3 minute read

Brad Gray's Tips

Don't know where 23. Devine Miss gets to from the draw but like the way she closed off in BM72 company last start at Warwick Farm behind Bitcoin Baby and Tashi. The four-year-old didn't get a lot of room in the straight either. She is racing like she'll relish 1200m now fourth up. We've seen her once before in Highway Handicap company but it was on a Heavy track and she failed to handle it. She did jump $8.50 on that occasion. Forgive her that. The Norm Gardner-trained mare is typically very genuine, as her overall record of 11:3-3-2 attests. The daughter of Headwater is going to need a clever steer, and luck at the right time, to get herself into the finish, but there is enough in the early price to take that gamble. The market looks to be underestimating her chances.

Dangers: 18. Ideel Girl gapped her rivals first and second up before bumping into Banana Queen at Newcastle, who has since won again at the midweeks. The timing is spot on for a crack at a Highway Handicap. Should get the right run from the draw. Lou Mary is well represented in the race also saddling up proven Highway performer 4. Proverbial. 1. Pokerjack is already a two time Highway winner and has been freshened up since running poorly at Canterbury. 20. Overextend is no stranger to Highway company and he should be improved off his Coonabarabran return where he was grabbed on the line while 21. Our Boy Ollie can give some cheek from in front at odds. He was relished leading in his past two.

How To Play It: Devine Miss EACH WAY

5. Green Shadows had every possible chance at Randwick last start when second to Kanazawa but he was a month between runs and coming back from the mile to 1400m. This is a much better set up with a fortnight between runs and over 1500m. He was a beaten favourite two weeks ago and it well placed to atone for that. The three-year-old also comes back in grade from BM78 to BM72 company. The trade off there is an extra 5.5kgs. Doubt that stops him though. Green Shadows has been knocking on the door all preparation and he gets an ideal set up to chalk up win number three of his career with Josh Parr tasked with angling him off the fence at the right time. This doesn't look to be a high pressure race on paper so there's every chance he can park closer too.

Dangers: 8. Wineglass Bay holds the key to the race. The market will be our best guide but until then, the UK import is hard to get a line on. His one win overseas at least came over 1400m, albeit on the synthetic. He had a quite jumpout at Flemington before another soft hit out at Rosehill in trial. First up over 1500m suggests he's ready to go. 3. Tympanist hasn't fired at Rosehill in the past. He's hard to approach with confidence due to his inconsistency but his best is absolutely good enough to win this. There's no such query with 1. Danish Prince. What you see is what you get generally. He won over this track and trip two starts ago. 12. Semana is working her way through the grades and gets in light.

How To Play It: Green Shadows WIN

11. Passeggiata made a mess of her rivals on debut at Gosford. Sure, it was a provincial maiden but the manner in which she did it suggests that she can take the giant leap straight into Saturday benchmark company. The 52kg on her back helps. Through that maiden win we've only seen one of her rivals since with the sixth placed Nonshalaant winning at Muswellbrook. Passeggiata had put the writing on the wall in her three trial wins prior to her first start. The other takeaway from Gosford was how well the Winning Rupert filly executed. She jumped quickly, settled in front and quickened when asked. After jumping a short priced favourite two weeks ago, and justifying the quote, the early market support is there to suggest that she can remain unbeaten.

Dangers: Reluctant to underestimate 4. True Crime. He did very little wrong in his first racing preparation and love the way he trucked to the line in a recent 1000m trial at Wyong. Could take a trail across from Passeggiata to settle outside of the leader. 2. Narito burst onto the scene with two dominant provincial wins before he had his colours lowered in two city runs. He did jump favourite ahead of stablemate Democracy Manifest in one of those. He too brushed home nicely in a recent trial. 8. Smokeshow rounded up his rivals brilliantly at Wagga last start and respect the placement of Danielle Seib coming straight to town off that. 1. Xpresso chases three straight.

How To Play It: Passeggiata WIN

7. Lovetheinvasion is a very genuine mare. The five-year-old resumes over 1400m which suits, she boasts a great fresh record (4:2-1-0) and will bounce out to make her own luck. That'll see her give a sight at each way odds. The daughter of Time For War won first up last preparation at Muswellbrook in a BM74 beating Sequanna and Audette. From there she ran fourth in a Midway over 1700m behind Colour Sargeant before going down narrowly to Tinne Winnie at Canterbury. Those form lines read strong enough for what she faces in this. She only had one 1000m trial ahead of last campaign and Newcastle-based trainer Jason Deamer prepares her the same way this time back. Tommy Berry is booked and she won't be easy to run down.

Dangers: 2. Excelladus is having his sixth run of the preparation and comes back from two runs over the mile. Perhaps he just didn't get the trip as he failed to finish off in both occasions. The latest of those was in a deeper race than this won by Estadio Mestalla. Gets his chance but there are queries. 5. Dalaalaat doesn't do himself any favours with his get-back style and the barrier will ensure he sees most of his rivals turning for home again. He is going much better than the form guide suggests, however. Look for him thundering home again. The challenge for 9. Bluff 'N' Bluster is stringing two good runs together but a half length defeat to Kanazawa and Green Shadows is a strong form reference.

How To Play It: Lovetheinvasion EACH WAY

1. Festival Dancer showed a glimpse of her old form last start when leading at Randwick only to be run down in the final strides. She should be further improved by that run and looks suited out to 1500m now fourth up. Leading apprentice Dylan Gibbons had the key to getting the four-year-old into an on speed position two weeks ago. She did control the race from in front and there was just 1.3 lengths from first to seventh which poses some queries in itself but it does look the logical form reference with so many of her rivals also coming through that BM78. In the preparation where Festival Dancer progressed from a maiden to a Group Three winner in the space of four starts, she did it deep into a campaign.

Dangers: 5. Ausbred Flirt at least offers a different form line. She has returned a different mare this time in crushing her rivals on two occasions at Kembla Grange before backing that up with a brave second to Estadio Mestalla at Randwick. Back to mares company sees her set up well. Looks to find the front again here. What sees 4. Frumos remain so firm in the market is her recent starting prices. She was left with no excuses last start. Nash Rawiller is the jockey tasked with getting her off the fence at the right time this week. 3. Saigon comes through that same race and wasn't far away either while 7. Modern Millie has legitimate knockout claims given the form she finds herself in. Will just need some luck finding a spot from a tricky draw.

How To Play It: Festival Dancer EACH WAY

Can 9. Bold Mac repeat what he did first up last preparation? If he can, he's in the finish. Can't see any reason why he won't either. The five-year-old tackles the same grade over the same track and trip. The obvious difference is that the track was heavy that day. However, his New Zealand form suggests that a firmer track holds no fears for him. After his first up win he had excuses with big weights before striking a bottomless Heavy 10 at Randwick where he never travelled despite being heavily backed. Two quiet trials should have him ready to fire again fresh and the barrier looks a huge advantage given the lack of pressure on paper. Tommy Berry can talk the speed.

Dangers: 13. Silent Agenda is yet to win below the mile but he sets up to improve sharply on his finishing positions this time back. He has run sixth twice but he has been dragged back in the field over unsuitable sprint trips. Plummets to 52kg. Was beaten by Bold Mac when hat horse won first up last campaign. 8. Vreneli is an honest on pacer that does look to get control in front. He comes here a narrow last start winner and has trialled since given the five week break. 4. Shaquero hasn't won for 94 weeks now but he has competed in better races throughout his career than his rivals and looks to be building towards something. 5. Cuban Royale is racing well while 7. Night Of Power has knockout claims but the lack of pressure on paper is a concern.

How To Play It: Bold Mac WIN

How many last chances can a horse get? Here we go again with 6. Chalk Stream. The case for him to turn around his form om Saturday is not only the weaker company but also getting back onto the firmer track. He's had six runs in Australia and five have been on Soft 7 or worse. The one that was on a Soft 5 he reared at the start and put himself out of play. He started $9 in the St Leger the last time we saw him at the races. He's now longer than that and gets in with just 54kg. There is enough in the price to gamble that he can find his best form. We have to go back 10 months for a reminder of what that looks like but a third to No Compromise and Surefire reads very well for this. Liked the way he trialled at Randwick recently.

Dangers: Not sure what to take away from the Summer Cup. It looks the logical form reference and 1. Berdibek is the obvious one but he was $26 there. He's considerably shorter on the back up and lumps 59kg. Not to mention his get back pattern. He's a huge chance, no doubt, but very well found. 2. Spirit Ridge was only second up there and after looming in the straight he peaked on his run. He won this race two years ago and looks well set up to win it again. 10. Military Mission's form on paper doesn't read like much but if he can muster enough early speed to find the front, expect an improved showing. 5. Aleas gets the blinkers on for the first time and like Chalk Stream, is trained by Chris Waller who has dominated this particular race over the past decade.

How To Play It: Chalk Stream EACH WAY

1. Star Sparks has won five of his eight starts and two of those losses were on heavy tracks, which we now know that he simply doesn't handle. It's a formidable record for an unassuming style of horse. The lightly-raced five-year-old won three of his past four before being sent for a spell with Waterhouse and Bott forced to raise the bar again as the gelding races through the grades. The last time we saw him at the races he took control at Canterbury and never gave his rivals a chance over 1900m, leading all of the way with Josh Parr in the saddle. This is a different task in Saturday company, over 1500m and first up but the stable will have him ready to go with two open company trials under his belt.

Dangers: 3. Estadio Mestalla may very well be the best horse in the race but the market reflects that. Don't love the set up of the wide draw coming back to 1500m. He needed every bit of the mile, and a perfect run, to wear down Ausbred Flirt last Randwick last start. 2. Momack is super honest and looks the likely leader. His form is well exposed now but he's finished top three in eight of his 12 starts for Blake Ryan. We know the story with 11. Bazooka being hard to catch with three wins from 35 starts but he can be explosive when everything falls into place. He did enough first up over 1300m. Respect import 8. Tip Of The Spear in the hands of Annabel Neasham.

How To Play It: Star Sparks EACH WAY

There is more depth to the recent form lines of 4. Mahagoni but he is going to be giving away another big head start. That's cause for concern given his price but he made ground behind Nugget at Randwick two starts ago before backing that up with a fast finishing second to Jojo Was A Man a fortnight ago. That winner came out and won again last Saturday. The four-year-old stretches to 1800m for the first time in his career and has been up since August with this being his ninth run of the campaign, so it's a gamble that does come with risks but all he has to do is hold his form from his past couple to be right there again. Dylan Gibbons is tasked with finding cover before grabbing the back of something to tag into the straight.

Dangers: 1. Logan Street Lion continues to race well but he had his chance behind Mach Schnell last start. There has to be a query over the strength of that form line and his Queensland runs prior. Reluctant to chime in as the early favourite, albeit in a very open market. There wasn't a lot between him and 3. Irish Legend there and he could be worth another chance himself. Expected more from 2. Worthily last start when a boxing fourth behind Global Ausbred. He had been building towards a win prior to that. He too has a tricky draw to overcome. 11. First Light should improve off his first up effort having led while 10. Dr Evil has proven that he isn't just a wet tracker at his past couple.

How To Play It: Mahagoni WIN

6. Super Pursuit will be relieved to see the back of I Am Me for the time being. She looks to be a mare destined for Group success and the form around her has already stacked up with Dehorned Unicorn since winning himself. Super Pursuit, formerly trained in New Zealand, resumed at Rosehill over 1100m after a year on the sidelines and didn't get a lot of room late before he bounced off that to really attack the line out to 1200m again behind I Am Me. That was from last with the wide draw dictating his settling position. The draw on Saturday should at least see him settle down in front of a couple of his rivals. His record of 14:5-2-1 tells you that the six-year-old is an above average talent and Saturday's set up allows him to show that.

Dangers: 9. Pizarro is yet to finish outside of the top three in his eight career runs. Doubt that ends here given how well he is placed again. Has resumed over 1100m in his past two preparations and found one too sharp on both occasions, albeit the latest of those on a Heavy 10. Like him attacking 1200m fresh this time. 5. Niffler is also dangerous fresh. The 1200m is on the short side but overlook the fact that she ran seventh first up last campaign in a race where they waked in front. She was only beaten 2.7L at the finish. Should be able to find a midfield trail and get her chance on Saturday. 7. Kalino put his rivals away impressively first up flagging that he has returned better than ever. 1. Titanium Power, 3. Snippy Fox and 4. Much Much Better are all capable of so much better but need to be taken on trust.

How To Play It: Super Pursuit WIN