Randwick races: Shayne O’Cass’ tips and extended preview

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

Kahawaty is a dual acceptor at Randwick on Saturday but looks a great chance in either race. Picture: Bradley Photos

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass runs the rule over every race, including suggested bets, for the Randwick 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!

RANDWICK

Track: Soft 5. Rail: Out 9m W/Post-1000m, Out 7m remainder

RACE 1

Cigar Flick is by Churchill (hence the cigar) out of Palmateer (that’s Felicity, aka Flick the little surfer girl). This Ingham/Waller filly has Learning To Fly form - twice - and was fifth in a Blue Diamond Prelude. Trialling well too. Epic Proportions looks a cheap horse now. $70,000 at the Magic Millions, to be exact. That was pretty easy work for him on debut. Misty Legend, $700,000 at the same sale, was Winx-like odds at Newcastle and won like it too.

Bet: Cigar Flick to win

RACE 2

West Of Africa has done some good things in his 10 starts. He’s won twice and placed three times. They tried him in three stakes races as a two-year-old at the 2022 Winter Carnival and I guess it’s fair to say he came up short. Fast forward to his June 24 return to racing here and he was the run of the beaten brigade in my opinion. If Noble Conqueror was set for, aimed at and ready etc, it would take a big run from a good horse to beat him. Market the guide.

Bet: West Of Africa to win

RACE 2

Vilified was the fourth foal of his dam born three days short of exactly one year after her third foal, Yes Yes Yes as it happens. Vilified is back in town for his fifth consecutive Highway and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he has been the eye-catcher or luckless in all four. Same goes for Swift Charm on May 20 Highway. He was just beaten (narrowly) by a better horse on the day of his June 10 mission. Burrandana and Chase My Crown are red-hot players.

Bet: Vilified each-way, box trifecta 2, 4, 6, 8

Vilified can pick up his first TAB Highway win. Picture: Bradley Photos

RACE 4

Three Wise Men was knocked down to Edward Cummings for $50,000 as a yearling and has earned $130,000 in pretty quick time. It could be argued that he is a more talented horse than his 62 rating. He has won first-up and the last trial was quite good actually. Nosey Parker had an off-day here on June 16. It happens. Trialled since just to keep him where he needs to be. Crosscheck is one for one at Randwick, she has a decent first-up record and the trials indicate a forward showing.

Bet: Kahawaty to win, Three Wise Men each-way

RACE 5

Wineglass Bay took to Australian racing very quickly indeed with a great first local campaign. He was competitive in Saturday grade and was rewarded for his efforts with a win at the midweeks. After two easy trials, is he ready? Not sure, the market will tell us more. Battleton and Excelladus finished third and second respectively behind Stonecoat here two weeks ago. Both horses are getting close. Battleton races well at Randwick, Excelladus has the favourable draw.

Bet: Wineglass Bay each-way

RACE 6

Touristic was building up to first Australian win - last Saturday, and was quite impressive in beating a handy horse in Braydan Star. Co-trainer Peter Snowden said in the post-race interview that 2000m was the next logical step for the son of Frankel and here we are. Speaking of 2000m, there are a number of horses in this race crying out for the trip. Chief among them is Mutamanni but none more than the OTI import Intuitu who was pleasing to the eye at his Australian debut.

Bet: Intuitu to place

RACE 7

Brudenell, his trainer and jockey too, did a great job to win first-up bearing in mind that he drew 10 of 10, crossed to lead, ran 1.03.23s overall, home in 33.70s. What’s more, the son of Russian Revolution beat subsequent winner Waverider Buoy and some other handy in-form types. With that in mind, is this actually an easier race on Saturday? Could be. Insurrection (also by Russian Revolution) is a very fast last start winner. Is the fact that he has drawn outside Brudenell the deciding factor?

Bet: Brudenell to win

Brudenell looks a good chance again. Picture: Grant Guy

RACE 8

Lady Of Luxury was, in my opinion, the run of the race in Civic Stakes. Granted, she was always going to be back but she would have had to have been Bernborough to win from where she was on the corner. To get as close as she did was a herculean effort in itself. Longvillers - my tip in the Civic - was pretty underwhelming to tell the truth. Plus side is that he has won two from four second-up. Ucalledit had barrier 4 and 55kg in the Civic, barrier 13 (minus scratchings) and 57.5kg will be a challenge but still. Tamahere was very unlucky first-up.

Bet: Lady Of Luxury each-way

RACE 9

Handle The Truth ran 1.08.21s over this track and trip in his famous Kosciuszko win albeit back in 2019. More recently he was fourth in the Wagga Town Plate and more recently still, he was beaten under a length by Lady Of Luxury (see above) in a very deep race here on June 19. Handle The Truth was $23 on Thursday, Iowna Merc was $2.10. That’s just too much of a disparity if you ask me. That said, Iowna Merc is young and on the up. This is a pretty fair test for him though. Much Much Better is flying at the trials.

Bet: Handle The Truth each-way

RACE 10

Kahawaty is a dual acceptor - here and the Midway. Just for the record, she is my best all day wherever she runs. She hasn’t drawn terribly well in either race so she is going to need a bit of luck and a fair track. The Anthony Cummings-trained mare is okay fresh; she has some depth to her form and the trial was a ripper. Edward Cummings has the dangers to his father Anthony’s horses in both races - Three Wise Men in the Midway and the underrated Sunborn in this. Sunborn is one for one at the track and trip.

Bet: Kahawaty to win

Originally published as Randwick races: Shayne O’Cass’ tips and extended preview