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By Brad Gray

2. Bravely was a $500,000 yearling that’s found his way to Matt Dunn. He’s had the four-year-old for two preparations now and won three races with the son of Zoustar. The market suggested he’d need the run first up over 1100m and that was the case, not helped by the heavy track. A slow getaway then proved costly at Doomben, charging home into fifth from last. Three horses have subsequently won from that race. He then stalked the speed at Ipswich last start, given the run of the race and won by half a length but was soft on the line. Second, third and fourth from that Class 2 have all won their subsequent start. It’s a familiar Highway pairing with Dunn and Nash Rawiller and in another open running, Bravely looks the starting point and the horse to beat.

Dangers: 8. Lambay found a perfect spot at Canberra first up but always travelled like the winner, doing it comfortably as a well-backed even money favourite. The race speed was gentle in the early stages and it was a dominant win. That was just the eighth start of the four-year-old’s career and provides a good base for him to improve second up. Needs to but has the right profile. 3. Everido is more exposed, not having the same upside, but is no stranger to running well in Highways. Started in the market in benchmark company last start at Warwick Farm and found the line okay in a sprint home. The 1400m is his sweet spot as far as distances go. 1. King Of Spades got a very easy time of it in front first up at Wagga, so may have been flattered, but drawn the inside here he’ll make his own luck again.

How To Play It: Bravely WIN

3. Asgarda flashed home into fifth in the Kosciuszko with the wide gate proving costly. She would have finished closer had she not been forced to go back to last, conceding an impossible start. Her closing splits matched that of the winner Far Too Easy. She couldn’t have done much more. The lightly-raced five-year-old has returned particularly well. She won at Wagga first up. Billy Owen has ridden her in her past two starts and he heads to Rosehill for just the one ride to stick with the Doug Gorrel-trained mare. Out to 1300m looks perfect now third up and she maps to get the run of the race. She can settle anywhere. The early market has identified that she looks to have found a winnable race with her odds trimming up significantly already.

Dangers: 4. Bakerloo remains an underrated mare. She just kept raising the bar last campaign. She may have been flattered by a run of wet tracks but she was competitive at this level. Might find 1300m a touch sharp on a good track and she has drawn to settle last but don’t underestimate her. 7. Allapercanto is another improving mare. She ended last campaign with back-to-back wins before failing on a heavy track. Forgive her that. The query with her is whether she too will find the trip a little short. 1. Elettrica did enough first up over 1200m to suggest that she has come back well. Creeps out in trip and Molly Bourke, who claims 3kg, knows the mare well.

How To Play It: Asgarda WIN

2. State Of America has been beating up inferior opposition to this but he has put together two dominant wins. He was suited by the fast lead speed at Warwick Farm last start but he gapped them late, always travelling like the winner. Trainer David Payne is of the opinion that the five-year-old has just taken a while to fully mature. That performance was as good as the gelding has ever produced. Encouraging signs for a horse with 28 starts already to his name. Four subsequent winners have already come through his Randwick Midway win while Fleet Commander, who ran third to State Of America a week and a half ago, won well at the midweeks on the quick back up on Wednesday. The gamble is whether State Of America can continue to hold this run of form but there is enough in the price to find out. Zac Lloyd has a lot of confidence in the horse at the moment too.

Dangers: 7. I Am The Empire led at Doomben two starts ago before annihilating his opposition. It was the win of a stayer that’d go on with it thereafter. That saw him start at the top of betting in the Taree Cup, albeit he was easy late. He got caught in a speed battle and folded up. Forgive him that. 5. Ambassadorial wasn’t suited last start staying at mile second up in a race that turned into a sprint home. That found him out but he was only beaten half a length. More depth here so he is short enough in early betting. 4. Fay’s Angels is a very genuine mare mot beaten far in the Taree Cup two weeks ago while she ran second to Medatsu prior. Maps well. In well after the claim. 1. Lauding was poor at Rosehill last start, with no apparent excuses. He’s better than that. Has trialled well since. Should bounce back.

How To Play It: State Of America WIN

The switch has been flicked with 5. Fire Star. The son of Deep Field has promised plenty from day one but had a few manners he needed to iron out. It’s been a slow burn but he has jumped out of the ground at his past two starts. He ripped clear to beat odds on favourite Bonita Queen two starts ago at Warwick Farm before proving that was no fluke, again at Warwick Farm. In that latest win he was just as arrogant. That was from outside of the leader and out to 1200m for the first time. There are another couple of hurdles he has to jump at Rosehill, having to replicate it in Saturday company over 1300m and from a tricky gate. His versatility gives Tommy Berry options though. Just needs a few things to fall into place early. That’s the gamble.

Dangers: 4. Iron Man had to do it the hard way at Randwick last start when sixth to Willaidow, a horse he’ll be glad to see the back of for a while. The wide draw saw him concede a big head start and he had nothing to drag him into the race. Did well to be beaten a touch over a length. His record reads 5:1-3-0 at Rosehill and he swaps barrier 13 for barrier 2. 8. Midnight Opal had his first run as a gelding at Warwick Farm through the same race as Fire Star. He has nearly five lengths to turnaround on the winner but he had no luck at all in the run, going to the line hard held. Gets a 3kg weight swing but the barrier does him no favours. Not sure how to line up 9. Ravenclaw.

How To Play It: Fire Star WIN

16. Alabama State still has his best ahead of him. Not comfortable backing anything in this field at single figure odds given it’s make up but he’s a rightful favourite given his upside. Pushed his way into the clear to win a Midway last start having run second to Unique Ambition prior. Draws off the track!

Dangers: 15. Extreme Freedom has been excellent in defeat at his past two starts. He gave subsequent Spring Champion Stakes winner El Castello a run for his money two starts ago, despite being flushed out early to sit three wide. He didn’t get the best run in transit last start either when third to the flying State Of America who has won again since. So has the runner up Flying Bandit. 9. Piraeus has come back well. Might be looking for further but should be charging late.

How To Play It: Alabama State EACH WAY

15. Left Field is a smart mare. She also races well fresh. Like the set up for her on Saturday striking the race first up over 1100m with 54kg. Keen to see her back on top of the ground and this promises to be fast run. She kicked off last campaign with a dominant Class 1 victory before reappearing eight weeks later in the Denise’s Joy at Scone. She was exceptional in defeat, making up a stack of late ground from last behind Commemorative. The Brad Widdup-trained four-year-old then lined up at Rosehill in treacherous conditions, bravely sloshing through the mud to run second to Cigar Flick in the inferior ground towards the inside. The meeting was abandoned after that race. She tackled another heavy track thereafter but was on tired legs. Left Field is always an eye catching trialler and its no different this time back.

Dangers: 8. Gitalong has had excuses his past couple. Happy to overlook those failures. Three starts ago he split Piastri and Way To The Stars over this same track and trip. That was off a five week freshen. Here he is off a six week freshen and he has trialled sweetly since. He went fast early last start out to 1400m. That experiment failed but it was worth finding out. Blinkers go back on. 4. Dollar Magic has finished top three in 16 of her 20 starts. Such a genuine mare. Maps well. Has raced well over this track and trip in the past. 5. Infatuation is yet to win first up but her two trials suggest that she has come back particularly well. Went down swinging behind Boston Rocks fresh last campaign before eventually peaking fourth up out to 1350m, finding a race she could control. 3. Tristate next best.

How To Play It: Left Field WIN

3. Bella Nipotina isn’t hard to find being a last start Everest winner. What she has in talent she matches with tenacity. That was on display two weeks ago when despite covering ground throughout, she fought off the late challenge of Giga Kick. Given the run she endured its hard to make a case for anything coming through the Everest to turn the tables. Second, third and fourth from that race aren’t here and there was a length and half back to Sunshine In Paris in fifth. The other hallmark to Bella Nipotina is her remarkable consistency. The seven-year-old thrives on racing so there is no reason to think she won’t hold her form going into Saturday. She won this race 12 months ago beating Private Eye in a photo finish and she is going even better now. Maps to get the right run and Craig Williams stays in Sydney to stick with her.

Dangers: Expecting a big run from 8. Coal Crusher. He wasn’t beaten far by Bella Nipotina in this race a year ago and was only third up there. He is a horse that runs to a pattern, peaking fourth up. That typically coincides with the blinkers going back on. Here he is fourth up with the shades on. The 1300m is just about the perfect trip for him too. 1. Private Eye can turn his fortunes around swapping barrier 11 and 9 at his past two starts for barrier 1. That’ll see him improve. Wasn’t beaten far in the Everest two weeks ago. 5. Lady Laguna profiles as the potential sharp improver. She was six weeks between runs going into the Sydney Stakes off a setback and rattled home from out the back, having drawn barrier 18. The map is tricky again. 4. Sunshine In Paris hit the line with Private Eye in the Everest. Just thought she was too well found.

How To Play It: Bella Nipotina WIN

19. Ascoli Piceno is largely considered one of the best milers in Japan at the moment bringing a superior CV to that of last year’s winner Obamburumai. That’s the obvious tie in. It sounds defeatist, but the Japanese horses are in a league of their own. She was a Group One winner as a two-year-old and since then has placed in another two Group Ones, with a hard luck story to tell in one of those defeats. At her past three starts she has jumped short odds, the latest at $1.50 and it was a career best performance. That was only two months ago. The conditions ahead of Saturday look to suit with a dry track likely. Joao Moreira had been booked a long time out. The ‘Magic Man’ will need to be on his game to overcome barrier 17 but given how strong she is at the end of the mile and the fact that she is bred to get further, it gives her plenty of clear air to build into the race.

Dangers: French gelding 12. Lazzat is unbeaten in six career starts and he too comes into this on the back of a career peak. That was in Group One company over 1300m as a $4 chance. What he has in his favour over Ascoli Piceno is tactical speed. He might even lead. In his three starts prior to that he jumped $1.50, $1.20, $1.70 and $2.20. There’s been market expectation. The query, if there is one, is that his best performances in the past have been on wet tracks. 16. Joliestar should have been fighting out the finish in Everest having been shuffled back in the run. Has been kept fresh enough for three runs over 1200m. Looks to be screaming out for further being a Thousand Guineas winner as a three-year-old. 3. Tom Kitten has Group One handicap form which has provided four of the five previous winners. After the Epsom he was competitive in the King Charles. Draws well (finally!).

How To Play It: Ascoli Piceno WIN

The set up for 1. Fawkner Park is intriguing. He was five weeks between runs going into the Craven Plate last Saturday having had his Caulfield Cup campaign abandoned after failing in the Underwood Stakes first up. Here he is on the quick back up into the Rosehill Gold Cup out to 2000m. It’s not an easy task with 60kg and from a wide gate but the early price is tempting. He obviously pulled up with issues after the Underwood while he also had excuses in the Craven. He settled in the second half in a slowly run race. The field packed up turning for home which flushed him out to the middle of the track. He travelled like the winner at the 300m mark but his condition blew out late. Fair enough too. Has raced well at Rosehill in the past, albeit earlier in his career in lesser grade.

Dangers: 3. Hoo Ya Mal was tipped straight out after failing to handle the heavy 10 in the Hollindale Stakes first up last preparation. The six-year-old won a recent trial to suggest he can bounce back on top of the ground. First up 2000m shows intent. Raced well in the Hill Stakes this time last year when run down by Montefilia. 8. Hinged was ridden conservatively last start, with the barrier proving costly. Worth another try over 2000m at this point in her career and spring preparation. French import 10. Saganti comes through a hot Group One in Paris last start. First up no trials or jumpouts makes him hard to assess with any confidence. It’s the same for another import in 4. Relentless Voyager. His best form is over further though. 2. Nonconformist should be at his top now third up.

How To Play It: Fawkner Park WIN

1. Battleton drops back in grade with the trade off being asked to lump 61.5kg. Jason Collett has been aboard in two of his three wins. They were his first two starts!

Dangers: Found 7. Captain Furai hard to assess. He was an even money favourite through the same Zouatica race as Congregation. Looked to travel like the winner but faded late. It’s too early to label him a wet tracker but it’s a query he’ll need to put to bed on Saturday. He is better than that. A little wary of 9. Bullets High flattening off a touch second up over 1500m, having won well fresh over 1400m. Progressive horse though and a dry track should be in his favour. 11. Mountain Top is flying. She’ll punch up and potentially lead this field from the inside draw.

How To Play It: Battleton WIN

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