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By Brad Gray

Tips and race by race preview by Brad Gray for Day 2 of The Championships at Randwick on Saturday.

The rail is out 4m and the form has been done for a Soft/Heavy track.

This is always a tricky race to assess with the two-year-olds tackling the mile for the first time but happy to take a punt on Dundeel colt 3. Azaly. The Hayes and Dabernig yard have won the past two Fernhills (Power Scheme and Futooh) and it’s obviously been some kind of target race for Azaly given he has trialled in Sydney since his Bendigo debut over 1100m back in late February. On that occasion he was dropped out the back but liked the way he found the line behind Maccabee, subsequently hard in the market for the VRC Sires but was posted throughout. In his Randwick trial Azaly led and although Tom Marquand, who rides the horse here too, had to shake him up, there was a response as he split Ole Kirk and Rulership.

Dangers: 1. Postcode did a big job at Hawkesbury last Saturday lumping 62kg to win on a Heavy 9 over 1300m. He rolled along at a good clip in front before finding in the straight. The time was 5.5 lengths faster than the maiden for older horses. Gives away weight again here but with Tim Clark steering and the form of the Waterhouse and Bott stable, he commands a lot of respect. The Baillieu has proved two of the past four winners of this race and race favourite 2. Untammed ran second to Hollyfied in it this year with a gap back to third. 9. Grandslam can run well at odds.

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

Azaly trialling at Randwick – March 27

9. Indy Car won from an impossible spot on the Kensington track first up. The Sebring gelding was still last at the 300m mark. It was run at a rolling tempo which allowed Indy Car to zip through the pack late but love the way he speared to the line. Punters Intelligence shows he ran his last 600m in 34.08s, comfortably the quickest of the meeting with an explosive 400-200 of 11.07s. Anthony Cummings prepared Indy Car to win just as brilliantly first up last campaign, his debut at Newcastle, before he had no luck when fourth to Rule The World at Rosehill out to 1400m. There is enough speed for him to get his chance in this and he won’t be spotting such a big start this time around. The bonus is Tom Marquand in the saddle.

Dangers: 1. Yao Dash was confidently supported first up in the Fireball but never looked comfortable and found nothing when asked to quicken. No abnormalities were found. Was it the lack of control he got with Villami too quick for him in the early stages or perhaps the wet track? Either way, he showed in his first campaign where he beat Funstar before running fourth in the Golden Rose he is too classy to dismiss off one bad run. 8. Icebath was the first horse backed when markets went up and understandably so.

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

Indy Car motoring home to win first up

2. Through The Cracks motored to the line behind 10. Asharani in the Gosford Qualifier (run at Newcastle). The race was run quickly in the early stages yet Through The Cracks still clocked 32.92s for his last 600m with a last 200m of 11.35. Fast closing splits into a fast overall time is tick, tick. He meets Asharani 1.5kg better off in the Final. That was dropping back to 1200m having been so impressive at his first crack at 1400m seven weeks prior at Warwick Farm reeling in Think It Over with Chat in fourth. The barrier looks ugly but it’s inconsequential with this five-year-old as he generally flops out the back anyways. That’s the negative, the start he’ll be giving away but James McDonald jumps aboard replacing apprentice Jenny Duggan. He trialled brilliantly since too, splitting two Group One winners in Happy Clapper and Olmedo.

Dangers: The market looks too heavily weighted towards the heat winners as can make a case for 1. McCormack to turn the tables on 12. Electric Girl from Kembla Grange. This was another fast run race which saw them smash the 1400m track record. McCormack laboured a touch when asked to quicken with the 59kg, but meets Electric Girl 1.5kg better off. Given how well he won at Warwick Farm prior to that, the horse is flying. That’s no knock on the form of Electric Girl, should get on speed favours again here, or Asharani, but rather their prices. 13. Oakfield Missile the best roughie.

How to play it: Through The Cracks WIN ($7 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: EVENS

How much gas is still in the tank for 2. Away Game? That’s the gamble because if this iron filly holds her form, she’ll win. None of these rivals boast a record anything even close to watch she has achieved in six starts. She won the Magic Millions by a space, won the G3 Widden just as comfortably before running a brave fourth in the Blue Diamond given the way the track played. She wasn’t done yet, running second to Farnan in the Golden Slipper where Mamaragan, with any luck probably wins the Sires last Saturday, in third. It’s two-year-old form off the very top shelf. The cautionary tale would be that Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi ran last in this race last year, however she was asked to back up after the Sires. At the opening price, willing to gamble on Away Game turning up one more time.

Dangers: The hold Away Game has on this race is only further exemplified by 1. Dame Giselle being the second favourite. She has three lengths to make up on Away Game from the Golden Slipper and meets her 1kg worse off. The form from the Riesling Stakes looks very suss now which throws a query over 3. See You Soon too. She gets the winkers on for the first time. 10. Rock My Wand is on the back up after trouncing her rivals in testing conditions at Rosehill. Her recent run behind Thermosphere ties in with some of the second tier form in this race. 5. Swats That is the query runner having won impressively at Bendigo on debut easily beating Bella Nipotina (second in the Ingis Millennium and fourth in the Sweet Embrace).

How to play it: Away Game WIN ($2.90 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: EVENS

Away Game running second in the Golden Slipper

Still scratching my head as to what happened to 1. Cosmic Force in the G1 Galaxy. The three-year-old was heavily backed to start a clear favourite but after peeling off backs at the 300m, he didn’t let down. It wasn’t anything like what we saw from the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt first up when he savaged the line in the Fireball. The trial of Cosmic Force since then restored my faith that the horse is flying, but just had an off day. With James McDonald back in the saddle, and the winkers on, Cosmic Force made light work of his rivals on the Kensington track to win by a widening seven lengths. There’s hot speed in this race so he has drawn perfectly to give J-Mac options. As a winner of the G2 Roman Consul last preparation, where he beat Standout and Microphone, he is well treated under the set weight scale.

Dangers: 9. Flit is a Group One winner over the mile but suspect she is a sprinter. The majority of her best runs have been over 1200m. Look no further than the Light Fingers win first up this preparation, or even her second in the Percy Sykes at this meeting last year. The challenge for her is coming back off a 1600m run, and a very tough one when asked to lead, in the All Star Mile. The blinkers come off. She is the highest rated runner in this field. 3. Splintex drawn the inside. Love the way Splintex trialled against Nature Strip recently. He’s not without a hope of leading from start to finish in this.

How to play it: Cosmic Force WIN ($3.10 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS

BEST BET 🚨

"The way he has trialled since has restored my faith that the horse is flying."@BradJGray's best for Day 2 of The Championships at @royalrandwick is in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint @tabcomau @Chinahorseclub @ArrowfieldStud pic.twitter.com/2Gl2H7BXGn

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) April 10, 2020

4. Colette was a dominant winner of the Adrian Knox last Saturday and while she has yet to face a filly with the class of 1. Probabeel she couldn’t have done much more to press in her Oaks claims in her past three starts. The daughter of Hallowed Crown profiles like she’ll relish the 2400m and drawn barrier 4, Glen Boss should be able to land her forward of midfield. Interestingly, the trifecta in the Australian Derby were all on the seven day turnaround. Coincidence or did that extra race fitness come to the fore on the wet track? It’ll be a similarly testing surface for Day 2. It’s impossible to make a case for anything from the Adrian Knox to turn the tables on Colette. If she shows the same acceleration over the trip, and confident she will give the Adrian Knox was a good test being so genuinely run, just can’t see anything coming from behind her to run her down, which is what lies ahead for Probabeel.

Dangers: Probabeel couldn’t reel in 2. Shout The Bar in the Vinery but lost little in defeat. Thought she was very game finding the line to run second in a race where the leader go control. That won’t be the case here with stablemate 8. Dorothy Of Oz, having led the Adrian Knox at a good clip, in the field. That said, the blinkers come off her so perhaps the intent is to ride her with cover. Back to Probabeel, she of course beat Funstar first up landing her first Group One then ran second to that filly with Quick Thinker in third. Opie Bossom is six from eight aboard the Kiwi. 3. Nudge was a longstanding booking for James McDonald so don’t read anything into him jumping off Colette. 9. Quintessa the best smokey to run a hole.

How to play it: Colette WIN ($3.20 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Colette winning the Adrian Knox

The Sydney Cup is no stranger to a blowout and 11. Sweet Thomas would be one of epic proportions. The eight-year-old with Matthew Smith comes through the right lead up races, last start running seventh in the Manion Cup (finishing alongside Raheen House), but wasn’t suited by the sit-sprint of that race or the Randwick City Cup the start prior. A truly run race here could see some big form reversals. He plummets to 51kg and interestingly, four of the past five winners of the Sydney Cup have carried 52kg or less. It’s such a big advantaged over the two mile slog. The last time Sweet Thomas won a race, which was in September 2018, he trounced his rivals in the German St Leger over 2800m with 60kg. That’s the furthest he has ever run over so there’s every chance he’ll relish 3200m. If you’re still not convinced, check out his recent tickover trial where he smoked to the line.

Dangers: As the market suggests, 2. Young Rascal is the horse to beat dropping 3kg despite winning the Manion Cup so impressively. He outsprinted Mugatoo, which is no mean feat. Mugatoo since failed to flatter in the Tancred but he wasn’t suited at weight for age. 4. Raheen House subsequently franked the form by winning the Chairmans, a race that has provided eight of the past 12 winners of the Sydney Cup. Back to Young Rascal, he is untried beyond 2400m but his trainer William Haggas says he’ll see it out while Tom Marquand will put him on his own shoulders and lift him across the line if he has to. 1. Mustajeer has the strongest form lines but with 57.5kg and a question mark over him staying the trip, he’s short enough.

How to play it: Sweet Thomas EACH WAY ($41 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

The Manion Cup won by Young Rascal

2. Addeybb was outstanding in winning the G1 Ranvet fighting back to beat 12. Verry Elleegant having been headed in the straight. They crawled in the early stages of the race with Tom Marquand clicking Addeybb up at the 800m. The six-year-old sustained his sprint right through the line clocking the fastest last 200m section across the entire meeting (11.16s), ahead of three horses that ran in the G1 Galaxy. His last 600m ranked fourth across the entire meeting. That was on a Soft 5, he is even better on wetter ground. Tactics will be interesting from the inside draw as Addeybb profiles as a horse that needs galloping room to click through his gears so the last place he’ll want to be is pinned away on the fence being dictated to. Perhaps he leads again pending how aggressively 7. Gailo Chop is ridden early.

Dangers: Verry Elleegant has the grounding of a 2400m run where she gave her rivals a galloping lesson in the Tancred. The four-year-old is airborne with the only query being how important James McDonald is to the mare. MacDonald jumps on 1. Danon Premium a Japanese import that oozes class. He comfortably beat Cox Plate winner Lys Gracieux over 2000m in March last year while two starts ago was second to Almond Eye! Has never raced on anything other than Firm and Good tracks. That’s the gamble. A firm track he’d be clearly on top. 10. Master Of Wine is a Group One winner in waiting. He’ll get back but slide into the race turning for home given how sweetly he travels. Then there’s the Kiwis 4. Te Akau Shark and 13. Melody Belle. Some race.

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

Addeybb and Verry Elleegant fighting out the Ranvet

17. Funstar had her Oaks mission aborted after she failed in the Vinery Stud Stakes over 2000m last start but don’t count that against her chances in winning this back to the mile against the older horses. Three-year-old fillies Foxplay in 2017 and Alizee in 2018 both ran fourth in the Vinery before winning this race. Funstar overraced in the slowly run Vinery which dulled her finish. There is a lot of speed engaged here which will give James McDonald the opportunity to settle the daughter of Adelaide in the second half, get her to drop her head and savage the line like we saw her do first up in the G1 Surround when the race fit Probabeel nutted her on the line. She handles the wet and certainly won’t mind getting back to Randwick given her record at the track (5:3-2-0).

Dangers: 2. Nettoyer bloused her rivals to win the Doncaster Mile last Saturday with 51.5kg on her back. Gets back to weight for age now but is against her own sex. She is no stranger to the quick back up so that won’t be an excuse for her. This six-year-old is flying. Go back to the Apollo and the return of 7. Danzdanzdance was every bit as good as Verry Elleegant’s. Since then Danzdanzdance was trapped wide with a big weight and was then unsuited in the G1 Ranvet. Don’t underestimate her as this is the most suitable race she has found all campaign. The wetter the better. 13. Amangiri was the horse to take away from the Emancipation given she was first up having trialled so well. 8. Noire continues to tease but she is racing as well as ever while 9. Positive Peace just keeps on winning.

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

Funstar running fourth in the Vinery last start

14. Bangkok is flying at the moment and threatens to win a race shortly at big odds. The five-year-old has found a very deep Group Two mares race but if she can settle closer and still produce the same turn foot, she can win. The low draw gives Robbie Dolan that chance too. First up she didn’t get the clearest passage home but was rattling to the line behind 7. Fasika and subsequent Galaxy winner 1. Am Excited. They are both single figure odds here. The conditions of the race don’t do Bangkok any favours, carrying 55kg but her second up run was just as encouraging when spotting her rivals an impossible start yet clocking the second quickest last 200m split across the entire meeting (11.21s). Last preparation she just kept improving into her campaign which bodes well now third up.

Dangers: If 3. Savatiano produces her best, she’ll win. Simple as that. The Godolphin mare was brilliant first and second up before failing in the G1 Galaxy when dropping back from 1300m to 1100m where she had the run of the race. Has shown in the past that she can put in the odd head scratcher before bouncing back immediately. 7. Fasika’s Galaxy run was much better than it reads on paper. She covered a stack of ground yet still clocked the fourth quickest last 600m split in the race. The barrier hasn’t done her any favours again though! 6. Winter Bride, 9. Manicure and 11. Miss Exfactor all warrant respect while the talented 17. Yamazaki could start triple figure odds!

How to play it: Bangkok WIN ($18 TAB Fixed Odds) and SAVE Savatiano ($4) Odds & Evens: SPLIT

Look for Bangkok hitting the line in her latest run

All the fields, form and replays for Day 2 of The Championships at Randwick