing well in good races throughout this prep and hit her best stride last start when a closing 2nd to repeat winner Foreign Prince in an 1800m race at Rosehill on Jun. 4. Has had the little freshen-up so back to the mile won’t really be an issue — if anything, it might be in her favour. 6. AMMIRATA (90) is up to the mile tomorrow, that’s the same distance that she won her most important race at in the Belle of the Turf at Gosford and it was soft that day too. Drawn ideally in box 4 — very good for her.

Marenostro. Picture: Simon Bullard

RACE 6

BEST bet time. 1. WINE TALES (84) finished 10 of 10 first-up right? Nope, don’t believe that for a second. The mare should have run 3rd or even won if things had of gone her way. To cut a very long story short, the plan was to stick to the inside rail and ride for luck — well, she had luck all right but it was only bad. Poor old Andrew Adkins, every half run that presented, closed as soon as he tried to drive through — in the end, he had to basically sit up and give up. That was last Saturday at Rosehill so she’s backing up but honestly, that was a barrier trial for her — I doubt she ever hit full speed because her momentum has halted numerous times when she was about to let rip. She has come back well and remember what was announced last week that she has had bone chips removed and a wind operation since her last run last prep back in the summer. 2. ELECTRIC POWER (83) is a backmarker who has a pretty big finish on her. She will appreciate racing lesser lights this weekend than Danish Twist (X2), Nancy and Rustic Melody at her past four runs. 6. ELLE LOU (79) was barnstorming first-up here, less so the next time but maybe she isn’t a second-up and that first-up run may, may have taken something out of her who knows. Whatever the case, apart from barrier 13, things shape well for her here.

RACE 7

JOHN Sargent has a couple of really interesting horses running at Randwick tomorrow namely 9. ELUSIVE RUNNER (67) here and the HK expat Smart Volatility 40 mins later. Both horses have trialled really well, so well in fact that I think Elusive Runner can win this. The son of EDL is 6s 1-2-1 and has run up to 2400m. Now that is important because he had his last start in the Queensland Derby albeit way back in 2014. Obviously he had an issue thereafter but from what I can gather from his two trials, the horse looks to be a in a very good place. This is 1400m on a big track (home track by the way) and he has the modern day featherweight of 53.5kgs after the claim for a good young rider. Monitor market moves — I think there may be some support for him. 2. FINAL DECISION (75) is third-up here off two improving runs so we can say that he is headed in the right direction at this stage of his campaign. He does have to improve — by all means about four of five lengths — but he is a chance to hit a peat tomorrow. 1 GRUNDERZEIT (77) is the top-rated horse in the race and has a 2kgs claim for Koby Jennings. He is racing so darn well that you’d be a brave punter not to give him a serious chance of winning.

RACE 8

GOOD race this one and surely the race of the day along with a very interesting 2YO that we previewed earlier. In so far as this one goes — one would be wise to keep an eye on how the track is playing, that is to say, we are hoping and needing the backmarkers being able to finish off. One of those horses that will be finishing hardest here is the Joe Pride trained 10. SHADOW LORD (79) who recorded his 5th career win as recently as June 11 in a 1200m Bm78 here at HQ with 59.5kgs. The horse gets in tomorrow with 51kgs for Deanne Panya who has been riding tremendously well of course. Barrier 1 is a bit iffy I guess because there is a chance that he might get boxed in when he needs to make his charge but if the runs come, he’ll be flying at the end. 12. SEBRING SUN (82) faces a D-Day this weekend. A Golden Rose placegetter, we know there is talent there by this horse has been the ultimate enigma for his trainer Gary Portelii. That trial win at Rosehill in the lead-up to this was a good sign that he still wants to be a racehorse but we need to see it on to race day. He’s got zero weight, I mean 51.5kgs is a luxury a horse with his record ans talent — but it’s a talent that he has kept well hidden for too long now. 2. INZ’N’OUT (93) has a grand record of 19s 4-9-4 and is 3s 2-0-1 at the t/d. Barrier 5 is perfect — he’ll be in the first three or four in the run so you kinda can’t imagine him missing out all together. 1. SMART VOLATILITY (100) is THE most interesting horse racing all day at Randwick this weekend. He is an ex HK galloper with good form (won over $1m) that has won 5 times at the 1200m and his trials have been totally convincing. he is a very nice horse — in a very nice place at the moment. Huge watch on him, he is after all 6s 4w first-up.

RACE 9

AN old fashioned Get Out Stakes to end a really interesting day of racing at Randwick tomorrow. 7. HOT HIT (71) is a horse from Tamworth that wins pretty much 1 in every 3 starts and when you get up 21 starts, that’s a very good record bearing in mind that he also has been placed a further five times. The Mark Mason trained chestnut has placed at his two runs in this prep, one behind All Summer Long at Scone, the other and most recent was his June 8 2nd to Elemenohpee at Rosehill in an 1100m race. Drawn 4 which is perfect for him — this looks to be run very, very fast — so he can sit just off the pace and have last say hopefully. 3. ENCOSTANATI (76) will be in a big way responsible for the likely fast pace. This fellow is flat chat quick and I suspect he’ll go forward and maybe even lead if the opportunity presents. Failed first-up — badly in fact, but was way off his game for that day. He went back to the trials and won his heat fast and furious style. 13. PRINCESS AILANI (70) likewise is very pacy and she has trialled exceedingly well before her return to racing off a relatively short break. Drawn a bit wide but she’ll fly out and be into the running line right away. may be hard to catch under this circumstances. I could say ‘ditto’ all that for 10. ALLEZ CHIVAL (73) who has the added advantage of drawing the rails — and is quick!