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By Neil Evans

Track Soft 6 and rail True:

The maiden sprinters kick off the Showcase Cup day meeting, with some showers likely. Honest Canberra mare 7. Prophet Time resumes, and is well placed to claim the opener. Was in and around the money right through the winter prep, mainly on synthetic and running home well. Has been reportedly working strongly, and stable loves to get them ready fresh.

Dangers: Goulburn filly 4. Lerinka by Nostradamus is on debut for a renowned first-up stable behind a solid trial. Watch the bettong on another first starter 2. Blazing Beverley by Furnaces who starts with gear additions and has trialled okay. Home tracker 1. Felix Pereon resumes with blinkers coming off, and despite having not publicly trialled, has been in work for some time; while another local 9. Shrimp heads the rest drawn inside and deep into the prep.

How to play it: Prophet Time to win

This shapes nicely for Randwick-based four-year-old and sparingly raced 2. Saveadateforme second-up. Worked home late to finish just over two lengths from the winner in handy BM 64 provincial company when resuming, and won at the same stage last prep. Bred to get further, and the jump up 250m is a natural bonus. Won his only previous start in heavy going.

Dangers: Plenty of them headed by provincial mare 5. Justela who can improve back on somewhat drier ground. Stuck to the task after leading on a bog track at Kembla, and at peak fitness, there's a sense of timing her coming back to country level. Improving 7. Heir Jordan can peak third-up over more ground; while 3. No Question second-up is very capable of running into the money.

How to play it: Saveadateforme to win

Tough and competitive maiden here. Canberra mare 11. Tenacious Lady is over the odds resuming for just her second start. Trialled well before flopping on the synthetic at home as an easing favourite back in August, but given time by an astute stable, and the jockey change is significant. Will likely drift back from the draw and finish hard.

Dangers: Big market watch on home tracker 9. Occhiata first-up for the new Matt Dale yard since mid July. No official trials, but can come to hand with gear changes. So too debutant Churchill three-year-old 4. Acheson who is a stablemate of the top selection. Kembla-based 6. Hellinda resumes for only his fourth start behind an easy trial; and at big odds too, 2. Peruno back in trip second-up; and 13. Juste Un Clou who draws the fence for her second start; both go in trifecta and first four plays.

How to play it: Tenacious Lady each way

Plenty of chances here headed by Kembla-based mare 7. Sassy Missile who can make it two from two in a race where there doesn't look to be a lot of early pressure up front. Opened her career with a narrow and fighting maiden win at this track, and the little extra trip is a plus carrying the same weight.

Dangers: Must include progressive 1. Apollo Mission coming off an upset second-up maiden win. Locally trained 3. Must caught the eye late getting home fresh at big odds in a similar field here three weeks ago. Trained on the track, 4. Fourcade was only fair when resuming in that same race as the former, but fitter now and stronger rider takes over. Included in exotixs 8. Albanian Eagle who drops in class; and 11. Greatestofease fifth-up.

How to play it: Sassy Missile to win

In a deep and wide race for this grade, like the value around home track mare 10. Quire second-up. Was 'specked' at a bigger price when only grinding to the line resuming in a CL1 here, but came through inferior ground that day, and better served when she can be ridden a bit further back and get to the outside.

Dangers: Track the betting on lightly raced 2. Seal Team Six who hasn't started since an all-the-way CL1 win here in mid July, and has been fitted with an easy trial. Another one from the Dryden stable resuming off a 37 week break, 4. Forty Four Cubits has enough tactical speed to zoom forward and give a big sight at just his third start. Keep safe 6. Chasing A Quid first-up from a handy draw, with blinkers coming off; while 7. Giddy Up Gidleigh peaks fourth-up with a claim, and is the best of the rest.

How to play it: Quire to win

Ther feature handicap sprint stacks up ideally for talented home track mare 6. Iconic Dame second-up off a month-long break, even more so if the track is downgraded deep into soft or even heavy range. Has been raced sparingly this prep, running a smart BM 78 winner at Randwick to less than three lengths in late October before failing to handle a much tighter track next start. Freshened up and found the line well to place in the Narooma Cup at BM 84 level run in record time, and she looks reasonably well treated on the limit weight.

Dangers: Keep safe tough mare 5. London Gal dug in hard from the front to claim the Narooma Cup three weeks back, but meets the top selection a shade worse at the weights. Kembla-based 7. Mr Rock It is well placed third-up coming back from metro Midway BM 72 company; while 10. Merc is some value third-up in the going and drawn to get plenty of cover; and 2. Kattegat is at his best on rain-affected ground.

How to play it: Iconic Dame to win

A place in the Big Dance at Randwick in spring is up for grads in the headline Cup. Provincial six-year-old 8. Lemaire hasn't won for a while, and his record is nothing flash, but this shapes nicely at good odds deep into the prep. Hasn't been far away in a string of closing runs against tougher city opposition, and dropping down to the limit weight, he can be tucked away with cover juist off the speed and be strong late.

Dangers: Ultra consistent mare 7. Mosgold has never raced better winning two of her last three, the latest from barrier to box in claiming a CL3 Highway at Randwick over a similar trip. Drops down to the minimum weight a month between runs. With a 50 percent winning strike rate from eight starts, Canberra four-year-old 10. Zouatica will give a big sight if he can get over from the wide barrier without being used up. Was swamped after leading in a metro BM 72 a month ago, but kept on the fresher side, and he drops 4.5kg to the limit weight. Big betting watch on resuming 1. Kokoro from the John O'Shea yard at Randwick. Ran home well in two spring runs against deeper metro opposition, and despite a wide gate and big weight here, she's been given a nice easy trial and boasts a sound fresh record. Honest on-speeder 2. Satness returns off an eight week break behind a strong trial win in heavy going.

How to play it: Lemaire each way and box exacta 7,8,10

Competitive sprint for this class to close the meeting. Like home track four-year-old 3. Rouge Lune first-up for 11 weeks, and thrives on rain-affected ground. Capped an improving prep in better races last prep by beating all but the winner twice, the latest hitting the line from well back in a feature BM 68 sprint. Was strong through the line in a one-off trial, and he drew to get a trail just off speed and off the fence.

Dangers: Plenty of them starting with 5. Missile Leader who resumes for the Dryden stable. Won twice at home on the synthetic last prep before charging home late without luck in a CL3 Highway. Has plenty of ability and comes to hand quickly. At bigger odds, watch for any money around 7. Bon Frankie who resumes off a steady trial for an underrated country stable; while 10. Sweet Biscuit fourth-up a month between runs; and resuming mare 8. Region Time; can both run into the minor money.

How to play it: Rouge Lune to win

BEST BETS:
R2 2. SAVEADATEFORME
R8 3. ROUGE LUNE

BEST VALUE:
R6 6. ICONIC DAME

All the fields, form and replays for Monday's Moruya Cup meeting