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By Brad Gray

8. Sungblue also ticks the box of mapping to get the run of the race. He was starting to put it all together at the backend of last preparation. Just have a little query as to how flattered he was by a run of heavy tracks.

Dangers: 15. Transformation great depth to his form lines despite being well held in his three runs for Mel O’Gorman. He deserves respect back to this company and Hugh Bowman jumps back aboard. 1. Tap ‘N’ Run will be flooding home but it could be too late from such a wide draw.

How To Play It: Sungblue WIN

There is no obvious leader which makes this a tricky race to assess. It’s going to be a battle of tactics. 11. Plymstock’s low draw should see her park up closer in the run which looks a big advantage given the likely race shape. The Godolphin filly jumped on terms at Warwick Farm last start with 59kg but was dragged back from the gate. It’s a very different set up here and like the way she kept finding the line. The daughter of Ribchester drops to 52kg with Rachel King in the saddle, strips fitter second up and gets back out to 1200m. That first up form line through Insurrection stacks up well enough for this. It’s midweek form but she was Listed placed in Queensland last preparation and still only five runs into her career, there’s untold upside.

Dangers: 8. Ten Bells could find herself the default leader. She did a fantastic job at Canterbury last start on a Heavy 10 given that she isn’t a noted wet tracker. Keen to see her back on top of the ground. Haven’t come across too many unluckier horses than 4. Party For One. Her record doesn’t reflect her talent and she again was baulked for a run last start. She too will get back, however. 9. Fumiko will love another dry track while 12. Va Via also rates a mention.

How To Play It: Plymstock WIN

3. Global Ausbred paraded in exceptional order first up in the Silver Eagle and he ran up to his looks, running fourth despite being sent around a $201 chance. The four-year-old took up a prominent spot in behind the speed and despite being one of the first horses to come under pressure, he was surging again through the line. He simply found 1300m too sharp. The step out to 1500m is ideal now, he finds Hugh Bowman and being a big-striding galloper, he is suited by the wide draw allowing Bowman plenty of time to roll across. He showed at Canterbury last preparation that he can do it at both ends. He won’t be easy to get past in this and will be several lengths in front of his obvious threat and race favourite Waterford turning for home. Follow him this preparation.

Dangers: 4. Waterford never got into the Silver Eagle from the wide draw, finding 1300m too short. His two wins prior to that over this same track and trip were that of a galloper destined to race his way out of benchmark company. The knock is the price and where he’ll be in the run. 5. Rangi Toa is a lightly-raced former Kiwi-trained gelding with his best still ahead of him. There is more depth to this than what he faced in his first two Australian runs but don’t discount him. 2. Maurice’s Medad will love a dry track and maps to be much closer in the run while 7. Miss Madison finds herself in career best form.

How To Play It: Global Ausbred WIN

5. Hameron was deep ended in the G1 Metrop last start yet the market was still very respectful of his chances. It wasn’t to be having settled a long way back in a slowly run race before he was forced back to the fence in the home straight. Forgive him that. The lightly-raced five-year-old has been given four weeks to freshen up to cope with the drop back to 1900m. Throw into the mix that he drops back sharply in grade to BM78 level. Hugh Bowman rides and he’ll be able to use barrier 1 to park up in the first dozen. There was a lot to like about the way Hameron hit the line behind Quality Time over this same track and trip prior to last start, showing a brilliant turn of foot on top of the ground. The blinkers go back on too.

Dangers: 10. Pink Ivory has successfully chased down Hameron already this preparation. That was before striking a bottomless Randwick track, where you needed to be on speed and hard against the fence. Forget that Pink Ivory ever ran. She’s much better placed on top of the ground. It’s just whether that run flattens her. 12. Pale King will also appreciate a firmer track. He too laboured in the heavy 10 conditions through the same race as Pink Ivory despite being sent around a $5 elect. He wasn’t beaten all that far by the subsequent Coongy winner first up in Gunstock. 3. Gin Martini doesn’t have the last start gut buster on a heavy track to worry about and like the way she is trending third up out to 1900m. 6. Main Stage and 7. Ting Tong look disadvantaged by the dry track.

How To Play It: Hameron WIN

7. Winning Verse was met with plenty of market support first up over this same track and trip and she went close to landing the move. The speedy mare parked outside of the leader only for Fox Fighter to run her down on the line. Want to trust the form through that race with the winner subsequently running third in better company while A Very Fine Red won in Melbourne. Just go back to her Caulfield win last preparation if you need a reminder of how devastatingly quick she can be over 1100m. The four-year-old has been kept fresh since her first up placing and looked sharp in a Warwick Farm tickover trial, matching motors with Belluci Babe. Like the pairing with Tim Clark too. There’s no shortage of speed engaged but few as quick as her early.

Dangers: 3. Delexo should be unbeaten fresh. He was a good thing licked first up last campaign in Midway company. All of the five-year-old’s wins to date have been over 1000m, which is a slight query here tackling 1100m but everything else looks tailor-made. The perfect draw, flies early in his preparation and the prospect of a dry track suits. The cherry on top is how well he has trialled. 9. Mars Mission had his chance at Warwick Farm first up but he can only improve off that, gets in light and perhaps is better placed back on top of the ground. 2. Monte Ditto was flying at the backend of last preparation in similar races to this and is often overlooked. Former Godolphin galloper 4. Destination is capable of showing up fresh for Richard Litt.

How To Play It: Winning Verse WIN

8. Quality Time is chasing four straight wins and he gets a perfect set up to keep his picket fence intact. The German import was expected to win the Port Macquarie Cup three weeks ago when sent around $1.30 favourite and he pulled away at the finish to score emphatically. He is still far from the finished product, however, so there is still more to come from the five-year-old that has won six of his 14 starts. Tommy Berry has ridden Quality Time at his past two and his rebooking looks a key engagement as he doesn’t look the most straight forward horse to ride. Draws inside so he can again park in behind the speed or even take it up if nothing else wants to press on, as we saw him do at Rosehill two starts ago.

Dangers: The lightly-raced 10. Star Of India steps out for Annabel Neasham for the first time, straight out of Canterbury quarantine but he looks a talent and comes here off just an eight week break. He won as a two-year-old over 1400m before at start three winning a Listed race over this same trip. Neasham has the knack with getting her imports to hit the ground running. 15. Honeycreeper should have won at Randwick second up over the mile. Third up out to 2000m is perfect now. The obvious knock is where she finds herself from the barrier. International raider 7. Bois D’Argent is also a Listed winner and is yet to finish outside of the placings in 12 starts. 14. Kiss The Bride is well set up to bounce back at big odds while 5. Pinarello will appreciate the drier track.

How To Play It: Quality Time WIN

7. Lost And Running just needs to pick up where he left off in the Premiere Stakes to win this too. It’d be some consolation to his connections given he was forced to miss the TAB Everest with a skin irritation. A race he would have been up to his eyeballs in. A mid preparation setback is never ideal, regardless of how minor, and it sees the six-year-old tackle this four weeks between runs. He had a tickover trial since at Randwick. That said, it’s still very hard to make a case for any of his rivals to beat him. The lightly-raced sprinter ran second to Eduardo in this race 12 months ago but from what we’ve seen of him in his two runs back, Lost And Running has improved again. Out to 1300m suits and he draws a perfect barrier to park a pair or two back from the speed.

Dangers: 3. Mazu has proven no match for Lost And Running in The Shorts and then the Premiere but he has the benefit of a tough run in the TAB Everest. Mazu was brave there too, forced back from the wide draw before he kept on coming to run third. Maps beautifully in this to tag Eduardo into the straight. 1. Eduardo hasn’t been at his best at his past two so you have to take him on trust but he has won four from five at Rosehill and last year’s scintillating win was on a Good 3. Is 2. Private Eye still sharp enough third up over 1300m? That’s the obvious query but he too has returned better than ever. Will see most of his rivals turning for home from the gate. 12. Riodini could sneak into the placings.

How To Play It: Lost And Running WIN

3. In The Congo is untried at 1500m but he is a Group One winner over 1400m at Rosehill, claiming the Golden Rose where he beat Anamoe. Granted, he was helped by the way the track played that meeting but there isn’t any evidence to suggest that he won’t get the trip. The only other time In The Congo raced at Rosehill he finished a brave third in the G1 Galaxy on heavy ground, not his preferred going. Forgive the four-year-old’s first up effort at Moonee Valley when trapped back and wide over 1000m before he bounced back in the Sydney Stakes with a narrow second to Rocketing By. Tim Clark jumps back aboard and the barrier gives Clark the first crack at finding the fence. The son of Snitzel will bang himself out and make his own luck.

Dangers: 5. I Wish I Win was a touch disappointing in the G1 Toorak last start but respect that he did jump $2.20 favourite. So far the three winners of the Golden Eagle have come via Group One mile handicaps (Epsom x 2 and Toorak). It’s a proven formula. Dead keen to see 15. Fangirl back on top of the ground. The obvious hinderance to her chances is how big of a start she is going to be forced to give away from the wide draw. A three wide running line could present Hugh Bowman with the chance to settle a touch closer than it might look on paper, however. 12. Light Infantry has only had five career starts, with the latest three of those in Group One company. No knock on his class but he races around a bend for the first time, in a different country and he’s well found. 16. Chain Of Lightning gets every chance camped behind the speed.

How To Play It: In The Congo WIN

The handicapper hasn’t missed 1. Mahagoni being forced to lump 64kg but such is David Payne’s confidence in the horse at the moment, he doesn’t claim, instead engaging Hugh Bowman. Mahagoni is flying this time back winning twice already, the latest of those just seven days ago, and ran second to Waterford third up.

Dangers: 7. Sebrenco had been trending towards another win and she delivered back in grade at Kembla Grange last start. Gets a lovely trail from the low draw. Tracey Bartley won this race last year with Kiss Sum. 12. Danish Prince has claims fresh. The early market has found him but expect to get better closer to jump as he is typically underrated. Three trials tune him up for this. 3. Adios Steve and 5. Awesome Lad next best.

How To Play It: Mahagoni WIN

1. Cotehele was only beaten three lengths in the Silver Eagle first up which reads well for a BM78 second up where the majority of his key rivals are progressing from midweek company. The four-year-old stalked the speed and ultimately had his chance behind Vilana but he looked to peak on his run 100m from home. It’s not the first time he has bumped into Vilana either. We saw a glimpse of what Cotehele is capable of at the backend of last campaign where he stalked Titanium Power into the straight before peeling off his back and wining well at Randwick. The son of Tavistock handles all conditions. Looks well set up in this grade given the improvement he’ll make at his second run back.

Dangers: 2. Spiranac worked home into sixth in the Kosciuszko two weeks ago but she is much more dynamic on top of the ground. She’ll just need luck at the right time from barrier 1. 5. Democracy Manifest looked a touch disappointing at Warwick Farm last start but it’s proven to be a deep race. 6. I Am Lethal shouldn’t have an excuses third up on a dry track from a gate that’ll see him park in behind the speed. 8. Arbitration and 9. Stromboli rate mentions.

How To Play It: Cotehele WIN

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Golden Eagle meeting at Rosehill