Well wasn’t that a frustrating day? Early success turned into another oh so close to a humongous day. But we press on, only a few more of these to go, let’s get straight into it and tip some winners!
Track Report: Midweek the track rated a Soft 6, but with 2 40 degree days planned in the lead up that track will be drier than the Sahara Desert. Rail in the true position will ensure all horses get a fair crack at the line.
Race 1 – 1400M Oran Park Highway Hcp (C3)
The first of 2, that’s right 2 Highways on the card. Spew city really.
Mosgold for me in what is quite an open field. He has the form behind Zouatica, after she chased her fairly well to the line at Kembla a few weeks back. That was her first go at 1400m and the power she had through the line tells me she will only take fitness from that run. A little bit sharper here and she can 100% win.
Unrelenting is a horse I am very wary of and he was almost my top tip. The record at the distance scared me off, as it reads absolutely terribly on paper. However, he has been battling away, knocking the door for a win for a while now, so don’t be surprised if he manages to get over the top of them late.
Burrandana is fair enough as favourite and looking at his form, you would think he should be winning here. 3 straight runner-up placings to finish his Winter prep and some solid trials will have him in good stead here. However, he usually prefers a run first-up before really getting into it later in the prep. But in saying that, this would be the easiest field he has seen in a while.
All Astern is the one that I am extremely worried about, after all, how many kids of Astern’s do you see running around in a Highway! He is lightly raced and could have a boatload of upside considering his pedigree, but I am just wary of the possibility that maybe the reason he finds himself this low in grade is because he is THAT bad. Time will tell, but I am not willing to risk leaving him out of the numbers,
Selections: 4-3-2-7
Suggested Bet: Mosgold Each Way
Race 2 – 1400M Bob Ingham Ao (Bm72)
Step Aside for me. I have followed this horse quite keenly through the midweek grades and he 100% deserves his jump to the Saturday class. Drawn to do absolutely no work from the inside barrier and should strap himself to the tail of the leaders and go past them in the straight.
Zouatica jumps here from a Highway and if he wins I will be a little mad I didn’t stick with him, considering I was on him when he won that highway. He will likely be the one they have to chase down as he will push right to the front and try and kick all the way down the straight.
Diamond Model has winning form behind Shadows Of Love and I’mintowin so you will definitely need to respect her, despite the fact that the market doesn’t seem to with her current quote. Expect Collett to slot her in right at the top of the chasing bunch and prove to be one of the strongest late.
Mogwai is very lightly raced and full of upside considering he is young and has only missed the placings once in his short career. Tyler Schiller is in red hot form right now, so expect him to give this Cummings trained Gelding every chance.
Selections: 1-2-4-10
Suggested Bet: Step Aside Win
Race 3 – 1400M Coolmore Highway Hcp (C3)
The 2nd Highway of the day, again, Spew City.
Rapidash‘s price sucks for a Highway, but you need to respect the unbeaten horse and this horse has managed a 3/3 start to the career. She also has form around city proven horses, like Black Duke who she managed to beat at Newcastle last start. That is more than you can say for a lot of highway horses.
Associate has some really interesting formlines here for a highway horse. Run at Randwick in a grade better than this before with the likes of Call Di, as well as a placing behind Straight Acer on Debut, which reads super looking back on it. Danielle Sieb loves a highway as well, so don’t be shocked if this horse comes out and runs strongly.
Golden Decade is the QLD raider looking to come down and get an easy scalp at the Highway level and his price very much reflects that. Will he run strongly? All signs point to yes, but do I want to back a $2.50 pop in a highway? Big fat no. But if you’re brave enough, he is more than capable to win and should be somewhere in the finish.
Ferro Vero looms as a solid each way play. 2/4 wins and a placing so far in its short career. Coming off a win and will be one to watch late.
Selections: 5-7-2-8
Suggested Bet: Rapidash Win
Race 4 – The Sacco Group Midway (Bm72)
I think Chief Conductor might take this simply with the fact he will be the only horse who could inject a bit of pace into the race. He could space them early, get a quick sectional off and just run them into the ground, think Pride Of Jenni style.
Ningaloo Star is a consistent customer, so you can expect she will be there/thereabouts around the finish. She has been up for an absolute age and is probably hanging for the barn, but she just keeps kicking. Write her off at your peril.
Terra Mater is absolutely the obvious danger, as she is the short favourite and for good reason. She has yet to finish out of the money in 9 starts so far and has beaten some solid horses. However, has never won on a dry deck.
Diamond Diesel is another one that should be commended for his consistency in this grade. he should always be respected as a knockout hope.
Selections: 1-9-8-4
Suggested Bet: Chief Conductor Each Way
Race 5 – 1000M Inglis Nursery
Jupiter Hills for me in what is hopefully another win in a feature 2YO race. She carries the famous Aqua colours that many of Waterhouse and Bott’s talented youngsters carry and my attitude towards them is always immediate respect. Forward showing would be no surprise considering who trains her and who is riding her. Expect a strong showing.
Deep Joy is one to watch as well, as unlike many of these, has racing experience and on top of that, winning experience. He was able to win a maiden hit out at Newcastle a couple of weeks back and he looked quite mature in doing so. Gibbons is in great form and should give him every chance.
Blue Stratum will park himself on speed and prove hard to get past if he gets his way here. Only missed by inches when debuting on Cup day and he should take a great deal of fitness and education from that run. That was also down the straight, perhaps he prefers to go around the bend. Time will tell.
Odinson comes out of that same race as the favourite and can similarly take quite a bit of fitness out of the experience to improve here.
Selections: 10-6-2-3
Suggested Bet: Jupiter Hills Each Way
Race 6 – 2000M The Max Brenner Santa Cup
I’m sorry, I thought Wineglass Bay beat I’mintowin last start, yet there is still a large price discrepancy? It confuses me, but considering the set up is almost identical and Wineglass Bay has prove himself at the distance, when the favourite has not, I will happily have a play on the Waller gelding. Don’t get me wrong I’mintowin is a talented horse and could very well come out on top in convincing fashion if he gets the trip, but considering WB is proven and paying each way odds, he is the better bet in my opinion.
King Of The Castle comes out of that same race where he finished 4th, and he subsequently used that form to win his next start quite convincingly. He can utilise that winning form to go on with it here, park right behind the leading pair and try and run past them late.
Toesonthenose has been kind to me in recent weeks and since he now deservedly graduates from the Midway grade he could be a cheeky KO chance.
Selections: 6-9-3-8
Suggested Bet: Wineglass Bay Each Way
Race 7 – 1600M The Ingham
Let’s have a whack at the stumps each way with Age of Kings. Why not aye? This is probably the most open race in recent memory, literally any horse could win. I am getting serious Melbourne Cup level exotic payments as well, so make sure you play your trifectas and first fours. This horse comes through the Golden Eagle where he never got a chance after being caught up in that Amelia’s Jewel car crash. Must have come through that well enough to press on here and considering he is a Royal Ascot winner, he demands respect. Well in at the weights and the fact Waller booked McEvoy for this horse, not one of his many others in the field speaks volumes in my opinion.
Rustic Steel is drawn well, just needs to make sure he doesn’t get boxed in on the fence. If he can find a stalking position then he is in this up to his neck. This is his pet distance and he is ready to peak 4th up after a pretty solid prep to date thus far. Knocking on the door and should be finishing strongly.
Hinged and Osipenko on paper should be running 1-2 in this considering their formlines. However, they both could have asked for better draws (especially Oispenko) and they have also started to become perennial non-winners. But they find the easiest field they have faced in whiile here in comparison to the A-Graders they’re used to.
Selections: 20-8-13-6
Suggested Bet: Age of Kings Each Way
Race 8 – 1200M Racing And Sports Razor Sharp Hcp
Recommendation and Insurrection should be the two leaders and set a strong tempo. They come out of the same race as well, with Insurrection coming out on top in that clash. However, Recommendation now gets to jump to her preferred distance and gets a 2kg weight swing, which will set her up perfectly to turn the tables.
Fox Fighter always deserves to be in the numbers as he is just that consistent and can always pop his head up for a win at odds. Will appreciate that the track should be absolutely rock hard late, in which he can use to launch late off of the expected hot tempo up front.
Waihaha Falls was once a boom horse expected for much greater heights than this, however, we have since discovered that this is probably his ceiling. Well placed and should be the strongest late, especially if he gets a suck run from that hot tempo mentioned earlier.
Selections: 5-3-8-6
Suggested Bet: Recommendation Each Way
Race 9 – 1600M Jack Ingham Ao (Bm78)
I am a big Aristonous fan and the way he goes about his business. He was excellent throughout his first prep down under and the internationals typically get better in that 2nd prep, so I am thrilled to see him back and keen to see what he can do. Should be strong late and hopefully gets over the top of them at nice odds.
Money From The Sky is another at great odds here. Won first up at Canterbury in the opening Friday night meet of the season and did it after drifting a whopping $5 in the final minutes before the jump. Clearly nobody had told him, as he sat towards the back, waited for his chance, pressed the button and flew past them. He can go on with it here in similar fashion.
Ita is a stalwart of these articles, because she is just gutsy. What you see is what you get with her, just an honest performer that you know will be there/thereabouts in the finish and considering she is paying $30+, I am happy to include her in the numbers.
Zoe’s Promise could utilise her pace from that wide draw and steal this one if she plays it right. She shouldn’t get too much challenge for the lead so if she gets it clean without burning too much petrol she can certainly dictate the race and lead all the way.
Selections: 5-9-4-2
Suggested Bet: Aristonous Each Way
Race 10 – 1100M Aloha Strawberry Hill Stud (Bm88)
Iowna Merc is my best of the day and I will have to wait all the way until the final race of the day to see how he goes. I have been sucked in by trial form one too many times but its got me again. His latest trial made him look like Pharlap, just absolutely jogged past the entire field, some of which has broken into a genuine run. If Rachel King can get him into the right spot with some cover, I expect him to launch over them late with authority.
Way To The Stars was arrogant in the way he won the final race of the day on Golden Eagle day almost a month ago now. He just pushed to the front, dictated it and just tore away with it, not even giving another horse so much as a sniff at getting by him. He did the same in a recent trial which shows he is just as sharp and ready to go on with it. Certainly one of the only horses in the race that scares me.
Lady Laguna was a horse I once had quite the love affair with, until I lost on her constantly, as she turned into a perennial money muncher. However, she is a consistent type that will appreciate the drop in grade here and can certainly find her way into the money.
Devil’s Throat rounds out selections due to his consistency at this distance and his ability to run very strongly when fresh.
Selections: 11-7-1-9
Suggested Bet: Iowna Merc Win Best Bet
Top Selections For The Card
Race 1: Mosgold
Race 2: Step Aside
Race 3: Rapidash
Race 4: Chief Conductor
Race 5: Jupiter Hills
Race 6: Wineglass Bay
Race 7: Age Of Kings
Race 8: Recommendation
Race 9: Aristonous
Race 10: Iowna Merc
Quaddie
Race 7: 1,2,4,6,8,10,13,18,19,20
Race 8: 3,5
Race 9: 2,3,4,5,8
Race 10: 7,11
$50 gets you 24%
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