3 minute read

Brad Gray's Tips

Would love to see 5. Lockdown Gamble let slide early and take up the running now he's third up. There doesn't look to be a lot of speed on paper here either. The lightly-raced five-year-old wasn't beaten far by To The Nines in a Highway Handicap two weeks ago. He resented being restrained in the middle stages, when the pace eventually slackened, but he was coming again through the line to run fourth. He was only second up there on the quick turnaround having run over 1000m at Dubbo seven days earlier. Not the most conventional set up but he can only improve off that. His narrow third to Zoo Station in a Country Championships qualifier highlights what he's capable of, and he led that day at Mudgee. Glyn Schofield sticks having ridden him last start.

Dangers: 6. Lady Kah has more upside than anything else here. She's two from two and skipped a few grades second up but won by the same margin. It's no easy task jumping from a maiden to a Class 3. In that race at Goulburn last start was 8. Danzadel, which ties the form into previous Highway runnings given she's a proven Highway performer. If 1. Tap 'N' Run gets the first half of the race right, he'll be in the finish. He just can't tail off in the early stages. 3. Limited Reality has to cope with a jump from 1000m to 1400m but the way he found the line behind Salire two weeks ago suggests he is looking for further. Forget 4. Zadig's effort last start and bungling the jump while 9. Brazen Impact fits in well too.

How To Play It: Lockdown Gamble EACH WAY

4. Danish Prince was only beaten three lengths in the Four Pillars first up and it would have been even less had he got clear sooner. The four-year-old then backed that up with a brave second at Rosehill seven days later in Midway company. He travelled three deep the trip and had to cope with a drop back from 1500m to 1300m. In the context of what was against him with the set up and run he endured, it was a big run. His form looks exposed now given he is 22 starts into his career but on the strength of his two runs back this time in, he looks to have returned better than ever. There'll be no concern about covering ground in this now third up from barrier 1. Jason Collett sticks and should lob into a lovely trailing position.

Dangers: 17. Stolen Jade holds plenty of interest if she's here. She covered ground fresh at Rosehill and knocked up. She has contested much deeper races than this most recently and was a second up winner last preparation. 1. Astero had his chance last start in Midway company through the same race as Danish Prince after settling outside of the leader, and eventual winner, in the run. Should be at his top now third up. 10. Verbek is another proven Midway performer. He too comes through that same Midway where more was expected from him. He was still only beaten 1.8L in a busy finish, however. 7. Oakfield Prince has a tricky draw to overcome, otherwise his placings in Midway company last campaign read well for this.

How To Play it: Danish Prince WIN

7. Colour Sergeant looks ready to get back into the winner's stall fourth up out to 2000m. It was at this time in his last campaign that he really started to find his form, winning a Midway in dominant fashion. He ended the campaign with a second to Born A King. The five-year-old was coming again through the line at Rosehill last start, just finding the 1800m a touch too sharp. Particularly given the way the race was run with Willinga Rufio getting control in front. Regan Bayliss has been aboard Colour Sargeant in his last seven starts and he maintains his association with the Irish import. Should get his chance looking at the map too, settling midfield in a race that promises to be genuinely run.

Dangers: 10. Just A Jedi comes through the same race as Colour Sargeant and did run straight past him in the straight. He is flying without reward this campaign and should have beaten Pale King the start prior. The knock is how far back he's forced to get from the draw. There is no such query with 3. Tampering. He'll get a lovely smother parked in behind the speed. Yet to win beyond the mile but the timing is right to try again. 6. Karmazone posseses a turn of foot that few of his rivals can match and he has returned as well as ever. Forgive last start given he got too far back in a leader dominated race. 11. Shameonus should get the right run. Can't say the same about 12. Naval Seal.

How To Play It: Colour Sargeant WIN

8. Quick Tempo has had very little go his way recently and that run of rotten luck continued at Randwick two weeks ago. The four-year-old powered to the line with the hand break still on. He simply had nowhere to go in the straight. He struck trouble behind Maotai last preparation before bombing the start third up behind Shades Of Rose before clocking the fastest closing splits of the meeting in defeat. After winning his first five starts, he's found himself winless for just short of a year now but it's not through a lack of form. The speed promises to be hot on paper here and Jason Collett is the man tasked with angling him into the clear at the right time. He hasn't ridden Quick Tempo in the past but it appears a logical fit.

Dangers: This would've been a target race for 7. Our Bellagio Miss on her home track. She ran second to Athelric first up last campaign and liked the way she trialled up ahead of her return. Maps to get a lovely trail in this too. Four of 6. Stoical's five career wins have come first up and all five have been over 1000m. He goes like a rocket fresh and is a specialist over this trip. 14. Way To The Stars resumed an all-the-way winner at Warwick Farm and had improvement to come. Has won a tickover trial since then. 2. Classy Jaybee comes off a second to Mars Mission at Rosehill proving his Newcastle win was no fluke. 5. Spellcatcher will need the speed to be frantic to get into the finish but he's a talent.

How To Play It: Quick Tempo WIN

14. Pretty Wild has won two of her three starts and the miss was a narrow second. It's a fair start to a career. Both wins were on heavy tracks. The four-year-old mare, trained by Chris Waller, has had just the one quiet 850m trial ahead of her return which might hint that there's improvement to come but she might be good enough to overcome that. Especially given where she is going to find herself in the run. Jason Collett shouldn't have too many problems slotting her into the first half a dozen. The speed is drawn right across the track so all runners should get their chance. Pretty Wild does face the prospect of the driest track she's ever raced on and many of her rivals have a run or two under their belts so there are queries but she's still untapped and in the right hands.

Dangers: 11. Vianello only needed a couple more strides to have run down Way To The Stars first up over 1000m. She had to be coaxed through a flat spot. Well placed out to 1200m now and she can only improve off that given she was 46 weeks between runs. 13. Embeller is yet to win beyond 1100m but she hasn't been far away over 1200m in the past, including last start when a closing third to Plymstock. Just needs to be cuddled up for long enough to produce her short, sharp sprint. 9. Either Oar faces a tricky map but she's flying, relishes good tracks and is racing at home. 12. Divine Breath comes through the same race as Embeller while 18. Starboreta has a brilliant record on dry tracks.

How To Play It: Pretty Wild WIN

14. Able Willie promised so much after dominating his midweek rivals on debut but he hasn't landed a knockout blow since. The market expectation has always been there, however. He's met Mazu in two of those losses and started favourite on both occasions. Down the Flemington straight he started second favourite to Overpass. The four-year-old has undergone tie-back surgery since we last saw him at the races so there was obviously a breathing issue that needed to be rectified. The other thing the gelding had to correct was his racing manners. He simply did too much wrong to be matching motors with horses of that calibre. Now two preparations into his career, Chris Waller will have had time to iron those chinks out. Trialled nicely, maps well. Worth another chance.

Dangers: 3. Rainbow Connection got his career back on track with a good win at Eagle Farm first up three weeks ago. That coincided with getting back onto a good track. The lightly-raced five-year-old has always had a huge amount of ability. He's well set up to go back-to-back now he's found winning form again. 12. Kanazawa didn't have much go his way last campaign but still managed to score a win in a similar race to this. He fits in well, particularly at the weights after the claim of Zac Lloyd. Where 6. Mars Mission finds himself in the run doesn't look quite as straightforward. He bounced back last start to win at Rosehill. The prospect of a good track will bring out the best in 16. Dalaalaat. He's the best knockout hope.

How To Play It: Able Willie WIN

1. Malkovich returns for Warra redemption having run second in this race 12 months ago as a firm $2.35 favourite. He was slow into stride on that occasion, still presented like the winner but was run down in the final stride by Eleven Eleven. Fast forward a year and although he has only won one race since, three of his subsequent nine starts have been at Group One level. He has also been plagued by a run of wet tracks. The five-year-old bounced back last start at Randwick, when second to Clemanceau, who carried 11kg less. Josh Parr sticks and Parr is 4:1:2-1 on the bold front runner. Drawn to get first crack at the fence, it'll take a fast one to eye ball Malkovich. The drop back to 1000m suits as does the dry track. He'll look the winner for a long way.

Dangers: 3. Athelric's most recent form doesn't read like much on paper after running second to Eduardo first up but he ran in the Shorts behind Nature Strip second up before tackling the Flemington straight on two occasions. Off those latest performances, he looks better placed back to a bend. The cherry on top is how well he maps. 2. Bruckner is the wildcard. He has spent 55 weeks on the sidelines after running second to Home Affairs in the G1 Coolmore. Looked sharp winning his Hawkesbury trial. Wouldn't be surprised to see 7. Wisdom Of Water run well at odds, just as he did in the Warra last year. 9. On The Lead gets a cosy run just in behind the speed and loves dry tracks. 17. American President just has to transfer his wet track form onto a drier deck.

How To Play It: Malkovich WIN

4. Rustic Steel accelerated brilliantly from midfield to win the Big Dance last start, giving away 6.5kg to the runner up. They cleared out from third. Now the five-year-old has got out to the mile and found winning form again, expect him to hold it. He won back-to-back races last preparation with a similar set up, taking out The Coast and Scone Cup. Can't find too many chinks in his armour. He handles all tracks, only has to hold his form to be in the finish again and he maps to get a lovely run just forward of midfield. There will be no excuses from there. The son of Deep Field has made a habit of winning too. He's now eight from 17, with his last five by half a length or less. It's an admirable trait. Put him in the right spot and he'll, more often than not, do the rest.

Dangers: 12. Hope In Your Heart was outstanding in the Golden Eagle running on into fourth. It's a proper race every year and this year is no different with In The Congo (7th) and Vilana (8th) already coming out and running the quinella in The Hunter. 14. Purple Sector is a quiet achiever. He was just nutted by 8. Old Flame first up before running second to Top Ranked. Sees his first good track this campaign and gets into the right spot camped in behind the speed. This has been the grand final for 13. Brutality all along. He has charged to the line in his four runs back. The blinkers go back on and he thrives on the quick back up. 16. Riodini is a sharp improver out to the mile but the market hasn't missed him.

How To Play It: Rustic Steel WIN

With the exception of import 4. Nugget, it's fair to suggest that the rest of his rivals here have found their respective levels. The lightly-raced six-year-old, formerly trained in the UK, already boasts a fantastic record (12:4-5-1) and we got our first look at him at Flemington two weeks ago. The wet track was said to have not suited and 1400m was going to be a tad sharp given that all of his form is over the mile but he was only beaten a length, getting into second behind talented stablemate Detonator Jack. Nugget was first up for 46 weeks too. He was also in The Gong, which emphasises the opinion that stable have of him. Instead he tackles this BM88 and he profiles like a horse that won't have too much trouble working his way through the benchmark grades.

Dangers: 2. Steely had his chance in the Little Dance last start but that reference reads well for this. The six-year-old has a fantastic record at Kembla Grange too (6:3-0-1). 11. Solar Apex beat home Steely, flooding home from the tail of the field and can count himself a touch unlucky not to have won. He again maps to give away a similar head start but look for him late. 15. Momack comes off a dogged second at Hawkesbury behind Kirwan's Lane. He may have been flattered by the way the track played but we know where he'll be again. Up front making his own luck. The same can be said for 3. Zoushack but he was disappointing last start. 12. War Eternal should get the right run. The same can't be said for 7. Honeycreeper but she has returned well.

How To Play it: Nugget WIN

Would be bullish about the chances of 2. Irish Legend over a mile but happy to gamble that he can still prove too classy over 1400m. He attacks this race fresh and we saw what he did on his Australian debut over 1500m behind Wicklow when first up. The five-year-old took a while to click through his gears but he was trucking Kerrin McEvoy through the line. Kerrin will have taken away plenty from his two rides on the UK import. To seal the deal is how well Irish Legend has trialled ahead of his second campaign for Les Bridge. He has travelled strongly in both hitouts and gone to the line largely untested. He was stretched out to staying trips overseas and he should continue to improve over further but this looks a good kick off point.

Dangers: 16. Manderboss looks a fantastic knockout hope. Like the way he closed off behind Ang Pow at Newcastle first up before he had no luck in a deep race at Randwick last start that has already produced two subsequent winners and a placegetter. Expecting more aggressive tactics aboard 4. Mach Schnell now he's got the run under his belt. That'll see him give a sight. It looks a positive that 5. Tamerlane comes back to 1400m. He got every in run favour last start at Randwick but the set up is similar here. 7. Tonneofgrit looks just about ready to fire while 3. Ma And Pa found 1200m a touch too sharp first up. The obvious knock with 1. Cavalier Charles is where he gets to from the gate. Presumably, a long last.

How To Play It: Irish Legend WIN