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

Protagonist won at Rosehill at his Australian debut last autumn and returns to that track with a great chance in the Hill Stakes according to form analyst Shayne O’Cass.

Protagonist looks hard to beat in the Hill Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Grant Guy

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass runs the rule over every race, including suggested bets, for the triple Group 1 meeting at Rosehill on Saturday.

ROSEHILL

Track: Soft 6. Rail: True

RACE 1

Overview: Atmospheric Rock has placed in three of his five Highway runs. He would have won at least one had it not been for his pattern. If he gets conditions to suit, this is the day. Highway winner Amarantz looked good in her tick over trial at Warwick Farm. Chase My Crown was scratched from a virtual ‘slam dunk’ assignment at home at Taree on Friday to instead contest her 12th TAB Highway. She has been competitive in most of them. Probably in well now after the claim.

Bet:Atmospheric Rock to win

RACE 2

Overview: Crackalacka is a somewhat underrated mare. A winner of five from 21 (a good strike-rate), she was a close-up third and fourth respectively in the Provincial/Midway Heats at Kembla. Was a tad unlucky first-up in the Peace Officer Midway here two weeks ago. Good value at the odds. If there is such a thing as a confident horse, Peace Officer is it. Bad draw, big weight but he’s flying. The ‘system horse’ is a knockout chance here namely the last start Oaks participant, Let Me Reign.

Bet:Crackalacka each-way, Box First 4: Nos. 2, 5, 8, 12, 16

Pesto will appreciate a step up in distance and rates highly in Race 3. Picture: Bradley Photos

RACE 3

Overview: Pesto was as unlucky as he was fantastic in that mile race at Randwick. He was $16 into $12 which made for a much tougher watch for his supporters. On the bright side, it was the run of a horse who has clearly come back well and you’d think the step up to 2000m is a plus. Outlandos was a good seventh of 12 in the Colin Stephen. I fancy he will have a say in the St Leger but he might still run well on the weekend. Pierossa and Queenmaker are handy mares with little or no weight to carry.

Bet:Pesto to win

RACE 4

Overview: Xtravagant Star is among a mere one per cent of the 13,102 foals born in 2019 that are officially registered as black in colour. She’s been a veritable black beauty for her owners, Widden being one of them, with a big win in the $2m Inglis Millennium on Feb 5 in 2022 and that similarly brilliant win here on Aug 26, 2023. Way To The Stars is so fast but is he too fast for his own good? Sounds odd I know, but this last bit will decide. Bandi’s Boy may only a midweek maiden winner but he did beat Zougotcha.

Bet:Xtravagant Star to win

RACE 5

Overview: Eight runners, all colts, all of them possible stallions in the years to come. A few of them might even make the Everest 2024 field before that. They will run some time here you would think and that might potentially and hopefully set it up for one of the barnstormers and that means Celestial Legend who got so close to Ozzmosis in the Heritage. One thing worth noting out of the Heritage, Barber clocked three of the four fastest last 200m splits and the quickest 32.81 second last 600m of a very strong race.

Bet:Celestial Legend to win

Flashy filly Makarena looks a good value chance in the Tapp-Craig. Picture: Bradley Photos

RACE 6

Overview: Makarena is a daughter of Snitzel but has a real Starcraft (flashy chestnut) look about her. He is her dam-sire by the way and will be a lot of the reason why she could end up being a very good 1400m to mile type. Maybe more? Whatever the case, the 1400m is right up her alley this Saturday and she seems to have the talent and scope to match some of these more proven performers like Encap for example who won a Ming Dynasty and nosed out in the Golden Rose after that. I am still banking on Snapback being a good horse.

Bet:Makarena each-way

RACE 7

Overview: Protagonist won the Sky High Stakes at his Australian debut for William Haggas before failing in the Doncaster and JRA Plate after that. Kris Lees has had the horse for two runs; second in the Rowley Mile on Aug 17 and fourth to Just Fine in the Kingston Town. Easy to like him. No Compromise absolutely loves Randwick. He won last year’s Metropolitan there. He was huge in the Cameron and 1900m suits much better. Zeyrek and Montefilia are clearly big players.

Bet:Protagonist to win

RACE 8

Overview: Argentia, the Frankel out of Princess Coup, was utterly fantastic in the Missile and the Show County. Less so in the Theo Marks but she wasn’t outright bad. The trial at Warwick Farm subsequently was outstanding. The Coast winner Palmetto is galloping towards another peak. That was a very good Cameron Handicap last month and he beat all of them bar Democracy Manifest. Roots was runner-up in a Group 1 last start is three from five first-up. Waterford and Olentia have to be respected.

Bet:Argentia to win, quinella 13, 15

Argentia can record her first Sydney win in the Alan Brown Stakes at Rosehill. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 9

Overview: Grahame Begg and John Muir won an Epsom and a Flight Stakes with Secret Admirer ten odd years ago. They won the P J Bell last year with Magic Time who was third to Olentia and Portray in the James H B Carr after that and with excuses. Big run first-up in the Caulfield Group 3. Revolutionary Miss has been terribly unlucky so many times hence why she is only two from 15. You wouldn’t see many better triallers racing this weekend than her. Parisal is four wins and three seconds (one of them behind Magic Time) from eight starts.

Bet: Magic Time to win, quinella 2, 5

RACE 10

Overview: Super Helpful deserves enormous praise for his run in the Panorama. He had top-weight and a wide draw. He went back as you’d expect and was thus very wide on the turn to make his charge. He’s a pretty underrated horse actually. Kayobi has been gifted ‘a winning draw’ if he is good enough and he surely is. Portray has a good strike-rate and enough quality. Ditto for Gringotts who ran well here at Randwick at his NSW debut.

Bet: Super Helpful each-way

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