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By Brad Gray

1. Icarian Dream has the benefit of race experience. That shouldn’t be underestimated. The Blue Point filly has always been held in high regard by the Ciaron Maher stable. She scrambled home to win at Warwick Farm on debut but improved off that at her second start in the Golden Gift. She was only beaten a length by North England and that feature looks the strongest two-year-old form reference at this early point of the season. She copped interference on the turn, pushed sideways before rebalancing and working to the line strongly. In that race, also over the Rosehill 1100m, she started a well-backed $5 chance. Profiles to improve again at her third start. Storm Boy beat Traffic Warden in this race last year. Disneck beat Kimochi the year prior while Lady Laguna won in 2021.

Dangers: 6. Gallo Nero has had two Rosehill trials and he took good improvement from his first into his second. He began quickly in the latest heat, led and quickened. He was sectionally strong through the line despite being under a hold. Draws barrier 10 of 10 but the likely leader 9. The Playwright has drawn to his immediate inside so he could get a tag across. The son of highly-touted sire Wootton Bassett was backed as soon as markets opened on Wednesday. The Playwright has the Waterhouse-Bott polish and is a full sister to her speedy stablemate Manuscript. Would respect any market confidence regarding 5. Fermoy’s chances. He wasn’t asked to do much in two trials for Chris Waller.

How To Play It: Icarian Dream WIN

8. Cambar is two from two to kick off his career and he has looked impressive on both occasions. He hasn’t been the best away in either but had the talent, and finishing speed, to recover. The Wagga maiden he won on debut produced three subsequent winners. He then lined up again at Wagga, rounding up his rivals in good time. The runner up has won twice since and the overall time was only two lengths inferior to open class country sprinter Asgarda on the same meeting. The son of Pierata not only races away from home for the first time but also stretches to 1100m. Respect the placement of Gary Colvin and that he has kept the three-year-old a colt. That might be a tip in itself. Tim Clark rides, draws well and has trialled well.

Dangers: Early punters shopped well with 9. Sir Remlap. He was backed as soon as markets went up. The Scott Singleton-trained gelding resumed from a 50 week spell at Scone over 1000m and showed good late strength to win comfortably. He rattled home on debut at Muswellbrook back in July 2023 but the tempo was against. 6. Spiritchaser embarks on her second campaign for Matt Dunn. If her Queensland trials are any guide, she has come back well. Won her maiden first up last time in. It comes down to early pressure for 1. Ramones. He’ll likely cross to lead from the wide draw. Proven Highway performer. 3. Miss Rebel has won two from four this time back. Maps to get her chance in this company.

How To Play It: Cambar WIN

Hard to ignore the obvious with 1. Piraeus. He duked it out with Harlow Mist in Midway company over the mile two weeks ago and despite coming off second best, there was four lengths back to third. He is yet to put in a bad run this campaign, despite not winning. He gets his chance to put that right on Saturday. He is a winner out to 2100m in the past and now fifth up, this trip suits perfectly. The five-year-old lumps the top weight of 60kg but he is also a proven weight carrier. That shouldn’t see him beaten. His strike rate of three wins from 24 starts makes is hard to declare him but most of his rivals are in a similar boat here. Just won’t want it too wet.

Dangers: 4. Patrika Mist looks to be racing her way back into form. The grey mare ran into traffic at Canterbury last start when in the market. She should have finished closer. She won a Midway last campaign on a wet track after leading. Looking at the map here, she gets the chance to take it up. Just has to run out a strong 2000m. 5. Extreme Freedom backs up after not being beaten far by Gilded Water and Alalcance at Kembla Grange. Two stayers going places. Ran well behind State Of America and Flying Bandit in an 1800m Midway three starts ago. 13. Totoka has to answer the query of running 2000m but she gets in with 52kg, is hard fit and comes back from two Group races against her own age. 3. Sonofdec and 9. Cosmic Lad have knockout claims.

How To Play It: Piraeus WIN

11. Drift Net didn’t hit her peak until fifth and sixth up last campaign so she is a mare with a history of improving into her preparation. That’s looked the case in two runs back too. She has been given every possible chance stalking the speed but has peaked on her run. First up it was behind Wooloowin then last start she looked the winner but Little Beginnings rallied to beat her. There was more than a length back to third. This third up assignment is a touch harder in Saturday company and in BM78 grade but she comes back to her own sex, maps perfectly and loves wet tracks. A couple of her main threats on paper are first up so she has that fitness edge.

Dangers: 10. She’s Unusual is a lightly-raced five-year-old with just six starts to her name. The best is still to come from the former Kiwi. Last preparation she won two of her three starts, both by big margins. Has trialled well, is also a proven wet tracker and 1400m suits first up. If 9. Redbreast reproduced what she did first up last campaign in this, she’d win. She failed thereafter in very heavy conditions on the Gold Coast. Can forgive that. What makes her hard to assess is the way she has trialled on three occasions. She trialled a lot better prior to resuming last campaign. The betting might tell the story with her. 5. Pippie Beach has been solid in her past couple but the prospect of a wet track brings her into the picture. There was little between her 2. Melody Again, 6. Terrestar and 14. Callistemon last start.

How To Play It: Drift Net WIN

1. Morning Sun was first up after a 34 week break with the lack of late market support suggesting he’d need the run. He was too good regardless. He sat outside of the leader and won eased down on the line. The six-year-old, with just 11 starts to his name, showed good talent in his first Australian preparation, placing in three runs. His form around Age Of Sail reads well now. The strength of his return suggests that he can go on with it. It was only a midweek race he won two and a half weeks ago but he profiles to end up in better grade than this. He should only keep improving. Ben Osmond rode first up and his claim sees Morning Sun in well compared to his main threats. Can win again.

Dangers: We’ll get a line on the Piraeus form line earlier in the meeting when it comes to the chances of 10. Harlow Mist. Like the way she fought to win a Midway last start. There is more depth here and she was given a 10/10 ride from Nash Rawiller but she can improve again off that out to 1800m and fourth up. Nash sticks. The upside with 3. Bullets High is getting out to 1800m now. A lack of speed has been an excuse at his past two start. He shouldn’t have that here looking at the map. He’s still being priced on potential as far as a betting angle goes, however. That’s the knock. 6. Zaphod’s first up task hasn’t been made easy by the barrier but he showed good promise in his first Australian campaign. 14. Concello and 16. First Innings can run well at odds.

How To Play It: Morning Sun WIN

This looks a real target race for 15. Dances With Hooves. Scone-based trainer Cam Crockett has his mare tackling this fifth up out to 2000m. All four runs back have been in slowly run races. There is a few key pointers to an improved run on Saturday, with one of them being the promise of a truly run race given the capacity field. Another is the likelihood of a rain-affected track. It doesn’t need to be soaked. Just the edge off. As it was at Scone when she won a Highway last campaign before spelling. It was an emphatic win. Her last start run, failing to beat a runner home at Rosehill was better than it reads in paper. She was shuffled back in the run before being asked to swing widest. Not an easy spot to make ground from at that meeting. She was given an easy time late.

Dangers: 6. Belvedere Boys should have been in the finish at Doomben last start. He hunted for a run up the inside but ran out of room late. Doesn’t do himself any favours with slow getaways but he does look well placed here off his best form. Won a Highway his only previous Rosehill run. Loves wet ground. The only niggle is the 2000m for the first time. 18. Ring Ahoy worked home well at Newcastle last start over the mile, dropping back from 2000m. Has been carrying huge weights at his past three starts. Doesn’t win often but he’s a player at odds. The lack of late market support suggested that 14. Galano would improve again ahead of this fourth up target race. He too is untried beyond a mile. 5. Marsabit has achieved in this race the past two years, winning one of those at big odds.

How To Play It: Dances With Hooves WIN

10. Pereille was set an impossible task first up in the Choisir behind Dragonstone. He was forced to settle out the back in a slowly run race. He ran as well as he could given the set up, beaten a length. The winner has since franked that form in the Warra at Kembla Grange. This week Pereille drops to 53.5kg, draws barrier 2 instead of barrier 11 and should get a rain-affected surface. Back in May he put four lengths on his rivals on a heavy track at the Sunshine Coast. Thereafter he was a good thing beaten in the Hinkler as an even money favourite. The five-year-old has had a tickover trial since last start, three weeks between runs. It’s a set up that’s been used with success in the past for the son of Fastnet Rock.

Dangers: 4. Our Kobison has won six of his 12 starts. His record, and upward spiral, prompted trainer Angela Davies to run him in the Show County second up last campaign. He ran second to Joliestar, beaten three lengths. He then ran in The Shorts where he didn’t measure up. He is capable of better. Races well fresh and has residual fitness. 1. Front Page has a class edge on these. The gamble is that fresh has been best with the eight-year-old in his past campaigns. He also won’t want too much rain. 5. Jedibeel also ran well in the Choisir. He finished in front of Pereille but maps awkwardly on Saturday from the wide gate. Profiles like he has more peaks ahead of him given how he ended last campaign and returned this time back.

How To Play It: Pereille WIN

2. Mighty Ulysses has had six starts in Australia. By far the best two performances have been on soft tracks. That could be key to him bouncing back on Saturday with rain forecast ahead of Saturday. The Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained import won over 1400m first up, chasing down Buffalo River. That was on a soft track at Caulfield. Impressive win. He wasn’t able to replicate that on a good track at Flemington two weeks ago despite jumping a $10 chance in the Lithgow Stakes behind Another Wil, Jimmystar and Steparty. That’s a deep race but he didn’t let down on the firmer ground. The stable elected to scratch from The Gong last week with this race in mind. Looks a smart move in hindsight given how that race played out.

Dangers: 4. Chrysaor is another runner that should appreciate getting back onto a wet track. The four-year-old was a big winner over 1400m first up at Flemington. It was rated Heavy 8 that meeting. Since then he has raced in the Epsom, Golden Eagle and The Hunter. He was better last start, making some late ground behind Briasa. The first three in the run were the first three home. 18. Uzziah steps up again in grade but he’s in career best form so the timing is right to try. Got an easy lead at Newcastle last start but he was dominant. This promises to be truly run with 5. Felix Majestic running to his normal pattern. Not sure what to do with 1. Private Eye. He came under riding a long way from home in The Hunter but rallied late to charge home, racing like he is a miler again. 6. St Lawrence is racing well but is well found. 14. King Of The Castle backs up and gets blinkers.

How To Play It: Mighty Ulysses WIN

14. Townsend was a brilliant all-the-way winner at Newcastle second up. He found the front comfortably before cranking up the pressure in the middle stages. He pinched a four length break turning for home and was never going to be caught from there. The four-year-old resumed after a 54 week break this time back and only had one run as a three-year-old. He had missed a lot of racing but is making up for lost time. Prior to that he gave a sight when second to Sounds Of Heaven over the mile. As a two-year-old the son of Dundeel ran third in a Fernhill behind Tom Kitten and again placed behind Militarize in the G1 Champagne Stakes. He’ll go straight to the front again. Gets a weight drop up in grade and handles all conditions.

Dangers: 13. Hopeful could be a sharp improver. He was beaten 30 lengths by Townsend first up but pulled up with cardiac arrythmia. Then add into the picture the prospect of rain. He is a wet tracker. That makes him dangerous at big odds. 18. State Of America is chasing three straight. He has been beating up inferior opposition but has been doing it well. Strikes a Listed race at the right time in his career. 15. Floating gets a 2kg weight swing on Townsend but doesn’t have his upside.

How To Play It: Townsend WIN

15. Eye Of The Fire sprinted quickly to win at Canterbury first up. It was a rails-hugging ride from Jason Collett which proved the winning move but he breezed past the odds on favourite Kerguelen and was soft on the line. The half a length margin flattered his rivals. The four-year-old sprinter had a busy seven run first preparation, showing glimpses of brilliance but he was learning on the job. In his first five starts he was ridden for speed yet had the tendency of overdoing it. He has been ridden with cover in his latest three and the penny is dropping, He made late ground behind In Flight over this track and trip before spelling. The prospect of a soft track won’t bother him. He’ll know he is in a race with the flying Confess Our Dreams but the early price appeals.

Dangers: 5. Confess Our Dreams stalked the speed and ran out a dominant winner over the Rosehill 1100m three weeks ago. That was in mares company and she was given the run of the race. It’s a different set up here from a trickier draw and with apprentice Zac Wadick given the ride, to offset the 60kg. 10. Jewellery races well fresh and has trialled sweetly. 7. Iron Man keeps running honest races, as does 9. Dollar Magic but the draw doesn’t help her.

How To Play It: Eye Of The Fire WIN

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