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By Brad Gray

5. A Bar In Paris wasn’t able to go with her stablemate O’Ole in her one Kensington trial but she more than held her own at the finish. She ran home in fast time over the 850m, beaten less than a length. There was 2.5 lengths back to third. The daughter of Rubick got away well in her heat before seeking cover in behind the leaders, travelling sweetly into the straight. She was niggled at to stay with O’Ole but there was a response. Her half brother won his maiden over the mile so if she can get the first half of the race right, settling in a similar stalking position as she did in her trial, she promises to be strong late. O’Ole looks a strong reference for this having run second in a Gimcrack on debut before being beaten two lengths in the Golden Gift thereafter.

Dangers: This is a race Godolphin two-year-olds tend to run well in. They won it with Sliders back in 2020 while Cylinders ran second in it two years later. James Cummings saddled up second and third last year with Efharisto and Gram. They’ll be represented by 8. Secret Glory this year, the half sister to Corniche, Pereille and Heresy. She has the benefit of two trials and like how she coasted through the line in the latest at Hawkesbury, giving the impression that she would have won it if she was asked to let go. 3. Good Hotspur showed good improvement from his first trial into his second, winning his Rosehill heat. Albeit in slow overall time. 6. Gobi Desert is a half sister to In Her Time and did everything right in her Scone trial.

How To Play It: A Bar In Paris WIN

5. Harlow Mist wasn’t able to build into the race when she needed to in the Four Pillars last start and that proved costly. She may have had fought out the finish otherwise. The four-year-old mare attacked the line late once in the clear. She was three and a half weeks between runs going into that and was only second up. Trainer John Sargent put her on an Oaks path last campaign, running her in a Kembla Grange Classic and Adrian Knox as a three-year-old. Nash Rawiller sticks with the daughter of Contributer now third up and the slight step out in trip to the mile is another positive given she has won out to 1800m in the past. That was at her third career run having won her first three starts. Perfectly set up to chalk up overdue victory number four.

Dangers: 3. Piraeus also comes through the Four Pillars, where he ran second. He loomed like the winner before failing to put the race away. Continues to race well at this Midway level and he should at least hold that form. Might be looking for further than 1600m now is the query. 8. Magnatear should get the drop on likely leader 6. Dreamdeel from barrier 1. It was an encouraging return from the gelding behind Battleton at Rosehill. This would have been a target race on his home track. Dreamdeel will give some cheek from out in front again while 10. Cosmic Lad finished on the heels of Magnatear last start.

How To Play It: Harlow Mist WIN

3. Cable Express only scrambled home in a Highway three weeks ago over the mile but he was brave. The leaders sent a frantic early speed which set it up for the backmarkers. Cable Express rode that speed having settled fourth and did enough to get his nose down when it counted. There was less than half a length between the first four across the line but second, third and fourth settled 13th, 17th and 15th in the run. Cable Express had no right to kick back on the line given the shape of the race, and in the context that he was only second up jumping from 1300m to 1600m. That was just his seventh race start too. The four-year-old has more to come for trainer Danielle Seib. He ran second in a Wagga Guineas last preparation. The horse to beat.

Dangers: 1. Ring Ahoy has his convictions with just two wins from his 35 starts but he brings a different form line into this. He has lumped 63.5kg and 64.5kg at his past two starts. Last start he ran well out to 2000m. He’s a proven weight carrier and Aaron Bullock sticks. 15. The Right Rein and 16. Ghost Walker were among the closers in Cable Express Highway. The Right Rein went down in a photo having snuck runs towards the inside. That backed up a good win at Bathurst the start prior. He's lightly raced too. As is Ghost Walker, the stablemate to Cable Express, who had run second to Tulsi the start prior. Both draw wide to settle out the back again. It’s a similar case for 18. Tanglewood Jimmy. 4. Bravely could improve getting out to the mile for the first time.

How To Play It: Cable Express WIN

5. For Victory ran as well as he could first up at Rosehill in a slowly run race over 1300m. The speed came out in the middle stages and having settled last, the five-year-old did well to get within two lengths of the leader and winner Spanish Fox. Iron Man ran second and has since franked that form line. For Victory looks well set up out to the mile on the big Newcastle track and Chris Waller looks to have found a truly run race with the likes of 2. High Dandy set to roll along out in front. He tends to improve second up. The rain should clear come Saturday. The gelding is most effective on top of the ground. Forget his two failures at the backend of last campaign on heavy tracks. He didn’t handle it. Apprentice Ben Osmond comes off a Wednesday double at Rosehill.

Dangers: 4. Bullets High kept finding the line at Rosehill last start when a narrow second to Battleton. Settling position perhaps proved the difference. Trainer Joe Pride elects to apply a nose roll for this first time to help him settle. Doesn’t look the most straightforward horse to ride so Nash Rawiller staying aboard is significant. 8. Kokoro may have been flattered by the fast tempo in the Little Dance last start but he made up a lot of late ground from a wide draw at Randwick behind St Lawrence. That reads well for this. 11. Dazzle Legend has to turn the tables on Bullets High but has had a run since at Rosehill on Wednesday. If he backs up into Saturday he has clearly come through that well. Chris Waller backing up horses bares respect. The stats back that up.

How To Play It: For Victory WIN

3. Melody Again is racing like she wants 1400m now. The Scott Singleton-trained mare has her quirks but she looks to be ironing those out with racing. Through no fault of her own last start in the Barn Dance, she didn’t get the chance to angle into the clear when she needed to. That saw her beaten near five lengths by impressive winner Gallant Star. The five-year-old was never beating him but she should have run a clear second. Prior to that she was never in the race at Muswellbrook with the leader and eventual winner Florino off and gone by the time she had a chance to warm up. Florino broke the track record. Melody Again has been up for a while now but there still is some upside out to this trip. She is also well placed back to her own sex. Runs well at double figure odds.

Dangers: 5. Pippie Beach would appreciate any rain around. A wet track and she’d justifiably be as short as she is in early betting. A dry track though? Maybe not. Thought she has her chance at Rosehill last start, stalking a slow speed. She was slightly back in trip going from 1400m to 1300m. 2. Watch My Girl has to drop back from two runs over 1600m to 1400m but she has had four weeks between runs and comes back from Group Three company in the Angst Stakes. Two winners have already come through that race in Hinged and Sounds Of Heaven. 10. Lady Ichikawa was a late scratching last Saturday. The lightly-raced five-year-old is putting it all together now. This is harder but should appreciate 1400m and six of her nine career starts have been at Newcastle.

How To Play It: Melody Again EACH WAY

This looks to be a perfect race for the grey 3. Floating. He can mix his form a little but his last start effort in the Big Dance was better than it reads on paper. He was forced to drop out the back from the wide draw and he made some late headway. That was a deep race. This is a drop back from that. The six-year-old had no excuses two starts ago but St Lawrence has since franked that form line. Three starts ago he put a gap on Bear On The Loose and a return to that form and he’d be the one to beat here. Like he step out to 1850m now, having won out to 2000m in the past, he maps well and gets in well after the claim of Molly Bourke. Floating also has a great record at Newcastle, albeit it was much earlier in his career in lesser company.

Dangers: 5. Townsend resumed from a 54 week break at Randwick three weeks ago in the Filante when second to Sounds Of Heaven. It was an encouraging return. He matched it with the likes of Tom Kitten and Militarize as a two-year-old. He’ll stride forward and make his own luck with his stablemate 6. Ganbare for company. The knock on 2. Hopeful is that he is a superior wet tracker. He isn’t as effective on top of the ground. His record speaks for itself in that regard. His class sees him deserve respect regardless and he has trialled well. 10. Glad You Think So was doing his best work through the line at the end of 1500m last start. That was an improvement on what he did first up. Suited out in trip third up but he looks very well found in early betting.

How To Play It: Floating WIN

3. The Three Hundred has been impressive at the midweeks at his past two starts. Has to step into Group company now but most of his rivals have a similar profile. Didn’t know what to make of the son of I Am Invincible as a two-year-old but with maturity and getting over more ground, he has put it all together. There has been a lot of merit to his recent wins, first at Rosehill and then at Warwick Farm. He has run along at a fast lead speed yet still kicked off that. In the latest he sat outside of the leader and should have been softened up to be picked off late. Instead he won running away. That says the mile will hold no fears. Aye Aye Captain has won from that race already. Tim Clark is a key booking having got him out of the gates cleanly in those two victories.

Dangers: 8. Snitzanova is on a sharp upward spiral for Ciaron Maher. She did a few things wrong on debut when midfield at Rosehill. That maiden produced six subsequent winners. At start number two she sat off a hot speed but rounded up her rivals impressively. There was two lengths back to third, who was subsequent winner Brigidine Gal. Profiles to improve again at start three out to the mile. Thought 9. Dame Commander’s run last start was equal to that of 1. Althoff. She was coming off a Kembla maiden and measured up there, unsuited by a lack of pressure. Can settle much closer and run better than her price suggests. 2. Alabama State was brave in defeat in the Four Pillars two weeks ago. He covered a stack of ground. Has been up a long time.

How To Play It: The Three Hundred WIN

14. Briasa faces his toughest test to date but he looks up to the task. This is a leap from the benchmark races he has been winning facing off against a last start Kosciuszko winner, a past Everest placegetter and last year’s Hunter winner. The five-year-old has been charging through the grades building a record of five wins from six starts. In that defeat he was trapped four and five deep throughout and did an enormous job to be beaten just half a length by Ostraka who subsequently won the Silver Eagle. Last start the son of Smart Missile was sent around a $1.45 favourite at the midweeks and he won in second gear. He was too classy for those. That was with Tyler Schiller in the saddle and he stays aboard. Drawn to get back but Coal Crusher and Felix Majestic should ensure a truly run race.

Dangers: 4. Far Too Easy rounded up Front Page when taking out the Kosciuszkoa month ago. It was dominant. Barrier 1 proved a huge advantage there. He swaps that for a wide gate here so he’ll be back with Briasa but he is versatile in that regard. 12. Felix Majestic wasn’t beaten far at Hawkesbury last start. The 1500m saw him out. He is on the quick turnaround back to 1300m. Can run fast time and sustain his speed. Draws to find the front. 1. Private Eye isn’t racing at the top of his game but he has been mixing it with the best sprinters in the country. Lost And Running won this race coming through the Everest. Blinkers go back on. His stablemate 2. Coal Crusher would have slept well after going fast in front in the Russell Balding. He’s a tough horse but hopefully that doesn’t flatten him. Broke the track record when winning The Hunter 12 months ago.

How To Play It: Briasa WIN

4. Wyclif just missed behind Fawkner Park in the Rosehill Gold Cup two weeks ago, and that was despite being held up for much of the straight. He ultimately still had his chance but fell short. Hinged ran third and has since won to frank that form line. Fawkner Park would be a short-priced favourite if he lined up in this so want to trust that last start form reference. Adding further merit to the run was the fact that the eight-year-old was 2600m back to 2000m. He exceeded expectations given it was the run he needed to keep him up to the mark for this race. Prior to that he had run Athabascan to a narrow margin in the St Leger. This will be his 10th run of the campaign but he has never raced better.

Dangers: 3. Naval College didn’t quite come up over the winter. He had three runs in Queensland before being tipped out. He resumed in the Craven Plate a fortnight ago and was outsprinted off a slow tempo. He was coming again through the line. Gets straight out to 2300m and he boasts a great second up record (4:2-1-0). His stablemate 1. Spirit Ridge beat him home in the Craven but was flattered having led at such a slow early clip. He was a second up winner last preparation and has raced well at this track in the past. Will give another sight. 7. Stockman showed more last start behind Fawkner Park. Could be racing his way back into form. Respect the placement of 5. Dionysus coming across from New Zealand.

How To Play It: Wyclif WIN

17. Uzziah has returned better than ever. The six-year-old took advantage of a fast leader-friendly track at Randwick first up, but he put his rivals to the sword. That was with Molly Bourke in the saddle. She knows the gelding better than most. Uzziah was then seven weeks between runs dropping back to 1100m at Rosehill. He kept finding the line in defeat to run third. There was support for him late in betting but he ultimately ran as well as he could given the set up. This assignment looks perfect out to 1300m, Molly jumps back on and he gets in with 52kg after the claim. Where he has drawn he’ll also get first crack at finding the front and despite being a big field, he should get his chance with only 4. Highlights the other noted leader, and he is first up.

Dangers: 13. Inhibitions maps to get a long way back from the barrier. She wasn’t the best into stride at the Kensington track two weeks ago when second favourite to Briasa. That saw her well beaten but she was poking home late into second. Expecting Briasa to frank that form line in The Hunter. 9. Battleton has to cope with a drop back from 1500m to 1300m but he’ll take confidence from that last start win. Pairs well with Jason Collett and maps to get the same soft run. Cuddle him up for as long as possible and expose him as late as you can. 5. Flying Crazy hasn’t won for 130 weeks now. Largely due to his get-back racing style but like the way he worked home in the Russell Balding first up. 15. Bojangles raced without luck first up. The barrier does him no favours here though.

How To Play It: Uzziah WIN

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