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By Ray Hickson

Doncaster winner Cascadian will require a career peak, Montefilia has had the perfect preparation to stay 2400m and Mallory has the best profile to run a mile against the fillies.

Hugh Bowman sits on 99 career Group 1 wins. (Pic: Bradley Photos).

That’s champion jockey Hugh Bowman’s views on his three Group 1 rides at Royal Randwick on Saturday as he sits on 99 majors and the cusp of a milestone.

Bowman has won two Epsoms, of course the first was on Winx in 2015 while the other was her great rival Hartnell who broke the course record in winning three years later.

While Cascadian, who has finished just behind the placings in three weight-for-age runs this spring, doesn’t have the stats of Hartnell he’ll need to be almost as good as he carries just half a kilo less than the former Godolphin star in the $1.5m TAB Epsom (1600m).

“I’m sure handicaps suit his racing style better but bearing in mind he’s up 3.5kg on his Doncaster win,’’ Bowman said.

“I think he has to run a career best to win to be honest. He could win it but he is going to need everything go his way.”

The seven-year-old was beaten half a length first-up in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m), 3-1/2 lengths in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and pleased Bowman with his closing fifth in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) two weeks ago.

“His first run was excellent, I thought his second run was under par and this third run was really good,’’ he said.

“I just loved the way he finished on in the worst part of the track.”

Nobody has missed the runs of David Payne’s outstanding mare Montefilia in her lead ups to the Group 1 $750,000 Heineken Metropolitan (2400m).

Like Cascadian, the four-year-old was forced to make her run wide on the track when runner-up to She’s Ideel in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) two weeks ago and in doing so clocked the fastest last 200m of the race (11.70, Punter’s Intelligence).

She has to overcome an outside alley but that doesn’t concern Bowman so long as Randwick is a level playing field.

“I don’t mind the wide draw, I think it is going to force me to ride her a bit conservatively,’’ he said.

“Hopefully we get a track where every horse gets their chance. These horses (Cascadian and Montefilia) are going to need to be finishing off late in the middle of the track and if conditions allow they will be right in it.”

The big question mark around Montefilia is the fact that she’s been to 2400m and beyond three times and is yet to win – she ran third in the VRC Oaks, fourth in the ATC Derby and fifth in the ATC Oaks.

Bowman, who won the Meptropolitan in 2013 on Seville, was on board in the Melbourne race but based on what he’s seen in her two runs this spring he’s happy to suggest the form guide is misleading.

“She went down as a bit of an afterthought I think to the VRC Oaks and there were legitimate reasons for not performing that day,’’ he said.

“She’s been prepared to run the best race of her preparation this weekend and everything about her would say she will appreciate a mile and a half except her form.”

Montefilia gave Bowman his fifth Group 1 $750,000 Darley Flight Stakes (1600m) a year ago and while he hasn’t been on board Mallory this preparation he says the filly has a sense of timing about her.

Mallory has contested each leg of the Princess Series and was narrowly beaten by Four Moves Ahead in the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) two weeks ago.

“She’s been racing really consistently,’’ he said.

“In my view she has the best profile for a mile amongst the fillies, they seem to be a very even lot.”

Montefilia runs second at Randwick on September 18

It’s not a Group 1 but there’s plenty riding on how Lost And Running performs from a TAB Everest point of view in the Group 2 $500,000 ACY Securities Premiere Stakes (1200m).

Rain on the day, a shifty track and wide run conspired to see the gelding fail to beat a runner home in The Shorts. Like most observers Bowman is happy to forgive that and given reasonable conditions expects him to perform.

“It was a disappointing outcome for all of us but that’s racing and hopefully there’s not too much rain,’’ he said.

“It’s a very important race for him after what happened the other day. All we can do is put that behind us and look forward.”

Lost And Running was $5 with TAB in the Premiere on Thursday and $15 in the all-in Everest market.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's TAB Epsom meeting at Randwick