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By Brad Gray

Tips and race by race preview by Brad Gray for Randwick on Saturday.

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

What we can take away from 1. Hinchbeast’s defeat at Rosehill last start is that he is more dynamic when let stride in the middle stages. His sustained speed is his asset. It’s obviously early in this two-year-old’s career to make that call but Bjorn Baker’s youngster certainly looked to appreciate being let roll on debut as opposed to being asked to quicken from in behind. He didn’t accelerate from the 400-200 like Sancy and Centimental and it proved costly, having fought back on the line. Found it interesting that Hinchbeast’s last 600m splits were near identical first and second up yet on debut he went six lengths quicker for the first 500m. Both were at Rosehill over 1100m, albeit across different days. Nothing will be left to chance this week with a Magic Millions berth on the line.

Dangers: When a Chris Waller-trained two-year-old is winning barrier trials, it pays to take note. 11. Aeecee Power was particularly impressive in her latest, settling in the second half before spearing through the pack late. It was hard to get any guide on 3. Chilliwack after his debut. The race was a 600m dash home and Muntaseera pocketed him in the straight. The third horse Time For Peace was beaten a long way by Farnan and Every Rose in the Wyong Magic Millions. 2. Aim was there to swoop on Blondeau at Rosehill in a strong debut win and can only improve again. 4. Stellar Pauline kept finding behind Every Rose in the Gimcrack on debut. The 1200m looks to suit. Trial was okay at Kembla.

How to play it: How to play it: Hinchbeast WIN ($5 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS

Hinchbeast was beaten last start – let him run!

9. Edison is on the seven day turnaround having run sixth behind Superium on Saturday. Prior to that he was rolled at $1.65 in a BM64 at Gosford. So how do we back him here? He’s out to 1400m. That’s the key. Last week at Randwick he wasn’t suited by the slow tempo, rattling home in 33.94 for his last 600m with a last 200m (11.73s) that ranked second only behind the winner. It should prove a deep race with Embracer and Splintex filling the minors. Edison is still only a maiden winner, having won at Hawkesbury over 1300m but he gapped a pretty handy field (including Moreno, Katona and Kavalmo). His record doesn’t do him justice. He was luckless in a Group race in his second campaign and had form around some talented young horses. This is the perfect race for him with 53kg on his back.

Dangers: Loved the return of 1. Cinquedea behind Trumbull at Kembla, on a day that suited those on speed. The time for the 1200m was 3.5 lengths slower than what Kylease clocked earlier in the day but Poetic Charmer (third) has since run second to The Party Girl. Big tick out to 1400m but not sure why the month between runs. 5. In Lighten Me comes off a Class 2 at Hawkesbury but she belted her rivals. The four-year-old has come back in career-best form. 6. In Good Health’s return behind Jen Rules suggested there is another win in her shortly. Might want a mile now. The same can be said for 10. Twentyfour Carat having had every chance behind Bandersnatch. Can lightning strike twice for 2. Napoleon Solo? Can win without me at the price.

How to play it: Edison WIN ($4.20 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS

Edison last week behind Superium

7. Congregate wants every bit of the 1300m now. The four-year-old covered plenty of ground at Rosehill over 1200m last start in a Highway Handicap when a distant second to Princess Cordelia. He was typically brave at the finish. Expect Rachel King to have the four-year-old closer than last start when settling midfield. Two back at Scone he found himself outside of the leader before knocking up late behind winner The Crimson Idol. That horse won his next start too, again at Scone, before running 2L third behind Powertrain at Newcastle. That all ties in neatly for this. It's a very tricky race especially after the original top two picks in Pauper and Galapagos were scratched. Back to Congregate, it's easy to forget how lightly-raced he is with just five starts to his name. The ex Godolphin-trained gelding has found a home with Tamworth-based trainer Craig Martin.

Dangers: 6. Eiger started odds on against Powertrain at Scone last start. He was no match for him but Powertrain has since bolted in at Newcastle. Blinkers come off for the first time and Hugh Bowman steers. Wary of the equally lightly-raced 14. Hiroko. He’ll get the run of the race and was luckless behind talented galloper Alterative Facts last start. Perhaps the temptation will be there to run 10. Denmiss from the wide draw given the number of scratchings. Still no jockey booked at the time of writing this. The winkers go on and she has been knocking on the door for a while now. 11. Badoosh rates a mention off a Gold Coast win for Matt Dunn.

How to play it: Congregate WIN ($6 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Congregate last start at Rosehill

2. Fun Fact is the one they’ll have to gun down here from the front and the four-year-old won’t have to find much more to hold off 6. Guise this time after she scrambled home over the top of him last start. It’ll be handlebars down with Nash Rawiller in the saddle from the inside draw and with the extra run under his belt. Fun Fact got a breather from the 1000m-800m, as highlighted by Punters Intelligence sectionals, but wouldn’t be surprised to see him ridden to bust his rivals up on Saturday now he is fourth up, like how he won the G3 Grand Prix at Eagle Farm last campaign. He’ll take no prisoners and his rivals will have one heck of a task pegging him back. Bjorn Baker looks to have Fun Fact cherry ripe.

Dangers: Guise actually meets Fun Fact 0.5kg better off for beating him last start. She had the extra run under her belt there which was the difference. Kerrin McEvoy sticks and will know he can’t let Fun Fact slip clear. French import 7. Vadiyann, now with Waterhouse and Bott, hasn’t raced for 15 months. He had three trials back in April before a spell. And another three this time in. If there is anything to be gleaned from those hit outs it’s that he is one-paced and looked much better when dictating the speed. 3. House Of Cartier started $3.20 in a Listed race last start. What she produced was too bad to be true and nothing like the mare we saw win so well at Newcastle.

How to play it: Fun Fact WIN ($3.40 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: EVENS

Fun Fact being gunned down by Guise

8. The Party Girl tackles an open handicap and is the lowest-rated runner on the minimum but she is the only runner here with winning form. Ever since joining David Pfieffer, she has made a habit of winning too. Last start she appreciated the hectic tempo set by Echo Jet and Burning Crown up front but Punters Intelligence shows she rattled off a last 600m of 34.04s, four lengths faster than the second quickest. Out to 1400m now she is even better suited. The shape of this race will be completely different but regular rider Kerrin McEvoy should be able to pop in just behind the leaders. We have seen her settle that close in the past and race well. She loves Randwick (2:1-1-0) and the 1400m distance (4:2-2-0). Ultimately, you are not left guessing with her, you know exactly what you’ll get. The same can’t be said for many of her rivals here.

Dangers: 5. Smartedge won second up last campaign and did enough first up behind Toryjoy. The knock is the price, having opened favourite. 1. Redouble was left without any excuses in The Hunter. Savatiano dominated from the front. Prior to that he pulled up with cardiac arrhythmia in the Redzel while his first and second up runs were good for a race like this. He is a versatile horse but in five of his six career wins he has settled fourth or closer. Touching on the rest, 2. Passage Of Time a risk at 1400m? 3. Special Missile improves into his campaign. 4. New Universe two wins from his last 31 starts. 6. Asterius back to 1400m in a race without much speed. 7. Roman Son didn’t come up last campaign.

How to play it: The Party Girl WIN ($5.50 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

The Party Girl winning last start

They’ll scorch turf here! Speed, speed, speed. Of the 13 runners engaged, eight sat first or second in their latest run. Kris Lees suggested he’d have to have taken a sit with 9. Zaniah first up but the wide draw dictated tactics. The four-year-old dug in to win at Warwick Farm fresh over 1100m running faster time than Embracer later in the day. With 13. Kiss My Swiss and 5. Spiritual Pursuit both drawn to her outside, there should be the option for Jason Collett to find a backside in the run. We saw in her Scone win that she can take a trail, drop her head and still explode clear. Don’t think she is as one dimensional as she profiles. The half-sister to Deep Field is three for three with Lees and won’t be knocking around in this grade of race for much longer. She’s the one here with limitless upside.

Dangers: Just how big of a start will 2. Broken Arrows be giving away? It sounds contradictory, but he won’t the speed to be so hot that he is faced with a mathematically impossible task. Should have won at Kembla last start. Lumps 59kg but is flying this time back. Three at massive odds to make a case for are 10. Epic Dan, an underrated sprinter that nearly beat Southern Lad last campaign, 6. And So It Goes, a 1000m specialist (11:4-0-3) that was also luckless in the Broken Arrows race, and to a lesser extent 7. Revenire. The Godolphin cast off now with Garry Neale loves the trip too (9:2-3-0). 8. Gododdin best of the rest.

How to play it: Zaniah WIN ($2.90 TAB Fixed Odds) and 9,2,10,6 BOX TRIFECTA Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Zaniah winning at Warwick Farm first up

Would 4. Word For Word have beaten 3. Handspun with even luck first up? I say yes. The four-year-old was strung up for a run in the straight but exploded through the line when finally clear the last 50m or so. That was first up off a seven month break. With Chris Waller calling the shots, we know there will be improvement going into this second up assignment. The daughter of So You Think could have led first up but was ridden for cover. Would expect a more positive ride now with the run under her belt which could see her settling up front especially with Call Me Royal being scratched Word For Word’s last campaign, highlighted by just failing to run down Baccarat Baby in Queensland, points to her progressing beyond benchmark grade this preparation.

Dangers: Handspun is flying but her chances have been dealt a blow with the wide draw. Her pattern is to get back but it’s hard to imagine her spotting Word For Word three lengths and beating her this time. Gives her 1.5kg too from last start. 5. Pumpkin Pie has finished on the hammer of Handspun in both runs back this time in. Has lacked consistency in the past. 13. To Your Health finished a close up fifth in the same race. 6. Asharani is the mare I’m wary of, throwing up a different form line. Didn’t have any luck at all at Canterbury first up. Draws to settle midfield for James McDonald and has a finish that could trouble these. Call Me Royal was brave last Saturday outside of a hot speed and there is a sense of timing about her now third up out to 1400m.

How to play it: Word For Word WIN ($2.25 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

BEST BET

"She is a high quality mare and I want to be with her as she skips through the grades."@BradJGray's final word on his best for @royalrandwick on Saturday @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/Zrb4NIIe0J

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) December 19, 2019

9. Taniko is a mare than can run monster late splits when she gets conditions to suit. First up the leaders didn’t go quite quick enough for her to win but given she finished third with first, second and fourth settling top three in the run, it’s no shock she ran fast time home. Punters Intelligence reveals she ran the quickest last 600m of the day (32.98s), with an 11.27s last 200m. That’s a lovely pipe opener for this 1200m assignment second up. Of course being a one dimensional backmarker she is at the mercy of good fortune and the right shape race but with the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained 10. Yulong Yuheng up from Melbourne, the race should be truly run. The Godolphin five-year-old races well at Randwick, winning impressively at HQ back in July.

Dangers: Randwick is a stopover for 2. Usain Bowler as he heads to Queensland. His best is explosive as we saw last time out at Caulfield having landed outside of the lead. Doubt the tactics are as aggressive here given the 10 week freshen. Query runner. 5. Southern Lad was posted throughout when fifth in the same race as Taniko. Went down narrowly to Glenall prior to that, which has stacked up well since. 1. Chauffeur improved sharply with the blinkers on last start. Can progress again third up. 12. Romani Girl will be ridden for luck from the inside draw but she can figure if she gets the breaks. Is five weeks between runs dropping back from 1700m but has been sharp over the sprint trip before. 7. Qiji Express can only improve off his Starlight fifth.

How to play it: Taniko WIN ($4.60 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS

This mare is capable of running monster late splits.

She'll need the breaks but as Punters Intelligence reveals from her first up run, she has returned as well as ever @BradJGray @godolphin @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/GrpT5HjBvt

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) December 20, 2019

5. Spencer jumped a couple of grades last start when tackling a BM88 down in the weights. The five-year-old was well supported too, starting $8.50. He was no match for Toryjoy in the end but did finish alongside Smartedge. He raced in restricted room in the straight. Other than the grade of race perhaps finding him out, the other factor to consider is that he raced like he wanted the mile now. Nash Rawiller reunites with the Pierro gelding after the pair clicked well to beat 4. Orcein at Rosehill second up. From the inside draw, expect Spencer to settle in the first four. It was a Class 1 in Canberra, but he has won out to 1750m (where he led all of the way) so the 1600m won’t be an excuse. Finds a very winnable race to bounce back in.

Dangers: Orcein meets Spencer 1kg better off for a narrow defeat where he made a sustained run. Thought he was only fair behind Bobby Dee (scratched here) last start though, albeit in an unsuitable slowly run race. Loses Brenton Avdulla too who has been key to the four-year-old finding form again. 14. Pinup Miss was also unsuited there. On Bobby Dee, he could want further now third up. Liked the return of 10. Almerheri behind Handspun but still might be half a run short. 8. Baanone should have won at Canterbury last start when back in trip. Perhaps he is a miler, not a stayer. 9. Nindamos won a Class 2 at Kembla last start but the second horse (Queens) has since run poorly, and so have three other runners from the race since. Risking her.

How to play it: Spencer WIN ($5.50 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

There were excuses for Spencer last start

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting