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By Brad Gray

Tips and race by race preview by Brad Gray for Saturday’s meeting at Warwick Farm.

The rail is in the True, the track rated in the Heavy range (Saturday morning) and the first set to go at 12:50pm.

5. Sylvia’s Memory was never better than four or five wide at Randwick last time out and unsurprisingly, folded up to finish 11th. She doesn’t lack for early speed but the wide draw ruined her chances there. The Marc Quinn trained filly was heavily supported on the day too, starting $8 in the race won by Dawn Passage. Prior to that the daughter of Bianconi had nothing more than a second barrier trial at Coffs Harbour, breaking her maiden over 800m in good style. From the inside draw here Andrew Adkins should have no problem holding the fence and the front. She’ll give a bit of cheek here at big odds. Keen to back her each-way but we’ve lost a runner already so we’re down to two place dividends.

Dangers: 1. Time To Reign has won two from two and his undefeated record has never looked in danger. The half to She Will Reign looked outstanding in his trial at Warwick Farm recently. He’s no doubt the horse to beat but $1.70 is on the skinny side. Be interesting to see what unfolds inside of him, as the wide draw poses a query as to where he lands. Time To Reign beat 2. Bivouac comfortably when on debut. 7. Steel Diamond is a full sister to Graff and looks very smart off her trial wins. Could entertain her at $12 too.

How to play it: Sylvia’s Memory EACH WAY ($31 TAB Fixed Odds)

Forgive Sylvia’s Memory for her last start flop

Original top selection Star Boy has been scratched leaving the favourite 2. Noble Boy on top. The son of Bon Hoffa is the early favourite to win the Country Championships ($4.50 with TAB). The Todd Blowes-trained four-year-old has won three from three with the latest of those a comfortable Highway victory over Coup de Main at Rosehill. He is undeniably tough to beat here but concede the $1.70 is no spoil, especially considering his pattern of getting back. Yet to tick the wet track piece either. Should get better than those odds closer to jump.

Dangers: 8. Sunlit has won her past two and took good improvement from her first up to her second up win. Trained by Matt Dunn, she deserves plenty of respect. 9. Sausedge is a speedy filly from the Matt Dale yard with a two from two record. If she leads like last start, Star Boy will get the drag across from her.

How to play it: Noble Boy WIN ($1.70 TAB Fixed Odds)

Noble Boy's Highway win back in early December

Love how this race looks to set up for 4. She Knows from barrier 1 with Hugh Bowman steering. 3. Super Too will ensure this is hectically run, with 6. Memes to keep her company, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the backmarkers will be suited. Quite often they’ll get so far out of their ground they’re left with too much to do. Enter She Knows. She should be in the stalking role of third back the fence and ready to pounce. The rain around helps further and she ended her last campaign in much deeper races than this, including a Group Two placing beating home Bons Away at Caulfield. She has never won first up but has been close and is so genuine.

Dangers: 5. Single Bullet carried a whopping 12.5kg less than Jungle Edge when mowing him down at Randwick last start but he’s in career best form. The gelding operation has done the trick, as has freshening him up between runs. Even the 1000m trip looks tailor maid. There’s plenty to like but how big of a start does he give away? Super Too has beaten just two runners home in her last three runs. She always trials like a rocket. Has never raced on her home deck before.

How to play it: She Knows WIN ($5 TAB Fixed Odds)

She Knows lumping 63.5kg last prep!

Sandbar is a bulldog. He loves a fight and shouldn’t be underestimated. He’s not the type to put a couple of lengths on his rivals. His fourth in the Golden Rose is an outstanding form reference for this and he has trialled up very nicely. He beat 3. Charge first up last preparation giving him 6kg. They are level weights here. With the scratching of Brutal he looks certain to settle outside of leader 5. Master Ash. His brave second to Sesar in the Roman Consul was on a heavy 8 and although he looks much more comfortable on top of the ground, he's proven in the going.

Dangers: Master Ash needs to prove he is up to the class of some of these but his most recent trial when breaking away from the pack with Kementari was a beauty. He’ll lead and give them something to chase. 6. Gem Song looked to need the run first up last campaign, and this shapes similarly over 1200m.

How to play it: Sandbar WIN ($2.40 TAB Fixed Odds)

Sandbar trialling at Rosehill - Jan 29

Think 5. Coterie will run a big race here at odds. Hugh Bowman rides, as he couldn’t get down to 54kg to ride 8. Fiesta, and should settle midfield in what sets up as a very fast run race. The three-year-old, trained by Gerald Ryan, worked his way through the grades last campaign and although is his stiffest test to date, the manner in which Coterie trialled behind Brutal suggests he’s come back better again. His run behind 1. Royal Celebration last preparation, when humming along in front and being entitled to knock up, suggests he’ll measure up. Ryan will have Coterie ready to fire fresh too.

Dangers: This is a fascinating race of course headlined by the return of Golden Slipper winner 7. Estijaab, returning from a tie back operation that forced her to miss the spring. She’s got class on her side, and is so well placed as a 103 rater, but there is so much speed engaged here that it has me looking at others. That mainly being Fiesta. The Group One placed filly is as dynamic over the sprint trips as she is over the mile. Her two trials have been very strong, leaving me with no doubt that she has come back as well as ever, if not better. Maps to get every possible chance and is another one beautifully placed under the set weight conditions.

How to play it: Coterie EACH WAY ($12 TAB Fixed Odds) and Fiesta WIN ($3.20)

Fiesta trialling at Warwick Farm – Feb 4

Disappointing to see Egg Tart scratched! She was in with a big show especially after the rain.Tony McEvoy’s seven-year-old mare 2. Cool Passion looked great in a Rosehill trial in elite company. Winx was back in third. She ended last campaign with two Group Three wins and looks set to resume in the same good form. Expect her to be in the first three in running. Handles on all conditions so doubt the wet track pulls her up.

Dangers: 4. Champagne Cuddles is making a habit of being thereabouts but failing to turn placings into wins. She was very good at Flemington, sprinting quickly, despite running third. 3. Egyptian Symbol ripped home from last to win the Magic Millions Sprint. Can she reproduce that, though? 9. Alassio is fit and in career best form.

How to play it: Cool Passion WIN ($4.80 TAB Fixed Odds)

Cool Passion trialling at Rosehill - Jan 29

2. Dawn Passage couldn’t have been any more impressive on debut at Randwick and stamped himself the horse to beat in the first running of the $2m Inglis Millennium. The frantic speed up front certainly played into his hands but the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained youngster put a space on his rivals at the finish and was only going further away on the line. Punters Intelligence reveals Dawn Passage’s last 600m was 33.02s, the fastest of the entire day and a whopping 4.5L quicker than the next best in the race. That dominance all came in the last 400m (10.80s and 11.47s home). Being by Dawn Approach, the 1200m looks to suit even better here. Expect him to settle midfield from the draw, which will give him his chance.

Dangers: 1. Accession ticks a lot of boxes, including the wet track one, but the one he hasn’t yet is times. Sure, times are only part of the puzzle but an important one nonetheless. In both of his wins he has run considerably slower time than the older horses on the same day. The top line two-year-olds tend to match it with the older horses, regardless of the age difference. He keeps improving every time he steps out though. Drawn wide but it’s a straight run in at Warwick Farm from the 1200m chute start. 5. Pandano showed great speed at Newcastle on debut and gave Bollywood a touch up. That horse wasn’t disgraced behind Sun Patch on Wednesday.

How to play it: Dawn Passage WIN ($3.10 TAB Fixed Odds)

Dawn Passage trouncing his rivals at Randwick

8. Gresham is the weights horse here dropping from 59.5kg to 51kg after the claim of Robbie Dolan. He meets his last start conqueror 9. New Universe 4kg better off and 10. Samadoubt 6kg better. Gresham was right down in the weights when he won two back, beating Sir Plush, with Dolan on. History repeats? No concerns on the wet track as goes on all surfaces.

Dangers: Wouldn’t be surprised to see Samadoubt really bust them up from the front. He oveeraced last start for Chris Williams and had nothing left at the finish. Rachel King is one of the best in the business at pinching a winning break. Has a dominant win at Warwick Farm on a soft track to her name already. New Universe, can he do it back-to-back? That's the big question. 5. Tangled’s first up third behind Tom Melbourne jumps off the page but Waller’s stayers often sprint well fresh before flattening out so I’m wary of taking short odds. Throw 4. Almost Court into the exotics.

How to play it: Gresham WIN ($3.90 TAB Fixed Odds)

Greshem to turn the tables on New Universe?

5. Sondelon was disappointing first up despite having had 36 weeks on the sidelines. Tim Clark, who partners with the four-year-old again here, gave Sondelon every possible chance leading as he liked. He was beaten by Brazen at big odds, after he sat outside of him in the run. It certainly leaves a question mark over him here but the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained gelding trialled too well prior to that to dismiss after one run. Banking on his fitness giving out. There will be no third chance though, so he needs to front up. His form last preparation suggested he could continue to rise through the grades.

Dangers: The stablemate 4. Rapido Chaparro was too bad to be true at Canterbury over 1900m last start. He was sent back to the trials and looked good in winning his heat. His win at Wyong prior to that, albeit in Class 2 company, was strong. He should hold out 9. Honey Esprit to take up the running. Back to the mile looks to suit and he was scratched from a suitable race on Wednesday for this. Queenslander 1. Looks Like Elvis ran well behind Thy Kingdom Come last start and gets out to the mile for only the third time in his career (2:1-1-0). Any rain helps him further. 10. Matowi is on the up and won well enough at Canterbury last time out.

How to play it: Sondelon WIN ($3.20 TAB Fixed Odds)

Sondelon can only improve from this effort fresh

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