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

Mr Brightside is unbeaten over the Randwick 1600m and form analyst Shayne O’Cass is confident he will add the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes to his resume.

Star miler Mr Brightside can add the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes to his incredible record at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass runs the rule over every race, including suggested bets, for The Everest meeting at Randwick on Saturday.

RANDWICK

Track: Good 4. Rail: Out 3m

RACE 1

Overview: Outlandos has more or less been set for this race the whole campaign and arrives in tremendous order. He has been reasonably close up behind quality stayers like Just Fine, Spirit Ridge, Al Aaabir etc in all runs this preparation. He’s had two runs at 2600m, one of those was a Stayers’ Cup win. Cleveland has several things going for him on Saturday, not least barrier 4 and James McDonald. Raging Bull has his first run for Mark Minervini here. He was fourth in a VRC Derby albeit a long time ago.

Bet:Outlandos to win

RACE 2

Overview: Grebeni is the second reserve for the Silver Eagle. The son of Ocean Park went through a purple patch during winter winning three in-a-row with Kerrin McEvoy there for two of them. It is true that there were much easier races than this one but he was unlucky not to have won the Winx Guineas at the end of the campaign. Superb trial the other day. Holymanz has run some good races in Victoria, notably his second in the C S Hayes. Was way better here last start than it looks. Stablemates Garza Blanca and lightly-raced import Nails Murphy have claims.

Bet:Grebeni each-way

Grebeni can kick off his campaign with a win at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy

RACE 3

Overview: Arctic Glamour was placed in two deep maidens at Warwick Farm in the winter before the spell. She beat her stablemate Facile just prior to resuming at Rosehill and duly bolted in. She might just have gone from ‘handy’ to ‘well above average’. Joliestar, the Zoustar-Jolie Bay filly, beat Arctic Glamour when they met on June 12 at the midweeks. Joliestar was beaten by the aforementioned Facile first-up but went every bit as well, perhaps even better. Kundalini ostensibly has ‘stakes form’.

Bet:Arctic Glamour to win, quinella 3, 4

RACE 4

Overview: Ravello is a very typical Savabeel. By the way, he is from the same family as Street Cry so he’s bred to win stakes races. John O’Shea is so good with the Savabeel offspring and he has timed this one to the minute for the 1800m and presumably the Spring Champion after that. Good colt. Tannhauser, the J J Atkins placegetter, was 15th of 16 on the turn in the 1500m Ming Dynasty but was beaten a diminishing three and three-quarter lengths. Tom Kitten has been either very good or very unlucky so far.

Bet:Ravello each-way

RACE 5

Overview: Best Kosciuszko – ever. Anything could win this. That said, at the end of the day, it is hard not to expect the winner to come from outside of the ‘Fab Four’ namely (in my own chosen order), Opal Ridge, Far Too Easy, Mogo Magic and Front Page. Barrier 2 and James McDonald just tipped the scales, for me anyway, and just looking at some of the replays of her electrifying sprint as well. That’s not to say Front Page and Far Too Easy won’t appreciate a high pressure race every bit as much as Luke Pepper’s mare.

Bet:Opal Ridge to win, box first 4: 1, 3, 8, 7, 13

Classy mare Opal Ridge is the one to beat in The Kosciuszko. Picture: Grant Guy

RACE 6

Overview: Bella Nipotini has Everest form, (and Imperatriz form), on her C.V. via most recently her consecutive thirds in the Concorde and the Premiere Stakes. She also ran a huge third to Overpass in The Quokka. Craig Williams’ record on the mare is seven rides for three wins, four placings. Wow. There was a time when I thought I Am Me would make the Everest field but her Sheraco run probably ended the dream. Trialled like a bomb (as usual) since. She is just so fast. This is the test for Airman but he can run some massive closing splits.

Bet:Bella Nipotina to win, quinella 13, 15

RACE 7

Overview: I wish I Wish I Win didn’t draw barrier 1. Who knows, maybe it will turn out to be a blessing and wins him the race but I would have been much more confident if he was jumping from between about 6 and 12. I still maintain that he is the horse capable of, and most likely, to run the winning splits from the 400m to the post. Barrier-wise, Think About It is perfectly located in five. And as for Overpass, he went from ‘top six’ to maybe ‘top three’ when he drew 2. Outside of those, Buenos Noches. He’s flying.

Bet:I Wish I Win to win, box First 4: Nos. 1, 3, 5, 6

RACE 8

Overview: Yellow Brick has been a good horse to follow (pardon the pun) for punters with six wins, four seconds and a third from his 11 starts. He is a Toowoomba resident but we can line-up his form given that he has ‘seconds’ to Hawaii Five Oh and Epsom winner Rediener. Barrier 5 - tick. Craig Williams - tick. Ruthless Dame has some massive runs on her resume. What about her fifth to Think About It in the Stradbroke. Second to Sunshine Paris in the Surround. She certainly earned a pass-mark in The Shorts. Benedetta has nine starts for six and three placings.

Bet:Yellow Brick to win, quinella 3, 5

Queensland visitor Yellow Brick (inside) looks a good chance in the Silver Eagle.

RACE 9

Overview: First of all, I want be on Craig Williams to win the TAB Jockeys Challenge on Saturday. Surely we can expect a few points added to his tally after the King Charles III where he rides Mr Brightside. Williams’ record on the horse is 22 rides for 12 wins and three placings. That now overtakes the 11 he won on Miss Finland. What a miler this horse is. Think It Over beat Zaaki in the 7 Stakes last start. That was his ninth win at Randwick. Big watch on Light Infantry Man.

Bet:Mr Brightside to win

RACE 10

Overview: Is it too big of a call to say Amokura is the most interesting horse racing all day? Probably but the quantum leaps she made last campaign was extraordinary. On top of that, she is the ‘system horse’ having run in, and won, the Queensland Oaks in dazzling style. Hasn’t been beating much I know but she’s been slaying them. Renaissance Woman was fourth in Amokura’s Queensland Oaks and very good first-up. Is two from three second-up. Arts sent out some good signs at Warwick Farm last start.

Bet:Amokura to win, exacta 1 to beat 4

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