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By Brad Gray

7. Pocketing lines up for his sixth run of the campaign but he continues to show up. The Richard and Will Freedman-trained three-year-old was friendless in betting last start at Rosehill in midweek company yet defied that to run Flying Thinker to less than a length. He bounced back quickly from his failure the start prior where he pulled up with cardiac arrythmia. On that occasion he was sent around an even money favourite in a Rosehill Midway over 1350m. Put a pen through that run. The reason he was so short there was having run a luckless second to Oh Diamond Lil at Canterbury. Mile suits now and the blinkers first time can hopefully coax him through the flat spot he hit a week and a half ago.

Dangers: If it’s not Pocketing, we are left to pick through the 1500m Midway at Rosehill two weeks ago. 1. Promitto wasn’t beaten far and was only second up. Third up out to the mile he should improve again. Like him drawn wide and there shouldn’t be too much pressure kicking up underneath him. 4. Rush Attack sat three deep the trip before winning that Midway. That’s now three wins and three seconds in his six runs for Nathan Doyle. Fit, honest and makes his own luck. 8. Hell’s Itch was jumping 1200m to 1500m there and made good late ground. Don’t love barrier 1 for him but do like the prospect of him getting back onto rain-affected ground. 6. Herb was luckless in that same Midway.

How To Play It: Pocketing WIN

4. Yoshinobu has tactical speed but the map looks tricky for James McDonald to navigate. He’s the right man for the job, however. The Neasham and Archibald-trained colt rose quickly through the grades last campaign winning a Wyong maiden before two starts later running third to Switzerland in the Roman Consul. Looks ready to go given how he won his second trial at Randwick recently.

Dangers: 3. Zeitung won out to 1400m in Melbourne back in November but she was sharp enough to chase down Bonita Queen first up last time in over 1100m. 5. Enriched has a fitness edge over the aforementioned duo and should improve off his narrow defeat in BM78 company two weeks ago.

How To Play It: Yoshinobu WIN

9. Savvy Hallie went down fighting on debut at Warwick Farm. Don’t be too quick to dismiss the race as simply a midweek maiden. It looked a deep race on paper but plenty of big pedigree and reputations went on the line. King Of Pop got her late but she had travelled three wide the trip outside the lead so was entitled to be found out late. Despite that she was only touched off the last 50m with over two lengths back to third. The daughter of Hellbent, out of a Fastnet Rock mare, showed brilliant gate speed too. She shouldn’t have too much trouble offsetting the wide draw. Not sure what to make of the current two-year-old picture, particularly with the fillies, so wouldn’t be surprised to see a left field winner. Enter Savvy Hallie.

Dangers: 3. Tempted didn’t get a lot of luck in the Blue Diamond last start as a $7.50 chance. She was unsuited by a lack of pressure and had traffic problems in the straight. Just missed in the Widden Stakes first up making up a stack of late ground. Again, the barrier does her no favours. No knock on her as race favourite. 2. Inkaruna jumps from 1000m to 1200m and is a month between runs but there’s depth to the race she won. 6. Marhoona wore down the leaders to land good bets at Canterbury on debut. The margins were only narrow from first to third but Autumn Blonde franked that form line with a luckless placing in the Sweet Embrace last Saturday. 7. Tupakara is talented but hard to assess. 1. Bel Merci was brilliant in the Gimcrack but it hasn’t been smooth sailing since.

How To Play It: Savvy Hallie EACH WAY

5. Wodeton had excuses in the Silver Slipper last start having been posted three wide the trip. Not an easy position to be in over the Rosehill 1100m on a dry track. Yet he still found the line to run third. He shouldn’t have any excuses now. Drawn to get the right run, James McDonald rides and he won on a soft track on debut so the rain around won’t hurt his chances. Perhaps only enhance them. The Chris Waller-trained colt is a firm favourite for the Golden Slipper and needs to be in the finish to make the field. A win and he’s exempt. Second and he should squeeze in on prizemoney. He still lays claim to the standout two-year-old performance of the season. The timing is right for him to reproduce that now.

Dangers: 10. Buffalo is still very green, very new. However, there’s a motor in there. Tipping Jason Collett will have learnt plenty after sitting aboard him for the first time in the Silver Slipper. No horse was hitting the line harder than him late. Should eat up 1200m. 4. Beiwacht did win the Silver Slipper by two lengths. We could be overlooking the obvious. He gets better each time he steps out. 1. North England missed the Silver Slipper with a setback. Not ideal. That makes him hard to assess. Has trialled up brilliantly ahead of his return. The Blue Diamond form comes to Sydney via placegetters 2. Tentyris and 3. Tycoon Star. They boast the most race experience here and have already ticked off the 1200m box.

How To Play It: Wodeton WIN

1. Hinged beat one runner home first up and has to lump 61kg, giving away 8kg to the early favourite. Now that’s out of the way, let’s have a look at some positives. The six-year-old simply isn’t a 1300m horse anymore. It’s too sharp for her. She wasn’t helped with it being a dry track and a sprint home either. Saturday’s set up looks very different. She steps straight out to the mile and should get a soft track. Second up over the spring she was beaten in a photo finish in the G2 Chelmsford Stakes at weight for age by Buckaroo. Non of her rivals here would be capable of that. Second up last autumn she was beaten narrowly in a G1 Coolmore Classic. It’s Hinged and she has her convictions but this race has fallen into her lap.

Dangers: 7. It’s A Knockout was great first up at Randwick, chasing home Dark Glitter who subsequently gapped Hinged in the Millie Fox. That does tie the form in but It’s A Knockout is coming through BM78 form. She was a bigger price on Wednesday at Warwick Farm before being scratched than what she is in a Group Three! Goes into this a month between runs. She is an improving mare, is tractable and has a turn of speed, however. She will be winning plenty more races. 3. Mare Of Mt Buller has been kept fresh second up for the mile. Like that approach. She ran on well behind dominant winner Point And Shoot four weeks ago. 6. Be Real can show up fresh over the mile.

How To Play It: Hinged WIN

9. I Am Me just won’t want the track too wet. That’s the only niggle with I Am Me. A dry track and she’s the bet of the day. She is a slick mare and a genuine 1000m horse. The six-year-old can stretch to 1200m but she is just as dynamic over the shorter journey. That’s appealing given the make up of this race. Not many of her obvious threats fit into that same category. Forget her first up run in the Oakleigh Plate. She was tasked with 57kg and was buried on the fence, never seeing daylight. She went to the line under a hold. Over the 1000m trip at Randwick over the spring she cleared out with Bella Nipotina to win the Concorde in fast time. James McDonald has ridden her four times for three wins and a Group One second to Imperatriz.

Dangers: 1. Mazu is the opposite to It’s Me. The wetter the track, the bigger the player he becomes. He isn’t a 1000m horse so a test would offset that fact. Finished midfield in the G1 Lightning Stakes first up. Races well at Randwick. 5. Way To The Stars didn’t fire in that same Lightning up the straight. He’ll take up the running and give a sight. Just as he did when third in the Concorde behind I Am Me back in September. 10. Kimochi has to be a query over 1000m but she is such an honest mare and so well performed fresh. She beat Another Wil the last time she raced, albeit that was over 1400m. 2. Uncommon James is the great unknown. Lost his way before spelling and is 40 weeks between runs.

How To Play It: I Am Me WIN

1. Broadsiding won the Hobartville Stakes seemingly still with a gear up his sleeve. The Godolphin colt was easy in betting late but once Zac Lloyd put the son of Too Darn Hot into the box seat, it was an easy watch. If he was going to be vulnerable this autumn, it was going to be first up over 1400m on a dry track. It went pear shaped for Broadsiding over the spring, beaten second up in the Caulfield Guineas as an odds on favourite but he had genuine excuses. Saturday’s set up is very different. There isn’t a lot of speed so expect James McDonald to use the gate to again the stalk the leaders. The prospect of rain around only enhances his claims.

Dangers: 2. Swiftfalcon’s fresh run will ensure it’s no walk in the park for Broadsiding. He is no longer the ‘x factor’ horse as he has now announced himself as a potential top liner himself. He clocked the fastest last 600m split of the meeting when rattling home into second behind Broadsiding. The knock is that he doesn’t look as tractable but he’ll only be giving away a couple lengths head start instead of four here. Has won on both dry and wet tracks. 9. Aeliana kept the colts honest in the Hobartville which has her a top three player again before diverting back to a Vinery path. Respect how heavily supported 3. Linebacker was in the Hobartville. Keen to see him back out to the mile for just the second time since he went toe-to-toe with Broadsiding in the Champagne Stakes.

How To Play It: Broadsiding WIN

11. Stefi Magnetica went to another level over the spring. After winning the Stradbroke, beating Bella Nipotina, she resumed in The Shorts. She motored to the line running a very fast last 600m split. By far the quickest of the meeting when second to I Am Me. That booked her a ticket into The Everest field where she raced like she needed further. She got that in the Golden Eagle and should have won. A run closed at the worst possibly time. It was then off to Flemington for a close up fourth behind Mr Brightside in the Cantala. The four-year-old returns over a more suitable 1300m this time back. Her trials suggests she has come back just as well and Zac Lloyd maintains his association with the mare. Look for her late.

Dangers: 10. Magic Time overcame obstacles to win the Expressway Stakes first up. That was despite being 1200m and a sprint home. Better suited second up out to 1300m and she maps to get the run of the race. Such a genuine mare that should be in the finish again. 2. Here To Shock mightn’t be the best horse in the race but he could prove to be the best suited. He’s fit on the back of a Group One win in New Zealand, a dominant win too. He’ll own this race from in front. Has won four of his past five starts. 9. Sunshine In Paris was a nose away from making it four from four first up when beaten in a Galaxy last autumn. She flies fresh. Barrier doesn’t help though. Inclined to risk boom three-year-old 12. Switzerland at the price.

How To Play It: Stefi Magnetica WIN

9. Our Anchorage chases five straight. The weight and fitness advantage he had two weeks ago is gone now.

Dangers: 4. Asterix is trending the right way too but might want 2400m now.

How To Play It: Our Anchorage WIN

8. Shezanalister ran fast closing splits in a fast race last start. Double tick. She looked to get her chance to the eye but she couldn’t have done much more in defeat. Her last 200m split was the quickest of the meeting when chasing home all-the-way-winner Time To Boogie. That was on the back of an impressive first up. The Bjorn Baker-trained mare has an exceptional Randwick record (5:3-0-1) and third up last campaign over the Randwick 1200m she was only beaten half a length by Schwarz in the G2 Missile Stakes. Looks well placed back to the mares just half a kilogram above the 53kg minimum. Draws a middle gate, perfect come the last race and she’ll handle any track condition.

Dangers: Interestingly enough, 2. Arctic Glamour ran second to Schwarz in that Missile and was unlucky to not win. She tackled that first up. Shezanalister was third up. Déjà vu. What Arctic Glamour won’t want it a wet track. It’ll chop out the inside drawn barrier 2 and she is more dynamic on top of the ground. Respect how good he was in some big races over the spring, including fifth in an Epsom. 13. Outback Miss has to stretch her speed to 1200m but a 7.5kg weight drop will help there. Bonus her if the track is wet. 10. Clear Thinking ran well in the Triscay last start alongside 4. Commemorative. The knock on the latter is her second up form. 12. Confess Our Dreams is a talented mare and maps well but first up over 1200m might test her late.

How To Play It: Shezanalister EACH WAY

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