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Tips by Brad Gray

Tips and race by race preview by Brad Gray for Friday’s twilight meeting on the Kensington track at Randwick.

The rail is in the True and the form has been done for a good track.

1. Electric Girl defied her big price to run a massive race on debut, closing hard to finish second to John O’Shea’s smart filly Instant Attraction. That filly was nosed out by Military Magic at Canterbury last Friday. In third was Crimlet, a filly that subsequently bolted in at Gosford on Wednesday. It was a very deep maiden. Sure, Electric Girl was sent around at $61 but be much more forgiving on SP profile when it comes to debut runs. The Gwenda Markwell-trained three-year-old heads straight to town now and although we have to take a considerably shorter price, she finds a very winnable race and can only improve on what she did at Gosford.

Dangers: With Saigon scratched that leaves 2. Indigenous as the logical threat. With the stablemate 4. Maggie's Girl the likely leader, it will be intersting to say how this map plays out. Regardless, surprised Indigenous is so short on what she did on debut at Canterbury. Her third behind Miss Spiteful was solid if not spectacular.

How to play it: How to play it: Electric Girl WIN ($2.80 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Electric Girl at Gosford on debut

3. Rari was edged out by Deadly Impact at Rosehill last start, with the 1400m maiden clocking a time three lengths faster than Spencer in a BM70 later in the day. There might be more to this race than first meets the eye. Rari was jumping from 1100m to 1400m on that occasion and was a month between runs. There has to be upside. Tommy Berry has ridden the gelding in both of those starts and will know the quirks of the horse now. The Greg Hickman-trained son of Sizzling builds through his gears, there doesn’t appear to be an instant acceleration when asked for a final effort. Past the line last start, Rari was back in front. Expect Berry to click Rari up early to get a head of steam as a sit and sprint will see him gunned down.

Dangers: What do we do with 9. Bacchus out of that same race? The eight start maiden looked the winner at the 300m mark but peaked badly his last 200m. His last 200m was two lengths inferior to the quinella but he still clocked the fastest last 600m (34.04s) due to the dominance of his 600-400m and 400-200m splits. Strips fitter but has three lengths to make up. Stablemate 2. Samurai savaged the line behind Axe on debut at Wyong. He is untapped, Nash Rawiller rides and the 1400m looks to suit. Terrified of his upside. Can’t have 5. Mission Dream at the price given his manners on debut behind Deadly Impact. 8. The Snoopstar has been gelded since his Hawkesbury third. Has always had ability.

How to play it: Rari WIN ($3.40 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Rari, Bacchus and Mission Dream all meet again here

There’s only three form lines to consider here and confident that 2. Switched offers the strongest of them. Most recently, Brad Widdup’s filly was left with the unenviable task of dragging the field up to outstanding winner Kylease, having worked at both ends. That 1200m race at Kembla was considerably faster than the 1200m race for the boys won by Trumbull. Switched finished a fading fifth where Lucicello was fourth and behind her in sixth was subsequent Saturday winner Jen Rules. Prior to that, Switched won at Hawkesbury over 1100m holding off Super Oasis. In her first campaign she ran a narrow second to Catwalk at Randwick before placing behind Funstar and Leviathan out to 1200m. Should lead this field from the inside.

Dangers: 4. Aquitaine did what was expected of her first up at Rosehill given she was sent around $1.60. It was pretty painless after she landed outside of the leader. The two-year-old race (won by Hinchbeast) clocked quicker overall time and 5. Estrado was stripping ground off her late. Estrado meets Aquataine 2.5kg better off too. 4. Belitsa was okay back in fourth. Wandabaa ran third and subsequently wasn’t sighted at Canterbury behind Military Magic and Instant Attraction. 6. Zem Factor dug in to win her maiden at Kembla. The second horse Great News has since ran fairly when third at Wyong.

How to play it: Switched WIN ($2.80 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: EVENS

Switched running fifth behind Kylease

3. Quality Seeker got to 2000m for the first time in Australia last start at Hawkesbury and didn’t she relish the trip! The five-year-old put a widening five lengths on her rivals suggesting there was much more to come. It was a crushing win with Punters Intelligence revealing a last 600m (34.31s) seven lengths superior to the next best while her last 200m of 11.63s was particularly dominant. On that, doubt 2400m will be an issue. It was only a Class 2 but apart from the huge winning margin, it had plenty of substance to it on the clock. Wouldn’t be surprised to see this import, that did all of her early racing in the UK, progress to Saturday class company at this time of year where there is very little between stayers at benchmark level.

Dangers: 2. Miss Moana didn’t have a turn of foot to match Loveseat at Rosehill last start, coming off a two mile win at this track the start prior. Chris Williams will need to make this a real test, grinding her rivals into the ground as she’ll only get more dour into her campaign. 4. Continuation won easily at Gosford last start but 1. Plaisir did reel him in three starts back at Newcastle. Plaisir appears to be relishing the extra distance and now gets a crack at 2400m, coming out of a race much deeper than this last start. Gives away big starts though.

How to play it: Quality Seeker WIN ($3.70 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Quality Seeker last start at Hawkesbury

7. Rebukes was very confidently backed first up at Gosford from a 10 month layoff and the mare got the job done. The narrow win was better than the margin suggests. Punters Intelligence shows the leaders went slow early and she had to dash quickly to pick up her rivals. The four-year-old clocked 34.01s for her last 600m to nab Belle Of Clonmel (since beat Let It Pour to win at Gosford!) and Hellbenders (since second at Canterbury). Godolphin wouldn’t have persisted with her if she didn’t have above average ability and respect James Cummings’ placement here, heading straight to town even though a Class 1 provincial race would be there for the taking. Josh Parr could even have her outside of the lead in this but certainly in the first four.

Dangers: 3. Bubbles Ball has been expertly placed by Kris Lees throughout her career, picking off country and provincial races before she was tested in town at the backend of her second campaign. She chased home Celer gamely at Warwick Farm before coming to the end of her preparation here over 1400m. Big hope but too short in the market. 1. Unguarded loves this track (3:2-0-1) with his last two starts here being dominant wins. One was over 1300m and the other 1400m, however, so the 1100m is on the sharp side for her. Trialling well.

How to play it: Rebukes WIN ($7 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS

Rebukes winning at Gosford first up

Can 6. Bandersnatch reproduce second up what he did at Hawkesbury fresh? If he does, this race is as good as over. The Gerald Ryan-trained three-year-old was blistering in tearing away from his rivals, running fast time and clocking a dominant 33.66s for his last 600m. He beat Commute by 3.5 lengths and she has since won easily at Wyong and there was a further 5.3 lengths back to Handfast, a subsequent Canterbury winner. We’ve seen the gelding on five occasions and in the two he has led he has won with a leg in the air. 12. Vee Eight might make a play for the front early but I’d expect Brenton Avdulla to roll across from an ideal wide draw with plenty of purpose.

Dangers: 11. Twentyfour Carat was smashed into $1.55 at Warwick Farm second up on the back of an impressive return over the Kenso 1400m but was trapped wide throughout, fading into ninth. Tackles the same track and trip as first up where Starla was back in third but this will be three runs in a row at 1400m. Some little query he might want the mile now but Nash Rawiller goes on and he maps to get a lovely drag into the race from Bandersnatch.

How to play it: Bandersnatch WIN ($1.90 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

They were never catching Bandersnatch first up

This isn’t the first time 6. Koonunga, Nash Rawiller, the Kenso 1000m and barrier 1 have all come together. Last preparation she just failed to run down Royal Witness. That form stacks up well for this BM70. The five-year-old mare has had two runs back from a five week freshen, first winning at Newcastle over 900m, where Yitai Synergy (scratched here) ran third, before having no luck in over 1000m at Kembla in the BM78 won by Ghostly. Rawiller should be able to park her in behind what should be a high speed race. All she needs is the field to break up turning for home and she’ll present as the winner.

Dangers: What you see is generally what you get with 8. Witherspoon. Sustained speed before holding your breath the last 100m or so. This is her first run for Kris Lees. No trials to use as a guide. 5. He’s Super Lucky beat Brazenpine on protest last start and that filly subsequently ran third to Ghostly in the same race at Koonunga. That’s a neat tie in. Big watch on the market with 4. Grand Benini, an ex-Victorian now trained by Gwenda Markwell. No trials either but won three from eight in his first campaign. You won’t miss him as he is white! 13. Phoenix River finally broke through at Gosford last start. Back to 1000m and in city class the obvious queries, especially at the skinny price.

How to play it: Koonunga WIN ($5 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: EVENS

Koonunga and Nash tackling the Kenso 1000m back in September

All the fields, form and replays for Kensington’s Friday twilight meeting