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Racewatch: Shayne O’Cass’ race-by-race tips and analysis for Rosehill Gardens on Saturday

Form expert Shayne O’Cass dissects the 10-race card for the Silver Slipper and Hobartville Stakes Day at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, presenting his tips and race-by-race analysis.

Shayne O’Cass
4 min read
2:06PMFebruary 20, 2025.
Updated 3:36PMFebruary 20, 2025
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Form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses the 10-race card for Silver Slipper and Hobartville Stakes Stakes Day at Rosehill on Saturday, presenting his tips and race-by-race analysis.

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RACE 1: MIDWAY (BM72) 1500m

Mah Ali is one for the pedigree buffs. She is from the 18th and final crop of Vinery’s foundation sire, More Than Ready. On top of that, Mah Ali’s third dam is Shark, the mother of the great Angst. She is one for the punting buffs too, given that 1500m, or thereabouts, is her sweet spot. Noble Soldier has barrier 2 and Josh Parr booked for both the Evening Star at Canterbury and this Midway. Hell’s Itch was good on the eye and the clock at Kembla.

Bet: Mah Ali to win

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RACE 2: TAB HIGHWAY HCP (C3) 1300m

Just by the way, Greg Perry (breeder of Atlantic Jewel, Atorius, etc) bred the aforementioned Mah Ali and my top pick in the Highway, Point Basse who he part-owns. This will be his third Highway on the weekend and take it as read, he was pretty unlucky in the other two. Gelded since we last saw him. Exit Fee has run extremely well in three very strong Highways. Fourth to Clear Thinking in one of them. Stablemate Kreon is mercurial but badly drawn, again.

Bet: Point Basse to win, quinella 3, 11

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RACE 3: ROSEHILL BOWLING CLUB (BM78) 1300m

French Ruler is probably the one with the most upside. After all, he is a lightly-raced son of Nicconi and some of them go until their eight and nine. This John Sargent-trained gelding has more or less improved his rating at every start so far. He was a nose off winning the Spring Stakes at Newcastle at start four and spelled after that fifth in the Sandown Guineas. Always been a Peace Officer man. He is easily good enough to win this - if it stays dry that is.

Bet: French Ruler to win, quinella 3, 8

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RACE 4: RANVET (BM78) 1100m

Black Caviar’s ‘nephew’ Theblade and Wallenda are both down to contest the same race on the weekend and at Canterbury. Me? I reckon if they can manage to split them up, they both win. Given we are all in the dark about who goes where, maybe I could just throw in a horse to watch. That’s Enriched, whose dam is a half-sister to Winx no less. In regards to Enriched’s winning chances on Saturday, barrier 3 is a plus and the final field is by no means set.

Bet: Theblade or Wallenda to win, whoever comes

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RACE 5: BISLEY WORKWEAR MILLIE FOX STAKES 1300m

It’s a long way from Kembla to Deauville but Illawarra filly Our Gold Hope’s deeds no doubt played a helpful role in ascending her half-sister to top lot at France’s Arqana February Mixed sale last week. The weanling (by Extreme Choice) made $150,000 odd in our money. Now, as for Our Gold Hope, I liked her before the Southern Cross Stakes and like her a whole lot more after her run. Makarena has a monstrous rating (109) yet gets in here on 56kg under the Set Weights plus Penalties - wow.

Bet: Our Gold Hope to win (best bet)

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RACE 6: TAB SILVER SLIPPER STAKES 1100m

Just for the record, I thought Wodeton was borderline ‘good thing’, up until he drew 11. Then you see Bel Merci in barrier 2 and you would think, all things being equal and taking into account the usual way 1100m are run and won at Rosehill, that it is a big advantage for the filly and a bit of a worry for the colt. That said, Wodeton might be a superstar, he really might. I still can’t get past barrier 11 so I promoted that other Wotton Bassett, West Of Swindon (1) ahead of him.

Bet: Bel Merci to win, West Of Swindon to place

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RACE 7: PARRAMATTA CUP 1900m

You get the feeling that the 2025 Sydney Cup is going to be a cracker. Waller will probably have half the field the way things are going and we could even see the winner in the Parramatta Cup. Reigning Sydney Cup winner Circle Of Fire is there but so are a handful of Waller horses who really caught the eyes first-up, none more so than Kinesiology and Asterix. Waller is hard to read at the trials but I reckon Zechariah is flying.

Bet: Kinesiology and Zechariah each-way

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RACE 8: KIA ORA HOBARTVILLE STAKES 1400m

Assuming that the ‘best horse wins the Hobartville’ as is often the case, Broadsiding joins Anamoe, Kementari and Hallowed Crown as James Cummings’ Hobartville Stakes winners. Granted some of the others have the apparent advantage of having had a run back but for me, I think the potential threats to Broadsiding are also first-up, namely 1000 Guineas runner-up Aeliana and Swiftfalcon who is trialling well.

Bet: Broadsiding to win, exacta 1 to beat 11

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RACE 9: ASAHI SUPER DRY (BM100) 1400m

Ducasse is back in action on the weekend for the first time since his fantastic fifth of 20 in Gringotts’ Big Dance and that was from barrier 15 as well. More importantly perhaps, it will be Ducasse’s first run as a gelding. Has trialled up well, excels fresh and all his six Randwick runs were either ‘good’ or ‘had major excuses’. Best longshot of the day in my opinion is Bold Mac at $41/$9. New stable and looks like a three-year-old in his trials.

Bet: Ducasse to win, Bold Mac (small) each-way

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RACE 10: CHANDON (BM94) 1100m

Working on the presumption that Headwall is in the Oakleigh Plate, could be a Proven Thoroughbreds, Joe Pride wash in the last. Just wish we knew which one, The Black Cloud or Cosmonova. You could make a watertight case for each of them. Have a look at their strike-rates - four from nine for The Black Cloud, five from 10 for Cosmonova. You can’t tip a dead-heat so I went for The Black Cloud on the score of the races she has raced in and the horses she has come up against.

Bet: The Black Cloud to win, quinella 10, 11

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/horse-racing/racewatch-shayne-ocass-racebyrace-tips-and-analysis-for-rosehill-gardens-on-saturday/news-story/d86813480fb4e76fdcfab979d770a24c