Shayne O’Cass’s race-by-race tips, analysis for Royal Randwick on Saturday

Form expert Shayne O’Cass delves into the nine-race card for Royal Randwick on Saturday, providing his race-by-race tips and analysis.

Promising filly Memo can break through for her first win at Randwick. Picture: Bradley Photos

Form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses the nine-race card for Royal Randwick on Saturday, providing his race-by-race tips and analysis.

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RACE 1: PETALUMA HCP 1100m

Memo is the $5 TAB Fixed Odds favourite to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on January 11. The Peter Snowden-trained daughter of his own Magic Millions and Golden Slipper winner Capitalist was beaten by a couple of good fillies and a bad barrier in the Gimcrack on debut. She was runner-up to O’ Ole in the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic. My view? No disrespect to O’ Ole but Memo drew 9 of 9 around Wyong. O’Ole also beat Memo home in the Gimcrack but Memo was the better run in my opinion. Philatelic has trialled well but so too has Apocalyptic.

Bet: Memo to win

RACE 2: TAB HIGHWAY HCP (C3) 1200m

Cambar won a Wagga Maiden, Wagga Class 1 then a November 30 Highway at Rosehill. One look at the field and you can see that this is a step up again. In fact, there are seven last start winners among the acceptors. Even so, Cambar is untapped, we don’t know his ceiling yet. Same for Shropshire Lad who should be unbeaten. He just had that ‘Highway look’ about him when he raced away late at Scone the other day. Danny Williams knows what it takes to win a Highway and this one looks as naturally talented as any of the stable’s past winners; maybe more so.

Bet: Cambar to win, box trifecta 2, 4, 9, 14

RACE 3: Midway (Bm72) 1400m

I have been with All Machiavellian for all three runs this preparation so can say with certainty, that they were all pass marks or better. Kembla was impossible to make up serious ground on, on Gong Day, but he did. It wasn’t easy to make an inch let alone a length on the Kensington at his next start. His only Randwick 1400m (failed) run was on a Heavy 10 at The Championships and he’s no muddie. There were two Black Bookers out of the Zoubaby Midway here 14 days and there were Emmadella and Tiger Town.

Bet: All Machiavellian each-way

Mawjood returns a gelding and lives up to some strong barrier trials to score an impressive win despite racing wide throughout at Warwick Farm 💪🏇@[e-mail]/T77dPpbbYH

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 26, 2024

RACE 4: TOYOTA FORKLIFTS (BM72) 1100m

Mawjood is one for the pedigree buffs. His fifth dam is Clandestina who is a Secretariat half-sister to Seattle Slew. This gelding has done good things in his four starts such as an easy win over Tarpaulin and a close second to Mayfair in the winter. Looked the part when third to Roots in a December 10 trial. Art Volant was $2.25 into $1.75 first-up at Newcastle on November 27 and won like a $1.20 shot. Trialled since and was hard to miss. Point And Shoot was just so impressive cashing in big time at Nowra in a bonus race.

Bet: Mawjood each-way

RACE 5: THE AGENCY REAL ESTATE (BM78) 1200m

Countyourblessings could be judged as the best ‘trialler’ racing on Saturday. Granted, she didn’t win either of the two heats, but she was gliding in both. As for her form; 11 starts for five wins and three seconds. She won three from three last prep and she is probably well ‘in’ here with 59.5kg. Jewellery was robbed first-up and paid the penalty for her wide draw at the next one. Queen Of The Mile handed in a career personal best at her most recent start in the Wyong Magic Millions race.

Bet: Counttourblessings to win, exacta 1 to beat 3

RACE 6: JAMES SQUIRE (BM78) 1200m

Able Willie is enigmatic and mercurial. Also, very dangerous. Dangerous to his rivals in that he could turn up here and blow them off the park. But he is also dangerous to punters because so many of us have thought that so many times before and it never happened. Fortune favours the brave (sometimes). Amazing Eagle ran 1:08.66s/33.93s to win the Brian Crowley. He was maybe better again in defeat for so many reasons in the Pierata Plate last start. Eye Of The Fire, Disneck and Yiska are all winning races lately.

Bet: Able Willie each-way

A double to @cwallerracing as Able Willie wins the TAB Handicap at Warwick Farm with @amymclucas99 in the saddle!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/8vPHRm4yqt

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 22, 2024

RACE 7: CAPTIVANT @ KIA ORA (BM78) 1400m

August Bloom was a huge fourth in the Sweet Embrace which she followed with another closing third in the Magic Night as a two-year-old. Fast forward to the last run of her last campaign and she came from 14 of 14 at the 800m to clock in fifth in the P J Bell. Not a lot of room first-up here; it was better than it reads. Liberty State has won three from seven and finished runner-up twice. She has a great on-pace pattern, ticker, and she can draw a favourable alley. Bunker Hut is too consistent to leave out. Midnight Opal got the ‘confidence-win’ last start.

Bet: August Bloom each-way, Daily Double 1st Leg (10), 2nd Leg (4)

RACE 8: TAB (BM88) 2000m

Fulfilled’s first three Australian starts don’t read terribly well but I think we have to write off the Heavy 9 one; he’s not a wet tracker at all. It does sometimes, make that, often, take imports a ‘prep’ to acclimatise and that maybe could ring true for Fulfilled given how well he ran first-up in a Warwick Farm mile on Dec 4. That was the real Saltcoats we saw here two weeks ago. That was 1800m, this is 200m and keep in mind, his only prior 2000m run was a closing third to Wymark in the Tulloch Stakes.

Bet: Fulfilled each-way, quinella 8,10, exacta 10 to beat 8

RACE 9: SPORTING CHANCE CANCER FOUNDATION (BM78) 1600m

It just must be a fact that we haven’t seen the best of the OTI import Fortune down here yet but he’s getting close. He was specked, $7.50 into $6.50, when runner-up (with every possible chance to win) in a 1550m at Canterbury on December 13. Presumed to be fitter and has drawn well again. Yes, it is true that Inquiring Minds, was fourth in that same race but it is also true, he almost certainly was the better run of the pair. Such a nice race for both on Saturday. Ditto that for Miss You Ella who is a chance while ever it stays firm under foot.

Bet: Fortune each-way, Miss You Ella to place

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s race-by-race tips, analysis for Royal Randwick on Saturday