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By Brad Gray

1. North England has been playing catch up this time back. The Golden Gift winner missed a run in the Silver Slipper Stakes with a minor hiccup which saw him go into the Todman first up before the Golden Slipper second up. He felt the pinch late in the Todman, as the market forecasted. Wodeton and Nepotism have franked the form through that race. His Golden Slipper sixth had merit. He was pushed out early to cross from a wide gate yet he was forced to hand up. The race was fast run in the early stages so he was entitled to be found out over the concluding stages, yet was beaten four lengths. Third up now back to 1100m and he maps to find the front. Waterhouse and Bott won this race last year with Espionge.

Dangers: 2. King Of Pop was trapped three deep throughout in the Golden Slipper from a wide gate. Forget that. Prior to that he won the Black Opal in good time. It’s a very different set up for him on Saturday drawn barrier 1. He should tag North England everywhere he goes. Like the way 11. Sylph has trialled. Tackles this on debut but Michael Freedman wouldn’t be running the I Am Invincible filly here if he didn’t think she wasn’t up to the task. Monitor any market confidence. 8. Hay Street was unlucky not to beat Buffalo on debut in a Newcastle maiden on debut. That form line ties into the Todman. The drop back to 1100m perhaps isn’t ideal but want to trust that provincial maiden as a form race going forward. There’s been early support for 6. Beskar having won a Geelong maiden well on debut.

How To Play It: North England WIN

9. Polymnia justified being sent around $1.14 at Hawkesbury last start, with a dominant win eased down. That maiden is out of the way now. She put 3.5 lengths on her rivals with the runner up Always Right subsequently winning at Newcastle. The O’Shea and Charlton-trained filly was great first up in a fast race behind Conchiero at Warwick Farm, who has since won in Melbourne, before clearing out to run second behind Majorca Sunset. She gives the impression that she’ll bounce off that win two weeks ago and it gives her a grounding for this having won over 1800m. Zac Lloyd rode her for the first time there and he sticks with the daughter of Dundeel. A drying Randwick track will see her use her turn of foot. The stable won this race last year with Good Banter and this filly looks equally as talented.

Dangers: 6. Belle Detelle is by Zed, the sire of Verry Elleegant, out of a Kiwi mare that won out to 2100m. This filly will relish 2000m. The trick will be getting her to settle. She has raced a touch keen in her career to date. The barrier helps, drawn low. She chased home Shanwah at her second start, when $1.50 favourite. At start four she won at Sandown at $1.40 and clocked the third fastest last 200m split of the meeting. Has big staying upside. 1. Dominetta is a half-sister to Hartnell. Gets her chance at 2000m on Saturday. Maps to get a soft enough time in front. Stuck on well in the Kembla Grange Classic. Lumps 59kg. As does 2. Inevitable Truth who finished close up in the blanket finish through that same race. With the John Sargeant polish, she’ll start coming into her own now. 3. Canny Queen backs up from the Vinery.

How To Play It: Polymnia WIN

3. Alalcance produced a career-best performance when winning the Manion Cup two weeks ago. It was a brilliant front-running display. She led, cranked up the pressure in the middle stages and dashed clear. The official margin was 4.35 lengths. That was eased down. The five-year-old mare looks to own this race from in front again as the only natural leader engaged. It’s unlikely that she can repeat what she did a fortnight ago but there is still plenty of room for her to come back off that and still win this. Find it hard to make a case for anything behind her to turn the tables. Tim Clark has ridden her at her past four starts. He’ll get her into a rolling rhythm again, looking to pinch a winning break turning for home.

Dangers: 11. Strathtay was the best of the closers in the Manion. Looks to be building nicely into his autumn grand final, the Sydney Cup. Given what this Chris Waller-trained galloper did last start, surprised about the odds on offer. He goes into everything. 1. Desert Hero is the runner that could upset Alalcance. The William Haggas stable were upfront in reporting that he lost weight in transit and took a while to come to hand. He is a Royal Ascot winner and has since placed in a G1 St Leger. 2. Athabascan peaks now. In his last three campaigns fourth up he has won a St Leger and a Colin Stephens, and finished second in a Sydney Cup. Gets a 3kg swing on Alalcance but has over four lengths to make up. 7. Waltham next best.

How To Play It: Alalcance WIN

It’s Plan B for 2. Swiftfalcon as an emergency for the Doncaster Mile but a handy consolation. The Hawkes-trained gelding clocked exceptional closing splits when rattling home into second in the Hobartville Stakes first up but nothing has fallen into place for him since. He was outside of his comfort zone in a fast run mile second up before being set alight in the middle stages in the Rosehill Guineas. The 2000m again found him out but he was set a task, being exposed a long way from home. That dulled his best asset. His turn of foot. He was brave in defeat to be beaten less than a length. There is no Broadsiding or Aeliana here. Back to the mile, back in grade. The barrier dictates that he’ll be ridden for last crack. Not ideal when you’re taking even money but should be too strong late for these.

Dangers: 1. Evaporate is the logical threat and no easy beat either. The race falls away a touch after those two. He ran fourth in the G1 Futurity Stakes despite being camped three deep, beaten home by Mr Brightside, Tom Kitten and the now retired I Wish I Win. Ran well subsequently in The Kiwi as a $2.50 chance and settles in front of Swiftfalcon. The map sees 5. Shangri La Spring warrant respect. Looks the leader without too much pressure. Fitter for his third in the Canberra Guineas behind Snow In May and suited out to the mile. Has won three of his five starts. The three-year-old fillies look a stronger crop than the colts and geldings so 8. Brigidine Gal could surprise at odds. She’s a second tier filly, with due respect, but looks suited back to the mile herself. Gets blinkers first time.

How To Play It: Swiftfalcon WIN

There’s the 1. Gallant Star from his first 13 starts. Then there’s the Gallant Star from his last two. The five-year-old ended last campaign in a blaze of glory demolishing his rivals in the ‘Barn Dance’. He came from the second half to the field, winning by five lengths giving Jason Collett time to pose for a photo on the line. Easy as you like. Dubbo-based trainer Brett Robb tipped the gelding out and made a plan to target the Country Championships. He resumed in the Coonamble heat and was expected to win, sent around $1.18. That he did with Collett taking no chances. He sent the hot pot to the front and he won like it was a barrier trial. With due respect to his rivals, he was entitled to touch them up. Draws beautifully in barrier 4. Rightfully a firm favourite.

Dangers: 14. Intervarsity is a lightly-raced mare and although the market has her second pick of the Messara and Gavranich runners, she beat 11. Know Thyself in the Tamworth qualifier. Freshened four weeks since, maps well and finds Damian Lane. The counter to that is Know Thyself jumped an odds on favourite and has since booked a spot in the final by winning a Wild Card comfortably. The question is how flattered he was by the heavy track. All three of his best performances have come on wet tracks. It wasn’t an easy watch for punters that took the short quote about 3. Tribeca Star at the Gold Coast last start. Matt Dunn will have the five-year-old spot on. Stablemate 8. Fukubana is talented but hasn’t been done any favours by the draw. Don’t underestimate 5. Zarizatycoon.

How To Play It: Gallant Star WIN

3. Vinrock is the only runner here with a 1400m run already to his name. It’s easy for punters to turn their noses up at the VRC Sires as a form reference given that the last six Sires’ winners have come via the Golden Slipper. The last Sires/Sires double was achieved in 1981. However, Traffic Warden won the VRC Sires last year, ran in a Slipper before being beaten a photo in the Sires. Veight won it the year prior and he ran fourth behind Militarize on a heavy track. History and patterns can be deceptive. Vinrock has a great racing pattern and will punch up to lead or trail the speed from barrier 1. Mark Zahra follows him to Sydney to stay aboard. The colt is a month between runs but has trialled well at Randwick since, getting a look at the track being a bonus.

Dangers: Respect the placement of the Hawkes stable with 9. Federalist. He perhaps should have won at Newcastle on debut when luckless behind 6. Buffalo. That ties into the Todman form. Don’t forget what the stable achieved with Nepotism last Saturday with a two-year-old having his second race start. Winkers go on. Don’t think it was a vintage Golden Slipper this year which creates opportunities to bet around the top two but the run of 1. Rivellino did suggest he’d relish 1400m. Just couldn’t keep up in the early stages of a fast run 1200m. The tempo should suit better here. Hugh Bowman comes back to ride. That’s a tip in itself. 2. Wodeton was given a beautiful ride in the Slipper but still fell just short. Ryan Moore now has to get the timing spot on.

How To Play It: Vinrock WIN

The Group One sprinting ranks are ripe for fresh blood. Enter 5. Briasa. He couldn’t have done much more first up in the Galaxy. It was a remarkable effort to get as close as he did. It’s a near impossible task to come from last over 1100m on a dry track at Rosehill. Let along at a meeting where fence in run was advantageous and provided seven of the 10 winners. His last 600m split was 2.5 lengths quicker than the next best across the entire meeting. The four-year-old steps into weight for age for the first time but he has won six from eight and has had excuses in the two defeats, beaten by wide gates on both occasions. He’ll settle much closer from the draw. Needs to improve again but he can. We still haven’t seen the best of this four-year-old.

Dangers: 7. Joliestar exploded back into form winning the Newmarket, reacting well to the straight for the first time. Freshened since then four weeks between runs. Was an unlucky third up in the Everest off a very similar preparation to this in the spring. Respect the fresh record of 1. Overpass. He has won four of his past five starts. The dominance and time of his Sydney Stakes win first up over the spring would have seen him fight out the finish in the Everest had he gained a slot. 8. Magic Time does no work from the inside gate. Wasn’t beaten far in an on speed dominated Canterbury Stakes. Has trialled well alongside Joliestar since. 4. Headwall has raced without luck behind Joliestar and 2. Jimmysstar at his past two starts.

How To Play It: Briasa WIN

1. Another Wil should have won the All Star Mile last start as a $2.70 favourite. He nearly came down in the straight when looking for a gap to let down. Light Infantry Man ran third and he blew his rivals away in the Australian Cup last Saturday. First up Another Wil ran down Mr Brightside to win the CF Orr Stakes, with five lengths back to third. The history of the Doncaster says that punters shouldn’t be put off by wide gates over the Randwick mile. Nine of the past 16 Doncaster winners have won from double figure barriers. The five-year-old started $3.60 in last year’s Doncaster but was caught deep on a heavy track and knocked up late. He jumps from 50kg to carrying the top weight of 56.5kg but that’s testament to what he has achieved in the 12 months since.

Dangers: Ciaron Maher also saddles up 2. Gringotts who looks beautifully set up coming off a Group One win in the George Ryder. He may have been flattered by the race shape but he had Fangirl and Ceolwulf launching at him late. Two of the best weight for age milers in the country. He is four from five over the mile and maps to get the perfect run. 3. Tom Kitten won the All Star Mile before also running in the George Ryder. The lack of pressure was against him there. He ran as well as he could given he had to drag back from last. James Cummings will have Tom cherry ripe for his autumn grand final. 19. Firestorm let down with a powerful close behind Lady Shenandoah in a fast Coolmore three weeks ago. Carries just 50kg. That makes her dangerous.

How To Play It: Another WIL WIN

The lone filly 18. Aeliana looks beautifully set up after a luckless second in the Rosehill Guineas. She’s no stranger to clashing with the colts and geldings having raced well in the Hobartville and Randwick Guineas in two runs prior. The daughter of Castelvecchio was charging through the line two to their one late, just missing to Broadsiding. Her last 200m split was 1.5 lengths faster than the next best. It ranked the 10th quickest last 200m split of the meeting. That says staying 2400m won’t be an issue. Damian Lane rides her for the first time on Saturday but his job has been made easier by the soft gate. She won’t have to spend a penny early. Plenty of talented fillies have fallen short in this race since Shamrocker won it in 2011 but Aeliana looks to have found the right year. This crop of three-year-old fillies look superior to the boys.

Dangers: 5. Plymouth raced without luck in the Rosehill Guineas and should have finished closer. That Aeliana form reference looks the best here which makes him a player at double figure odds. The Tulloch Stakes has provided five of the past eight winners. Four of those were on wet tracks. Hard fit horses on the quick turnaround profile well. Could be a different story on dry. 7. Firm Agreement closed off hard in the Tulloch, running through the line. Has built a handy record. There shouldn’t be much between him and 8. King Of Thunder in betting. The NZ Derby winner 1. Willydoit boasts and imposing record. 3. Thedoctoroflove ran well in New Zealand. Would have liked to have seen more from 9. Golden Century in the Tulloch to frank that form line. 2. Goldrush Guru can bounce back.

How To Play It: Aeliana WIN

1. Clean Energy defied the pattern to win at Moonee Valley last start. Settling on the fence proved to be a big advantage while leaders overachieved throughout the meeting. Clean Energy was dragged back in the field to settle ninth in a field of 11 before circling at the turn, flushed out six horses at the top of the straight to run home over the top. The margin doesn’t do the win justice. She resumed off a 33 week break down the Flemington straight the start prior and ran well, beaten narrowly, blowing out late. That’s now three wins from four starts for the Zoustar filly. In her first two starts she beat Lady Shenandoah. Would be even more confident on a soft track but it’s too early to label her a wet tracker. Looks very smart.

Dangers: 2. Zeitung ran home in fast time behind Enriched in the Fireball first up. He subsequently ran second to Autumn Glow in the Darby Munro. Just has to overcome a tricky draw. She too would appreciate a wet track, which she is unlikely to get. 3. Lilac has been no match for Lady Shenandoah and Lady Of Camelot in two recent starts. There is no shame in that, however. Back in grade here. Maps nicely from the perfect draw. Hasn’t trialled in the five week freshen but has had an exhibition gallop. 10. Island Dec gets the tongue tie first time which might suggest that she choked down last start. Has won three from three first up so the five week break works in her favour. Won well first up in lesser grade. Really caught the eye in a recent Kembla Grange trial. Tommy Berry has ridden her three times for two wins.

How To Play It: Clean Energy WIN

All the fields, form and replays for Day 1 of The Star Championships at Randwick