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Track Good 4 and rail out 2m from 1200m to 400m into a cut/away and true the remainder:
Race 1 MAIDEN PLATE (1400m):
Honest albeit inconsistent mare 7. Kirameki gets her chance here to finally land that maiden ahead of her 24th start. Missed narrowly at this track two starts back before again running home late in a deeper race at Dubbo when solid enough in the market. Not much depth here, and naturally her task was made much easier with the early short-priced favourite preferred at Nowra on Sunday.
Dangers: Lightly raced 2. Infinite Prince led until the final strides first-up off a long break, and back on a smaller track with improved fitness, he can again give another big sight. Stablemate 3. Talkachino resumes off a dominant trial win; and draws to get a soft run with cover; while improving 9. Bloomin' Ready finds a slightly thinner race at her second start and draws the inside.
How to play it: Kirameki to win
Race 2 COLTS, GELDINGS & ENTIRES MAIDEN HCP (1200m):
Like the way tough and improving four-year-old 3. Charlie Foxtrot hit the line late second-up in deeper provincial company. Back a shade in trip 20 days between runs, and looks very well in at the weights carrying 1.5kg less in a country maiden.
Dangers: Another one coming through a superior Hawkesbury formline on debut is 5. Crypto King who also gets good weight relief, and suited over a furlong further. Big watch on Star Witness four-year-old 1. Sly Witness on debut as a gelding for the Bjorn Baker yard behind three easy trials, and draws the fence. Home tracker 9. Tokyo Run is clear best of the rest returning for only her second start off a low-key trial win.
How to play it: Charlie Foxtrot to win
Race 3 FILLIES & MARES MAIDEN HCP (1200m):
Little more open affair in the girls' battles, although Ocean Park filly 4. Green Park looms as the one to beat on debut for the Freedman stable at Rosehill. Fitted with two trials, draws to get a nice run in transit, and was scratched from a winnable race recently to be saved for this.
Dangers: Drawn the fence, 1. Galactic Prince is a natural threat third-up nearly six weeks between runs, and was strong through the line in a recent city trial. Trained on the track, 3. Pozesana has stuck on well from on-speed in her last two; while both 2. Design Fantastique third-up with blinkers going on; and 5. Mischief in Dubai having her first start off two trials for the Ryan-Alexiou stable at Rosehill; can both add plenty of value into exotic returns.
How to play it: Green Park to win
Race 4 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (2000m):
A fair staying test at best here augurs well for still improving metro six-year-old 2. Whetu, who is ready to win fifth-up. Ran home hard from the back in deeper grade at Newcastle two starts ago before again doing her best work late at Goulburn behind a dominant and smart winner. That reads very well for this, again drawn to find a trail around midfield.
Dangers: Rival Warwick Farm raider 1. Xcited will appreciate a drop in grade, and significantly blinkers go on after dropping out from the front last start. Despite a wide draw and failing to handle heavy going last start, capable mare 6. Chaotic Beauty is going well enough to figure back on top of the ground. Included in all exotic bets, fast-finishing last start country CL 1 winner 7. Our City.
How to play it: Whetu to win
Race 5 CLASS 1 HCP (1200m):
Tricky sprint here. Got plenty of time for improving metro mare 2. Canada Bay who is suited back on a drier surface fifth-up. Fought hard to claim her maiden against metro opposition three starts back before two mixed efforts at the provincials. At peak fitness now, and she looks fairly treated at the weights back to country level.
Dangers: Another city-based four-year-old 1. Cable Tie naturally comes through a strong formline when charging home late first-up in deeper provincial company, but threatens to go around a shade under the odds up 4kg in weight and from an inside draw around a tighter circuit. Impressed by the way metro three-year-old 9. Showboat dug in hard and held them all off when challenged on debut at Muswellbrook, and he now takes a natural step up in class and trip here. Be surprised if the winner comes outside those three, but 3. Disoney can run into the minor money second-up from a soft draw; while locally-trained 10. Ultra White is the best of the rest second-up.
How to play it: Canada Bay to win
<Race 6 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1100m):
Tough tactical affair here with plenty of chances. Lightly raced and with more than enough ability 4. Raise Hell returns for her first run in 18 weeks, and all her best form is fresh.
Dangers: Keep safe also 11. Spirits Burn Deep who is drawn to roll forward from an ideal gate third-up. Expecting sharp second-up improvement from home track mare 1. Arimathea who drops in grade over 300m further after being run off his legs fresh over a short course. Tough 6. Young Heart showed plenty of that to claim a similar arce at Dubbo two weeks ago, and carries the same weight after the claim from the same barrier here; while local mare 8. Minnewater defied a betting drift to surge home and win that CL1 third-up in front of the top selection. More depth here, but she's still improving.
How to play it: Raise Hell to win
Race 7 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1400m):
Same grade of galloper to close the meeting, and it shapes well for honest metro six-year-old 2. Marvelous deep into his prep. Hasn't missed a place in his last three, including chasing home a heavily backed winner in tougher provincial company 20 days ago. Was scratched from Nowra on Sunday to run here.
Dangers: Lightly raced 6. Shuttle Run is the immediate threat at his fourth start. Broke the maiden in smart fashion two runs ago before finding the line in a handy CL1. By All Too Hard, and will relish a bit more ground. Keep safe another metro visitor, 7. The Carpet Bagger who is primed fourth-up from a low draw. Gap to the rest headed by 3. Vaaroom from the inside barrier fourth-up; and honest local 4. Wasserman who is hard fit.
How to play it: Marvelous to win
BEST BETS:
R3 4. GREEN PARK
R4 2. WHETU
BEST VALUE:
R5 2. CANADA BAY
