Race-by-race preview and tips for Saturday meeting at Randwick

Race 1 - 1.05pm: PETALUMA HANDICAP (1100 METRES)

6. Memo could easily be two from two to start her career. She was beaten by the barrier on debut in the Gimcrack, forced to make a wide sustained run from the back of the field. The daughter of Capitalist resumed in the Wyong Magic Millions, and she was held up for a couple of strides too long along the inside. Had she got a clear run she’d have won comfortably. 1. O’Ole has beaten her home in both starts, but it hasn’t been a fair fight up until this point. Moving out to 1200m better suits. Needs to win to justify her position as the early Magic Millions favourite for the Gold Coast meeting. 5. Gallo Nero was forced to go a touch too fast in the middle stages at Rosehill on debut having settled outside of the leader. That told late. Not sure how comfortable he was on the soft track. Icarian Dream and The Playwright went on to frank that form in Queensland last Saturday. The Wootton Bassett colt has been back to the trials and coasted to the line under a hold.

Tommy Berry and Saltcoats win at Randwick on December 14.Credit: Getty Images

How To Play It: Memo WIN

Race 2 - 1.40pm: TAB HIGHWAY HANDICAP (1200 METRES)

Taking a punt on 16. Exit Fee. We’ll know more after Saturday but to this point, I’m not convinced that there is as much between him and his stablemate 9. Highway Strip as the early market suggests. Exit Fee went from a Moruya maiden win, where he was impressive, to being thrown into a Highway Handicap at Randwick. It turned out to be a deep race won by Atmospheric Rock. The three-year-old, who started at $7, had the excuse of being trapped wide and working throughout. He never shirked his task, still getting the better of another stablemate in Kreon over the concluding stages. The negative is the barrier. 10. Sir Remlap was a touch plain at Rosehill in Highway company behind 4. Cambar two starts ago but bounced back in style at Scone, chasing down the leader. Out to 1200m looks to suit. Highway Strip won both starts last campaign at short odds. He led and always looked in control. Has trialled well. Cambar has won three from three for Gary Colvin. The Wagga-based colt has been given four weeks to freshen up from his last start Highway win. Raced last start like he too wants 1200m now.

How To Play It: Exit Fee EACH WAY

Race 3 - 2.15pm: MIDWAY HANDICAP (1400 METRES)

2. Emmadella was excellent first up given the circumstances. She drifted back in the field before charging home into fourth. That was as good as she could have done with the slow lead speed. The winner, and favourite Zoubaby, got complete control in front. The four-year-old didn’t get the clearest of passages in the straight either, momentarily held up. It was good to see her do that on top of the ground. She ended last campaign in career best form but that coincided with a run of heavy tracks. The daughter of All Too Hard was brilliant when winning a Midway over 1300m before running fourth in the Winx Guineas behind Xidaki. The blinkers go back on here, she gets out to 1400m and finds Nash Rawiller. The barrier ensures she’ll see most of these turning for home but she’s still the one to beat. 8. It’s A Wonder was helped by a truly run race at Hawkesbury first up but she got there at the finish, landing good late bets. Boasts a strong SP profile. Can race in patches so it’s never an easy watch. 14. Sumo Star boxed on well behind Zoubaby last start given he was posted three deep throughout. Won well first up at Hawkesbury. 12. Tiger Town comes through that same Midway. He was always going to find 1200m a touch too sharp. Draws wide.

How To Play It: Emmadella WIN

Race 4 - 2.50pm: TOYOTA FORKLIFTS HANDICAP (1100 METRES)

If 8. Mawjood wants to stamp himself as a three-year-old of promise, he should beat these. The son of Tassort broke his maiden in style at Warwick Farm back in June. Five winners have come through that race. He then was sent around favourite at Rosehill but bumped into Mayfair. They beat the rest comfortably with Mergeila and Getafix back in third and fourth. Mawjood was then freshened up for a run at the midweeks where he was sent around odds on but it was a fence in run meeting with a tailwind blowing the leaders home. He never looked likely having been forced back to last from the draw. Forget that. Like the way he cruised to the line in a recent Rosehill trial for Tyler Schiller, who rides on Saturday. Maps to have no excuses. 11. Point And Shoot opened $15 in first markets. That’s been snapped up. Jumps from a Nowra maiden into a Saturday BM72 but trainer Bjorn Baker has mastered that transition and the three-year-old had raced well in city company as a two-year-old. The way he put the field away last start suggests better things await. Like him staying at 1100m. 10. Unconquerable didn’t come up last campaign but she is a lightly raced mare with upside. Draws awkwardly but has trialled particularly well. Market watch.

How To Play It: Mawjood WIN

Race 5 - 3.25pm: THE AGENCY REAL ESTATE HANDICAP (1200m)

3. Jewellery produced the best run of her career third up last campaign. It was on a good track too. The five-year-old mare should have been fighting out the finish at Rosehill first up when disappointed for a run in the straight before covering ground at Randwick two weeks ago. Back to fillies and mares grade suits. 11. Left Field settled alongside the winner Disneck through that same race, yet she didn’t let down like she can. She’s one dimensional but 7. Passeggiata should ensure a truly run race. 4. Queen Of The Mile looks to have returned better again. She won at Canterbury first up before boxing on to not be beaten far in fast time behind two handy ones at Wyong in Bauhinia and The Novelist. 8. Cosy Corner can improve.

How To Play It: Jewellery WIN

Race 6 - 4pm: JAMES SQUIRE HANDICAP (1200m)

2. Eye Of The Fire had no excuses to the eye when he was nailed on the line by Disneck two weeks ago over this same track and trip but backing him to turn the tables on Saturday. The four-year-old stalked a slow speed and travelled like the winner but was picked off in the final strides. Jason Collett, who rode, is of the opinion that the sprinter is more explosive when ridden quietly. He’ll get that chance here with two speedy three-year-olds engaged and having drawn to settle midfield. After the claim of Ben Osmond, Eye Of The Fire meets Disneck 4.5kg better off. He’d won his two starts prior impressively. Losing Collett is a blow giving that the horse does have a few tricks but Osmond is riding well. 3. Disneck, who started $12 compared to Eye Of The Fire’s $4 last start, clocked the fastest closing splits of the meeting. The margin was only narrow but to come from last off an unsuitable tempo added to the merit of the victory. He’s always had that in his locker. Maps to settle out the back again. 1. Able Willie is an enigma but he races well fresh. Like the soft gate for him too. Ride him for luck. 10. Invader Zim just needs to prove himself as more than a wet tracker.

How To Play It: Eye Of The Fire WIN

Race 7 - 4.40pm: CAPTIVANT @ KIA ORA HANDICAP (1400m)

10. August Bloom clocked the second quickest last 200m split of the meeting when eighth at Randwick. It was her first run as a four-year-old having raced in good company as a filly and it sets up what should be a good summer campaign. She had a lot going against her that day. She was first up, settled out the back in a slowly run race and suffered an interrupted passage in the straight. There’s a case to be made that she’d have fought out the finish if things played out differently. Perhaps that’s a stretch, but it underlines how well she went. Want to trust that form reference behind the likes of Disneck and Eye Of The Fire. Tyler Schiller takes the ride second up out to 1400m and she draws to hold a midfield position. 2. Bunker Hut has placed in his past six without winning. It’s a frustrating run, but he holds his form once he finds it and like the blinkers going back on again. He has been beaten in photo finishes first and second up this time back. 3. Midnight Opal ran out a three-length winner at Rosehill two weeks ago but the query is how flattered he was by the heavy track.

How To Play It: August Bloom WIN

Race 8 - 5.20pm: TAB HANDICAP (2000m)

5. Saltcoats won his first race in Australia at Randwick two weeks ago. First up he got back in a fast race at Kembla Grange and found it impossible to get into the race. Many back markers did at that meeting. The former Kiwi ended last preparation with a fast-finishing third in the Tulloch Stakes. That says the 2000m won’t be a problem. The gelding looks to pair well with jockey Nash Rawiller. He also maps, significantly, to settle a long way in front of his main threat in 8. Bullets High. That could be decisive. Saltcoats has only had 10 starts. This is an important race for him to go right on with it. Bullets High has been set a task by the barrier. That doesn’t make things easy. The Joe Pride-trained gelding has been beaten at $3, $2, $3.30 and $2.70 at his past four starts, so patience will be wearing thin with punters, but he hasn’t been beaten by more than a length in any of those defeats. Should appreciate getting back on top of the ground and gets blinkers for the first time. 16. Ring Me Up beat a subsequent winner in Zaphod last start where Bullets High was fifth and 10. Soldier Of Rome finished eighth.

How To Play It: Saltcoats WIN

Race 9 - 5.55pm: SPORTING CHANCE CANCER FOUNDATION HANDICAP (1600m)

13. Darling Downs is an improving mare for trainer Ciaron Maher. The four-year-old didn’t look to handle the heavy track at Rosehill two weeks ago. She was also five weeks between runs going into that run. It was the first time in her seven-start career that she had raced on anything other than a good track. Like the way the daughter of Deep Field put away her rivals at the Kensington midweeks the start prior over 1400m. She beat a subsequent winner too. The form through her last start third behind Shangri La Spring has been franked via Bright Red and Fiddlers Green who both placed last Saturday. Darling Downs goes up slightly in grade but drops to 52kg because of that and having drawn to the immediate outside of likely leader 9. Luvoir, she’ll get a cart across to find a spot. 6. Inquiring Minds had no chance of running down the leader Bat Out Of Hell at Canterbury last start given the way the race was run. They crawled early. The gelding did a good job to get as close as he did at the finish. He swaps Canterbury for Randwick. Stays at the mile third up. 4. Fortune comes through that same race. He settled a pair closer in the run.

How To Play It: Darling Downs WIN

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