3 minute read

Brad Gray's Tips

14. Lumber Dream beat Zounique at Wagga the last time we saw him at the races. That reads well for a Highway Handicap over 1500m. In his one trial ahead of his return he matched motors with Another One and Participator. The lightly-raced five-year-old has been his own worst enemy in the past, being slow into stride and finding trouble. Despite that the son of Snitzel, out of gun mare Lights Of Heaven, has built a handy little record. Formerly trained by Kris Lees, he has now found a home with Rodger Waters. Just hoping that Jay Ford can lob Lumber Dream into a midfield position from the low draw before letting him find the line. Anything goes in this week's Highway with a dozen genuine winning chances but there's a case to be made that Lumber Dream is the one that the early market has missed.

Dangers: 2. Antonio Giovanni beat 19. Syrian Star at Dubbo two starts ago before running on behind Democracy Manifest in midweek metro company at Warwick Farm. Jumps from 1200m to 1500m but fourth up now that shouldn't be an excuse. Syrian Star won herself at her subsequent start and gets a 2kg swing. The filly has only had four starts. 3. King Of Spades didn't get much room at Rosehill last start in a 1400m Highway behind Baledon. He'd have been in the finish with clear running. 1. Jalmari hasn't had much go right for him in three runs back but the task isn't any easier here with 63kg and barrier 21. The drier the better for both 10. Rebel's Edge and 11. Smooth Esprit. 4. Airliner is in the mix too.

How To Play It: Lumber Dream EACH WAY

13. Verbek savaged the line first up behind Kipsbay in Midway company with the barrier proving costly. He simply got too far back. That won't be the excuses second up for the Robert and Luke Price-trained galloper from a perfect gate with Blake Shinn steering. The four-year-old hasn't been the easiest horse for punters to catch but he turned a corner last campaign winning a couple of races by huge margins. A wet track won't bother him either and his second up record reads 3:1-2-0. Don't think he has to improve much on what he produced a fortnight ago to be right in the finish here and we're getting a similar price to what was bet about him first up. Want to trust that Midway reference as Kipsbay clocked fast time overall for that grade.

Dangers: 15. Kote made a mess of his rivals last start at Canterbury running his rivals into the ground. Granted, it was a midweek maiden but three of his four starts as a two-year-old were in Group races. He's well found but entitled to be. Inclined to stick with him through the grades. 14. Either Oar broke a run of outs at Kembla Grange last start but she's typically super consistent and has place claims at big odds. Maps perfectly too. 3. Mayrose is going better than her bare form suggests, finally drawing a gate third up. 6. Concocted best of the rest.

How To Play It: Verbek EACH WAY

It's all started to click for lightly-raced import 12. Quality Time in his second Australian preparation for Chris Waller. Formerly trained in Germany, the five-year-old was heavily backed at Canterbury last start and after going straight to the front, never gave his backers a moment of doubt. He romped home by nearly four lengths with 58kg on his back. That was on a wet track too. The runner up Akahata has since franked the form line by running a narrow second at Canterbury on Wednesday. Having won out to 2200m overseas, he should be even better suited out to 1900m and fourth up the timing is right to try him in better company. Tommy Berry jumps on now and he draws perfectly to jump on the back of the speed. Every chance from there.

Dangers: Could 11. Hameron be a wet tracker? He was expected to win last start but couldn't quicken when presented in the straight. He did put a gap on Cognac first up on a heavy track. Drops in weight going up in grade. The map is a touch tricky. 13. Main Stage might have to do some work from the wide draw to find himself a spot on top of the speed but it was a hidden run from the eight-year-old last start behind Waterford where only the winner clocked a faster last 200m split. Loves it wet, plummets in weight and gets out to his right trip now third up. 6. Wicklow was a month between runs last start facing a Heavy 10 track and 1800m back to 1600m. Sets up well back out in trip. 5. Yaletown was 68 weeks between runs through that same Wicklow race and he stuck on well. 1. Kiss The Bride chases three straight.

How To Play It: Quality Time WIN

1. Cadre Du Noir can further stamp his Metrop claims with another win here. The seven-year-old, with just 15 starts to his name, produced a career best at Randwick over 2400m last start putting 5.5 lengths on his rivals. He cranked up the pressure in the middle stages after finding the front and broke the hearts of his rivals. It turned into a true staying test in the straight and he ran away to score emphatically. That was on the back of a good win at BM78 level with 60kg. He tackles Group Three company now but it's no harder than last start to be fair and his record over 2400m is impeccable (5:3-1-0). He'll also handle whatever track Rosehill throws up on Saturday. James McDonald booked, stalks the speed. Should win again.

Dangers: 5. Herman Hesse doesn't have the upside of Cadre Du Noir and it's hard to see him starting at the pointy end of a Metrop market but he carries 4kg less than his stablemate and also presents off a dominant last start victory. He lumped 61kg there too. He won't want it too wet, however. 4. Mohican Heights comes off a second at Moonee Valley over 2500m so he's hard fit tackling this. 7. Fun Fact will roll along out in front and give a sight, plummeting in weight. The query over 3. Grove Ferry is getting a strong 2400m.

How To Play It: Cadre Du Noir WIN

We saw glimpses of what 1. Diamil is capable of in his first Australian preparation but it's easy to conclude that we've only scraped the surface as to what potential lies ahead for the talented import. He resumes a gelding this preparation. He ended last campaign with a Listed win at Eagle Farm and the way he put away Main Stage and Ita in his second run for John O'Shea was in the manner of a galloper that's too good for benchmark company. James McDonald has been on the back of the five-year-old in both trials this time back and he sticks first up. The prospect of a wet track holds no fears and he can park up closer from the perfect draw on Saturday. It'll be no easy task with 61kg but willing to take the punt that we won't get too many chances to back him in this company.

Dangers: What more does 14. Ita have to do to warrant some respect from the market? She won at Randwick over the 1400m seven days ago beating two handy gallopers in War Eternal and the odds on favourite Arnold. It's rare that she runs poorly, handles all tracks and her record over this trip reads 4:3-1-0. 15. Narrated has been freshened since finishing midfield on the Rowley Mile. That was on a good track. She's better placed on wet ground. Gets in with just 52kg after the claim too. 16. Finepoint is only seven starts into her career and love the way she trucked to the line in her most recent trial. She was well beaten by Ita first up last preparation, however. 2. Dadoozdart can show up fresh but the wetter the better to negate 1400m being too sharp. 8. Arctic Thunder and 9. Sibaaq rate mentions.

How To Play It: Diamil WIN

1. Best Of Bordeaux had excuses first up in the San Domenico Stakes before proving no match for In Secret in the Run To The Rose, which sees her a firm favourite for the Golden Rose. That was more like the Best Of Bordeaux we saw as a two-year-old. His biggest asset is his natural speed. The son of Snitzel dodges the Golden Rose to instead target the Heritage Stakes and a very winnable edition at that. The blinkers come off and the visors go on. Watching the replay of the Run To The Rose several times, it's noticeable that Best Of Bordeaux surges again through the line. He can't be the easiest horse to ride but now that James McDonald has had two rides on him, don't be surprised to see him really crank up the pressure in the middle stages. The wet track holds no fears and his record at Rosehill reads 5:2-2-0.

Dangers: 9. Opal Ridge has enjoyed a brilliant campaign, winning a Highway Handicap last start where there was a gap back to third. Maps to jump onto the back of Best Of Bordeaux and if he falters at all late, she's there ready to take advantage. Handles all conditions and like her form references through Troach and then a deep Silver Shadow Stakes. 3. Semillon disappointed first up in the Vain Stakes before bouncing back in the G2 McEwen when only three lengths off Rothfire. Won the Kindergarten as a two-year-old on a wet track. 12. Spicy Hotpot will likely settle down out the back but she won her maiden in style before breaking and she has trialled sweetly since. 2. Swiss Exile was plain last start but looks better placed back to 1100m. 5. Economics has upside as does 8. Hawaii Five Oh, who gets the blinkers on.

How To Play It: Best Of Bordeaux WIN

2. Startantes lacks early speed but if she can hold any kind of position from the middle draw, she is going to be extremely hard to hold out second up out to 1400m. Only In Secret and Clemenceau clocked a faster last 200m split than her at Rosehill last start. That was in the Sheraco Stakes where she found herself out the back before peeling widest and running on late. It was a much better run than the finishing position suggests. Prior to that effort she ran down Snapdancer in the G1 Tatt's Tiara at Eagle Farm. Has handled wet tracks in the past, which includes a second in the G1 Surround Stakes behind Hinged on a Heavy 10. The four-year-old is starting to pay for her consistency at the top level at the weights but this is a perfect set up for her otherwise and Jason Collett knows her well.

Dangers: 10. My Whisper could the knockout also coming through the Sheraco. She went to make her run between Startantes and 8. Espiona but it closed and she was inconvenienced just as she was building momentum. Out to 1400m suits now given she won out to 1800m as a three-year-old. Untried on wet ground. Espiona disappointed first up but she's too classy to dismiss off one poor showing. Does 1. Nimalee spear across from the wide draw to race handy? She was second in this race last year and comes off a third behind Zaaki and Icebath in the Tramway. 3. Jamaea has claims but still has to prove herself at this trip while 4. Electric Girl and 7. Mirra Vision won't want too much rain to fall. Have been taken by the way 14. Dynasties has been trialling ahead of her return.

How To Play it: Startantes WIN

15. She's Extreme resumed on a deteriorating track at Randwick first up where it was a huge advantage to be fence in run. Madame Pommery finished four lengths behind her and subsequently turned her form around to scare the life out of Zougotcha in the Tea Rose Stakes last Saturday. Zougotcha of course beat In Secret prior to that which ties the fillies form in. The fillies dominated the colts as two-year-olds and all indications are that it's set to continue at three. The two other things in favour of She's Extreme, and they're significant, is the tactical versatility to take up a forward spot in a race without an obvious leader and the ability to get through all conditions. The cherry on top is the price and it's the major reason for having her on top. Can only run well.

Dangers: The only knock on 16. In Secret is her price. She was brilliant when winning the Run To The Rose, running right through the line. She boasts a sprinters pedigree and is untried beyond 1200m but her late strength in all three of her career wins suggests that she'll get 1400m no problem. Maps beautifully to stalk the speed. Her stablemate 7. Golden Mile ran out a dominant winner of the Ming Dynasty. He'd be best suited to a high pressure Golden Rose having already emphatically ticked the 1400m box. 3. Jacquinot brings a different form line and you have to respect that he beat Aft Cabin first up and we've seen what Aft Cabin has done since. He profiles to relish 1400m. The drier the better for him. 14. Fireburn's chances were dealt a blow with the wide gate but though she did more than enough first up. 17. Paris Dior and 6. Promitto for the wider multiples.

How To Play it: She's Extreme EACH WAY

13. War Eternal backs up after running second to Ita at Randwick seven days ago and a slightly unlucky second at that. The four-year-old ran fourth in the G1 Randwick Guineas third up last preparation.

Dangers: Not reading too much into that fact that 2. Ellsberg is yet to win second up. Three of those defeats came by less than half a length. His record reads 5:2-2-0 over this track and trip. Expecting him to find the leaders back. 10. Surf Dancer will be one of those leaders. He has won two of his past four and like the way he has trialled ahead of his return. A soft track is fine but any wetter becomes a query. 11. Old Flame was a determined winner first up over Purple Sector. Rustic Steel had his measure last preparation but the import was in his first Australian campaign. 8. Atishu rates a mention.

How To Play It: War Eternal WIN

Don't want the track to slip into the heavy range for 3. A Very Fine Red. Otherwise, it's a perfect set up. Soft is fine. The four-year-old is brilliant fresh, having run Mazu to 1.4L first up last preparation, is at her most dynamic over the 1100m journey and can position up behind what promises to be a frantic speed from barrier 1. Whether the inside gate is a positive or not come the last remains to be seen so monitor that throughout the meeting. The last time we saw this Mark Newnham-trained mare at the races she ran on hard into second behind Zapateo at Scone, and that form line has already been upgraded over the early part of the spring. She hasn't set the world on fire in her two trials but that's just her, she's never been a flash trialler.

Dangers: 4. Fire wanted to duck out in the straight last start over this same track and trip, costing himself victory as the odds on favourite. Has been freshened since then with a month between runs. If anything, the prospect of a wet track only enhances his claims and he too will relish a hot tempo. 8. Kipsbay was brilliant winning a Midway last start, leading from start to finish. He won't get the same control in this but he's versatile enough to cope. Chases four straight wins as he works through the grades. The 1100m is perhaps on the sharp side for 5. Starman nowadays but he has been trialled well ahead of his return and should get a lovely trail from the low draw with James McDonald steering. 1. Tristate is knocking on the door but might be forced to work hard early to cross.

How To Play It: A Very Fine Red EACH WAY