Race-by-race preview and tips for Rosehill on Saturday

Race 1 –11.20AM TAB HIGHWAY HCP (1300m)

4. Daksha is no stranger to Highways having contested three of them and all with merit. The grey is capable of reeling off fast closing splits but lacks tactical speed. Hoping the booking of James McDonald will negate that. Even midfield would be a bonus. The six-year-old resumed at Tamworth three weeks ago and just missed. He was charging late. The step out to 1300m looks ideal second up. 3. Russley Crown is the most lightly raced galloper in the field and comes here on the back of a dominant Scone win. Where he gets to from the draw is the obvious query. 13. Rebel’s Edge ran on powerfully behind Opal Ridge first up, followed by an eye-catching effort behind Molly Nails here two weeks ago.
How to play it: Daksha to win.

Race five selection Frumos is a mare going places.Credit: Getty

Race 2 – 11.55AM DOOLEYS HCP (1300m)

4. Backrower won in good style on debut at Newcastle beating a subsequent winner Huon before running third at Rosehill behind Osipenko. The three-year-old wasn’t left with any excuses there but held his own in what should prove to be a handy race. Have been particularly taken by how well the son of Astern has trialled this time back with the blinkers on and, with just 10 weeks going by since he last raced, he should hold some residual fitness coming into this assignment. 2. True Crime has improved each time he has stepped out so we still haven’t found out his ceiling yet. He fought out the finish with Midnight In Tokyo two starts back at Randwick before ploughing through treacherous conditions again at Randwick out to 1200m.
How to play it: Backrower to win.

Race 3 – 12.30PM MIDWAY HCP (1400m)

10. Oakfield Arrow has been beaten by a combined margin of 15 lengths in her two runs back this time in but want to be very forgiving of those failures. First up she tackled a heavy track and felt the pinch late. The speedy mare has always been more dynamic on top of the ground. That must have flattened her second up as 12 days later she produced a shocker at Grafton. Willing to take the punt that she can bounce back to the form that took her to a Midway win over this same track and trip second up last preparation. It was a welcome return to the winners’ stall for 1. Oxford Tycoon last start at Canterbury. The seven-year-old did find the best ground out wide but it was an empathic victory and he should be even better suited to a drier track.
How to play it: Oakfield Arrow each way.

Race 4 – 1.05PM CABRAMATTA BOWLING CLUB HCP (1200m)

6. Conscript is an unassuming sprinter that has built an imposing record of 15:6-2-3 with minimum fuss and he added to that win tally at Randwick last start over the 1100m, leading all of the way. He beat two subsequent winners there too, with Easy Single and Casino Kid franking the form. Gets in with 54kg after the claim of Tyler Schiller and he could own this race from in front. 5. Katalin lost her unbeaten first-up record last preparation but she was far from disappointing, running on late into third at listed level Moonee Valley, which was never going to suit her get-back style. The lack of speed here is the query but has a turn of foot that could still overcome that. 4. Dream Circle and 8. Dalchini are capable of reeling off big closing splits.
How to play it: Conscript to win.

Race 5 – 1.40PM CAMPBELLTOWN CATHOLIC CLUB HCP (1400m)

5. Frumos is a mare going places. The five-year-old has won three from three by a combined margin of nine lengths. She settled last at Rosehill four weeks ago before rounding up her rivals in a couple of strides. The form through that race has been franked since. At even money, however, it’s not a gamble that comes without risks. Saturday’s track at Rosehill is likely to be the firmest she has raced on and, with the rail out 7m, she’s going to give her rivals a head start turning for home. Frumos absolutely has the class to overcome it. 8. Riduna will be out to pinch it from in front. She’s unlikely to get complete control but is holding her form well second to Kanazawa last start reads well.
How to play it: Frumos to win

Race 6 – 2.15PM BANKSTOWN SPORTS HCP (1400m)

8. Titanium Power is a big tank of a sprinter more accustomed to carrying 62kg as opposed to 52kg lately. The five-year-old drops a staggering 10.5kg from last start when a fading fourth behind Sur La Mer. He was attacked in front early and that told at the finish. Prior to that he ran second to Cross Talk, albeit a distant second, again with a massive weight. Fit, maps to dictate, plummets in weight and a couple of his key rivals resuming are a long way off grand final day. 3. Oscar Zulu also has a fitness edge and has enough tactical speed to sit handier than what we’ve seen most recently.
4. Surefire has had eight starts for four wins, and the import looked sharp in his one trial.
How to play it: Titanium Power towin.

Race 7 – 2.55PM CANTERBURY-HURLSTONE PARK RSL HCP (1800m)

Inclined to stick with 5. Lovely Esteem. She’ll need to turn the tables on 2. Elusive Jewel from two weeks ago over this same track and trip but she gets a 2kg swing at the weights and looked to peak very late on her run. No excuses fitness wise being fourth up now. The import, having her first preparation in Australia, also wasn’t suited by the mid-race slowdown. Particularly given that she didn’t have the necessary speed to use a low draw and was shuffled out the back to settle down second last. Elusive Jewel is deep into her preparation but is showing no signs of training off. There doesn’t look to be a lot of speed on paper in this and she has the draw, and the tactical versatility, to cash in on that. 7. Star Sparks has won four of his seven starts and has lumped big weights to victory this preparation at the provincials.
How to play it: Lovely Esteem to win.

Race 8 – 3.35PM SMITHFIELD RSL ROSEBUD (1100m)

3. Spacewalk’s trials have been exceptional ahead of his return. He’s had three of them so should be tuned up for this first up assignment and he cleared out with trial star Malkovich and group 1-winning mare Snapdancer in the latest of those hitouts. The cherry on top is the low draw, especially considering it’s the Rosehill 1100m and the booking of James McDonald. He last contested the G3 Kindergarten Stakes and although he didn’t win, that race has produced some of Godolphin’s best three-year-olds. Think Astern, Bivouac and last year, Paulele. 11. Zoukerino is the new kid on the block and he made a huge impression on debut at the midweeks. He put three lengths on his rivals once he pushed into the clear. It was equally as impressive on the clock too. He has trialled since and although 5. Kibou won the heat, he was under a lot less pressure.
How to play it: Spacewalk to win.

Race 9 – 4.15PM CLUBSNSW HCP (1400m)

This looks to be a race with limited winning chances, and limited speed up top for that matter. Enter 5. Canasta. Yes, he was beaten 10 lengths first up and ran last behind Sur La Mer but there was a stack of excuses for him. His second up record reads 5:2-2-0 and Josh Parr jumps back on. Parr has ridden Canasta 13 times for three wins and six placings. It’s been 79 weeks since Canasta last won but he has come desperately close on a number of occasions since that last win. 8. Kalino had a lot against him at Rosehill last start. He was five weeks between runs, dropping back from the mile to 1300m and found himself shuffled out the back in a race that turned into a sprint home. Throw into the mix that he nearly fell at the 700m mark. The only knock is the early price.
How to play it: Canasta to win; save on Kalino.

Race 10 – 4.55PM GUILDFORD LEAGUES HCP (1100m)

5. Shades Of Rose is better than BM78 level. The four-year-old mare proved that last start over this same track and trip where she did it at both ends. James McDonald sticks and suspect he’ll again ride her like the best horse in the race. Spear forward from the wide draw and keep her out of trouble. From there, the speedy daughter of Rubick should do the rest having already won four of her six starts. There is a touch more depth to this field compared to the one she touched up two weeks ago but she’s hard to mount a case against. Even at the prohibitive odds. 1. Quick Tempo is ready to win. The Newcastle-based sprinter clocked the fastest last 600m of the meeting last Saturday at Randwick when third behind Maotai.
How to play it: Shades Of Rose to win.

Tips supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au.

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