Latest News

By Brad Gray

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

The rail is in the 3m position and the form has been done for a good track.

6. Andermatt has enormous scope to improve again on what he did first up at Rosehill. He tucked in behind the speed, it was a gentle tempo turning into a sprint home with 52kg, so he was entitled to win but loved the turn of foot he showed from the 300m. Punters Intelligence reveals that despite a 0.3 length win, he stopped the clock at 11.16s for his last 200m. There was a huge gap back to third too. Rachel King sticks and the son of Snitzel maps to get a similar run from exactly the same draw, in barrier 3. There is no denying that 1. Wild Ruler is the benchmark in this race, as his high rating suggests, but Andermatt has the advantage of a run under his belt and Wild Ruler won’t be afforded complete control as we saw over the spring in the Roman Consul.

Dangers: Wild Ruler is very well placed under the set weights and penalties conditions with a 5kg spread from top to bottom. The last time we saw him at the races he ran third in the G1 Coolmore down the straight. Has trialled as well as ever this time back. 3. Doubtland might be a wet tracker but he has trialled much better than he did prior to last campaign, the latest of those alongside Wild Ruler.

How to play it: Andermatt WIN ($3.90 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Andermatt’s first up win

5. Stay Inside couldn’t have done much more in his two career starts. The Richard and Michael Freedman-trained colt put three lengths on his rivals on debut before stretching that to four lengths in the Pierro Plate at his second outing. That was despite being eased down, which brought a shake of a head from James McDonald in amazement of just how easily Stay Inside did it. His late strength on both occasions suggests that 1200m won’t be an issue. The son of Extreme Choice is quite simply the complete two-year-old and he has enjoyed a faultless preparation. He puts himself into the race, settles, accelerates and runs through the line. The one knock is where he gets to in the run. The map looks a touch sticky with 1. Profiteer and 8. Direct kicking up. Over to you J-Mac.

Dangers: Typically Team Hawkes aren’t ‘semi-final trainers’ with their juveniles but 7. Remarque has to be ready to go as he still needs to qualify for the Golden Slipper. He made a big impression back in January and has since trialled as well as any two-year-old this season. His time wasn’t flash on debut but it’s just one piece of the puzzle, with the form out of that race since stacking up. Maps beautifully from an inside draw camping on the back of the speedy Profiteer, who impressed in the Inglis Millennium with a showing of sustained speed. Will he be able to stretch that brilliance to 1200m in much deeper company? We won’t know until Saturday but all indicators are there to suggest he is a deserved Slipper favourite at the moment. 3. Anamoe will charge late but might be more of a G1 Sires horse.

How to play it: Stay Inside win ($3.10 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS

Stay Inside’s last start demolition job

6. Joyous Legend comes off a debut win at Gosford but this isn’t a deep edition of the Reisling Stakes and like how she put her older rivals away. Interestingly, co-trainer Gerald Ryan and Stirling Alexiou scratched her from a race against her own age at that same meeting to instead go up against more seasoned gallopers. The blueblood filly by Snitzel (out of More Joyous) was heavily backed and won with authority, clocking a much faster time than the two-year-old race. Loved her strength through the line to put 2.5 lengths on subsequent winner In Flanders while the third horse Russbuss ran a close up second at Wyong at her next start. Punters Intelligence reveals her last 200m (11.90s) was over a length quicker than any other runner could muster. Kerrin McEvoy should have her parked in behind the speed from a perfect alley.

Dangers: 5. Pretty Woman burnt the turf from in front last start and smashed the clock over 1000m. She is untried beyond 1000m but a special talent with Matt Dale skipping the Black Opal in preference for this. 8. Glistening was no match for Pretty Woman but there was a huge gap back to second. 3. Vianello looks desperate for 1200m given how she found the line behind Stay inside last start. That’s the strongest form line any of these fillies bring to the table. 12. Gstaad, a half-sister to Loving Gaby, has trialled up well for Team Hawkes suggesting she has something to offer on debut. 1. Swift Witness was outstanding at her second start but sandwiched either side were two disappointing efforts.

How to play it: Joyous Legend EACH WAY ($6.50 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Joyous Legend winning on debut

2. Sacramento just keeps winning, partly due to his bombproof racing style. If you can roll along in front over staying trips and still have a turn of foot at the finish, you’ll charge through the grades, and that’s exactly what has happened with this four-year-old. This is a touch deeper again lining up his rivals against what he beat a fortnight ago but not by much. The other key factor in his favour is that he is again the only designated leader. Nothing is game to take him on. Sam Clipperton, who has ridden him all three times in his hat trick of wins will take no prisoners from the front and bank on Sacramento’s toughness in making it four straight. Last start he was four weeks between runs too. The only possible knock is that the son of Pierro might want 2400m now, but that could be negated with a more aggressive ride.

Dangers: 7. Mount Popa matched motors with Shared Ambition first up. He was afforded every possible chance behind a fast tempo and carried 7kg less than the winner but it was an encouraging return. The import won second up out to 2000m, on a heavy track, in his first Australian campaign in the manner of a Group class stayer. Has terrific form on top of the ground so the dry track shouldn’t be an excuse. 4. Collide is a very classy import but 2000m looks to be as short as he wants it and all four of his career wins have been on soft tracks. 5. Paths Of Glory turned his form around sharply last campaign when he was aggressively ridden. Wary of that here given the lack of speed.

How to play it: Sacramento WIN ($2.50 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Sacramento making it three straight last start

8. Written Beauty is unproven at this level but she is going the right way in regards to developing into a top line sprinter. Three year old fillies have an exceptional record in this race too, winning five of the past 12 editions, the latest being English in 2016. Written Beauty has won five of her six starts and resumed with a meritorious win at Randwick first up, albeit in a BM94. She raced wide throughout, and keenly, yet still scored comfortably by a length. In one of her three wins last preparation she broke the Moonee Valley track record over 1000m. The most appealing element here, however, is how this race sets up for her. On their day, any of her seven rivals could lead this. There is speed right across the track. She’ll camp in behind that tempo and get the last shot.

Dangers: 1. Nature Strip won this race by three lengths a year ago but it was a very different set up. The race fell into his lap after he was allowed to roll through his gears from an inside draw, ambling to the front before burning off his rivals. To some extent that is also how he won the Lightning first up, by being left alone. Finding his rhythm. When he becomes unstuck is when he is dictated to, like the Concorde last preparation, and this has a similar feel. Drawn wide, speed drawn underneath. And a stack of speed too. Have been burnt underestimating 2. Eduardo in the past. He is as tenacious as he is talented and split Classique Legend and Bivouac in The Shorts over the spring after being forced to take a trail so he isn’t one dimensional. 4. Splintex next best.

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

Written Beauty winning first up at Randwick

6. Emanate dives into Group racing for the first time but this looks to be a perfect race to accommodate that transition, as the opening market suggests. The four-year-old has come up very short but rightly so when you consider what she comes up against in this and the manner in which she won last start at Rosehill. She parked in behind a hot speed with 52kg on her back but showed a blistering turn of foot to put the field away. Her acceleration was breathtaking, and reminiscent of her old man Lonhro, or even her dam Guelph, as she recorded a four length win. Her last 200m split alone (11.32s) was a whopping 3.5 lengths quicker than the second quickest in the race, with a last 600m of 33.28s. That’s humming.

Dangers: Of 2. Fiesta’s five career wins, three have been first up (8:3-1-2). She is a dynamite fresh mare. The five-year-old has trialled well this time back too suggesting that her first up record could improve further. The knock is that she maps to give Emanate a start, coupled with giving away 4.5kg. It’s a big ask but if Emanate is to be rolled, Fiesta looks the most likely. We’ll get a line on 10. Vulpine’s form through Andermatt earlier in the day but that should hold up. She’ll spear forward to control this race along with 1. Positive Peace. The latter disappointed first up but is three from four second up. 5. Jen Rules is an underrated filly and first up last preparation she ran second to Haut Brion her.

How to play it: Emanate WIN ($1.90 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: EVENS

Emanate gapping her rivals last start

1. Aegon gave his rivals a start and a beating in the Hobartville Stakes to remain unbeaten and it’s hard to make a case for anything out of that race to turn the tables on the star Kiwi. If there wasn’t already a big question mark over the depth of the Australian three-year-olds, surely there is now after not only Aegon put two lengths on 3. North Pacific but Lunar Fox won the Australian Guineas as the longest-priced Group One winner in Australian racing history. Alarm bells. Aegon was just as impressive on the clock as he was to the eye too with Punters Intelligence revealing a 33.76L last 600m with an 11.49s last 200m, 1.5 lengths superior to the second quickest in the race. The only possible knock is to suggest that he was flattered by being rails in run, which was an advantage across the meeting, and that he was more forward than his rivals coming back from a mile win in late January.

Dangers: 7. Mo’unga is the x-factor. He faced the breeze first up in the CS Hayes yet still kept finding the line. The only race quickest sectional he posted was his last 200m. Tagaloa and Cherry Tortoni filled the minors in the Australian Guineas since. It was also encouraging to see him settle closer in the run. You get the impression we’re still only scraping the surface of his talent and the blinkers go on for the first time. North Pacific has looked every bit a miler this time back, although untried at the trip, and Team Hawkes look to have him peaking now third up. Was nosed out in the Golden Rose on a good track so the surface won’t worry him. He gets the blinkers on too. 5. Peltzer’s Randwick record goes on the line but still of the opinion that is more related to the track rating. Last start the track raced quicker than a Soft 7.

How to play it: Aegon WIN ($2.25 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS

"He gave his rivals a start and a beating in the Hobartville Stakes to remain unbeaten."

📹BEST BET: @BradJGray expects this star Kiwi to make it a perfect six to start his career @tabcomau @royalrandwick pic.twitter.com/1iZkm69sxx

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) March 4, 2021

1. Bivouac was found out first up in the Lightning Stakes over 1000m. He just wasn’t sharp enough. James Cummings elected to bypass the Challenge Stakes, and a rematch against Nature Strip, in favour of getting straight out to 1300m. The three time Group One winner is worth too much to run in unsuitable races. Looking back over the four-year-old’s career, he has always been vulnerable at his first run back from a spell (6:1-1-2) but his second up record is exceptional (4:2-2-0). Second up in his latest two preparations he blitzed his rivals in the Newmarket and ran second from the tail of the field in the TAB Everest behind Classique Legend. The speed looks genuine enough for him to settle midfield and get his chance. If the real Bivouac rolls into Randwick, he’s too good for these.

Dangers: 8. Savatiano is out for redemption after being rolled in this race last year as the $2.30 favourite by The Bostonian. She resumed a dominant winner, albeit in a race where she got complete control. She’s hard to knock as she maps to get every chance to go one better, it’s just whether her stablemate is too classy. It’s advantage 2. Dreamforce having drawn inside 3. Samadoubt . Dreamforce isn’t getting any younger but 1300m on a firm track sets up well for him first up. Samadoubt’s two trials back have been outstanding but will he feel the pinch late given the 72 week lay off? 7. Masked Crusader dips his toe into Group One racing for the first time after a strong first up win at Group Three level.

How to play it: Bivouac WIN ($2.60 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Bivouac’s run in the TAB Everest

16. Le Lude resumed with a dominant win in BM78 company before being deep ended in the G2 Millie Fox second up finishing fourth behind Subpoenaed and Madam Rouge. She was tightened in the straight and found the line like she needs a mile now third up. The five-year-old drops back a peg to Group Three level and gets in on the minimum. Trainer John Thompson will have her peaking after two runs back and she maps to get the run of the race from a low draw. That’s often the difference in these mares’ races. She could even lead given the lack of speed with Nimalee scratched.

Dangers: 18. Selica comes out of weaker races but is another one that could benefit from the lack of speed. She's fit, down in the weights and maps too well to discount. 5. She’s Ideel went straight past Le Lude first up but history suggests that she can flatten off after her fresh run. Remember, she is on the Sydney Cup path, where she looks to be a genuine hope if she can keep progressing. 6. Cliff’s Art put in a sneaky Australian debut when fifth behind Poetic Charmer. The mile is her right trip and if she can settle closer in the run, she can win.

How to play it: Le Lude EACH WAY ($8.50 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: EVENS

Le Lude’s last start run in the G2 Millie Fox

All the fields, form and replays for Randwick on Saturday