Sydney metro racing heads to Royal Randwick on Saturday.
The 10-race card kicks off bright and early at 11am AET.
RACE 1
Vomo Island is a Snowden-trained colt; they had his older-sibling Wayupinthesky who foaled a baby by Ole Kirk last spring. As for Vomo Island, he was a certainty beaten at his first visit to Canterbury and split Kandinsky Abstract and Celestial Legend at the other. Ravello was doing his best work late first-up on the Kensington track. Royal Randwick will suit him a whole better. Is it just me or does Rhythm of Love kinda look a bit like Lost And Running? He’s got a good ‘pattern’ this horse.
Bet: Vomo Island to win
RACE 2
Sweet Biscuit is a backmarker with a big finish but even so, she has paid a huge price for wide draws at her last two. She was only beaten three-length in a 14-horse 1100m race at the Farm before her ‘much better than it looks’ run in the Gosford Highway. Bring on Randwick! Jalmari is nothing short of a ‘wealth hazard’, a money-muncher to steal a line from the Duff. That said, he can finish like a train when it all falls into place for horse and rider. Ditto the last bit for Bootscooter.
Bet: Sweet Biscuit to win, exacta 14 to beat 6
RACE 3
Is Karedada the horse that makes Angela Davies a ‘dual Provincial Midway-winning trainer’? Could be. Just for the record, he couldn’t be any different, pattern-wise to Davies’ 2019 Final winner Through The Cracks. This one is on speed and sprint away from them. This is more of a test for him now with the wide draw but talent is not the issue. Super Bright has ‘Midway form’ and has been trialling the house down in the last few weeks. Broken Arrows has a massive finish; he’ll need it now given he drew 20 of 20 minus scratchings.
Bet: Karedada to win, quinella 8,15
RACE 4
Always been a fan of the flashy Tashi and she’s hasn’t let anyone down in her four starts. She won on debut, was second twice and third at the other. But what stands out most about her C.V is that she has quite a degree of depth to her form. One other pertinent point to make is that she is trialling extra well. Contemporary, the grandson of the Ron Quinton-bred Mnemosyne, has come good this prep. Not that he was ever bad but there is a bit of upward trajectory about him now.
Bet: Tashi to win.
RACE 5
If there is a horse that deserves, or is closer, to a win more at Randwick on Saturday than Cross The Rubicon, let us know. She was famously unlucky in the Provincial Midway Final. Would she have won if she hadn’t blown the start? Hard to say. Was huge late again on the Kenso last start. Vienna Princess is a stakes-winner which has to count for something. Barrier 2 and 1400m gives her ‘her chance’. Kazou has outgrown midweek racing; that said, this is a pretty good off-season race!
Bet: Cross The Rubicon to win
RACE 6
Wrathful has won three of his six starts and finished fourth at the other three. Funny thing though, you would have to agree surely that he was the ‘run of the race’ in all of his fourths. He just ran out of time and space in the Midway at Scone. Me? I think 2000m will be this horse’s best trip. Just A Jedi, out of Wrathful, is THE horse in the race looking, nay, dying for 2000m on a big track. Miracle Spin beat Wrathful at Scone who beat him at Rosehill.
Bet: Wrathful to win, Just A Jedi each-way, quinella 19,20
Iowna Merc.
RACE 7
Iowna Merc is an interesting horse. Interesting in as much as he is one of those horses that we don’t know what his ceiling is yet. He went through his grades very quickly last preparation; and the fact that it was his first preparation adds considerable merit. Wow, what awesome trials too. Speaking of trials, Lady Brook has been razor sharp in her two. She is one for one at the track/trip and look at her first-up record! Treporti is a major player. Miss Dior might be the (place) value.
Bet: Iowna Merc to win, Lady Brook each-way
RACE 8
Dragonstone has his name on the same honour roll as the likes of Bragger, Lord Ballina, Mother Duck and more recently Classique Legend given he (Dragonstone) is the most recent winner of the Bob Charley, once known as the June Stakes. We could be looking at a second Randwick 1100m win for the now Joe Pride-trained gelding on Saturday. Or does his new stablemate Dehorned Unicorn beat him? He himself is one for one at the track and distance and has the perfect draw. Through The Cracks will be steaming home.
Bet: Dragonstone to win
RACE 9
Just by way of context, I was quite keen on Blondeau first-up at Scone in the Luskin Star but few others were given there wasn’t a bean for the son of I Am Invincible. All in all, there was merit in the run, He was miles off the leaders and they ran home in 33.30. Got a good record at Randwick over 1400m. Written Beauty didn’t have a lot of luck in the Hawkesbury Crown. Just going to need an out on Saturday from box two. Cisco Bay, the Big Dance runner-up, is in great nick. Irish Sequel could sneak a third or fourth here.
Bet: Blondeau each-way, Cisco Bay each-way.
RACE 10
Green Shadows was one of just 17 foals born in Menari’s first crop. Menari’s trainer Gerald Ryan paid $80,000 for Green Shadows at the Magic Millions. Good buying seeing as he is $100,000 in front after 11 starts. Can’t say his trial was out of this world but he’s a capable horse. Speaking of trials; Gracilistyla has run 10th of 10 and then 8th of 10 but wasn’t asked to do anything – zero! Super Effort likes it here at HQ.
Bet: Green Shadows to win, Gracilistyla to place.