Shayne O’Cass’s extended preview and tips for Rosehill Gardens

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

Golden Mile can kick off his campaign with a win in the Group 2 Expressway 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 Rosehill 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.

ROSEHILL

Track: Soft 6. Rail: Out 5m.

RACE 1

Overview: Agirlsbestfriend adds a lot of interest to the Highway coming off the back of two barnstorming wins at Coffs Harbour and Muswellbrook. Surely she can’t do to these what she has done to others but she has no ceiling yet. King Of Spades runs in his seventh consecutive Highway on Saturday with a record of one win, three seconds and a close fourth. Barrier 5 is a huge plus for this on-pacer. Danzadel has contested 17 Highways, placing in four of them but it is all about ‘pattern’ with her. If things her way, she can figure.

The Bet: Agirlsbestfriend to win

RACE 2

Overview: King’s Gambit was $1.35 when the first markets for the Canonbury came out on Wednesday. He is $5 to win the Golden Slipper but whether that is still available after 1pm on Saturday is highly doubtful. Shinzo is already worth a small fortune but imagine how much more if he wins the Canonbury or the Golden Slipper. This son of Snitzel and Samaready has trialled well. I wonder if the 3kg between him and the two winners at the top comes into play? Red Resistance has to be respected on his debut win.

The Bet: King’s Gambit to win

Golden Slipper favourite King's Gambit should remain unbeaten in the Canonbury Stakes. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 3

Overview: Daytona, a $500,000 Magic Millions Yearling, ran a pretty good race at the Gold Coast in the $250,000 Class 4 on Jan 7. He was even better in his two runs here in Sydney. He has never been asked to go 1500m until Saturday but you get the impression that he will answer the call. Cosmic Minerva was a dual acceptor. It was 1350m against Think About It or 1500m here in ‘easier’ company. Yes, he is on trial at the longer trip but his pattern says no worries and he is out of a Galileo mare while his fourth dam is by Zamazaan.

The Bet: Daytona to win

RACE 4

Overview: A ‘Thalassophile’ is someone who loves the sea which is quite fitting for this horse who loves the wet. Therein lies the little problem when he’s $3.70 fav on a track rated Soft 7 on Wednesday but surely going to get firmer come Saturday. Handsome was the eye-catcher at his Australian debut when an unlucky second at Wyong. No wonder he started $1.35 in a Taree Class 1 and his next start and he won a $1.08 shot. Granted, the outside barrier is hardly an advantage but it doesn’t seem like it will be a disadvantage.

The Bet: Handsome to win

RACE 5

Overview: Just for what it may be worth, I reckon the three horses most likely to win the Golden Slipper are King’s Gambit, Learning To Fly and Barber. We are going to find out on Saturday about two of them at least with King’s Gambit in the Canonbury and Justify’s $900,000 Easter Yearling purchased daughter Learning To Fly in the Widden. Cigar Flick was an easy winner on debut but this is a giant step up. Portillo’s granddaughter, Dipsy Doodle, is way overs.

The Bet: Learning To Fly to win

RACE 6

Overview: Hasty Duchess was $26 to $51 when she resumed in the Midway here two weeks ago. The Gooree-bred mare was last of the 11 for the majority of the race but there was just enough from her in the last 200m to give her a little nod of recognition. Going to be big odds again and maybe shouldn’t be. Erno was a hundred times better than his seventh of nine and eight of nine reads on the C.V this preparation. Respecting Byron and Kibosh.

The Bet: Hasty Duchess each-way

RACE 7

Overview: Spacewalk was unlucky not to have finished closer, if not have won that race taken out by Mariamia here two weeks ago. Regarding the second-up record of two starts for zero placings; one was in the Silver Slipper, the other was a fourth in the San Domenico and it was a huge run on his part. Kalino has gate one and J-Mac on board - why can’t he win again? Invincible Kiss is a $51 shot which is not quite reflective of her chances bearing in mind that she has raced at Rosehill twice for a win (beat Dalaalaat) and a third (to I Am Me).

The Bet: Spacewalk to win

Spacewalk can make amends for his luckless defeat last start with a win at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 8

Overview: If you bet on races just on trials then Forbidden Love is your horse here. Last year’s Expressway runner-up won a 900m heat at Warwick Farm 12-days ago by the best part of seven lengths breaking 54 seconds too and doing it all easy. Golden Mile has won all the right races, not sure that he’s been beating any champions along the way but he might have found himself one of the weaker editions of the Expressway for a long time.

The Bet: Golden Mile to win

RACE 9

Overview: Caesars Palace was scratched from Sunday’s Moruya Cup. That happens when you get 62kg and barrier 15. The Anthony Cummings-bred, owned and trained gelding is fresh up off his Big Dance 17th of 20 but has been trialling as well as anything in Sydney at the trials bar Learning To Fly and King’s Gambit. Chris Waller is famously deadly accurate with these ‘back-up’ horses and J-Mac, barrier five is a big assist for Bold Mac.

The Bet: Caesars Palace each-way

RACE 10

Overview: Think About It is one of those horses whose ceiling is unknown at present but he keeps meeting and beating every challenge. When he wins, he always wins easily and looks like he’ll win again at his next start. Gracilistyla is a son of Catkins who was as good a Rosehill horse who you could name, Winx aside, given she raced there 17 times for nine wins and four placings. Gracilistyla is zero from three but could change that for the better on Saturday.

The Bet: Think About It to win

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s extended preview and tips for Rosehill Gardens