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By Brad Gray

5. The Extreme Cat kept finding the line at Rosehill last start in what has proven to be a deep Midway. The three horses that beat him home in Gold Pattern, Peace Officer and Forecaster have all run well since. The tricky part is how James McDonald overcomes the wide gate. It was a wide draw that saw him give away too big of a head start three weeks ago. The Nathan Doyle-trained galloper is up and running and has the right form lines to be fighting out the finish again. Prior to that he beat Forecaster and Peace Officer over this same track and trip. That was on the back of a clever ground-saving ride from McDonald. There are plenty of winning hopes in the race but with even luck throughout, The Extreme Cat takes beating.

Dangers: 8. Vintage Choice had a hard luck story to tell after last start at Warwick Farm. He looked to have a lot to offer. That was a sharp improvement on his two runs prior for Joe Ible. Out to 1400m looks to suit. Has been scratched since then and is five weeks between runs. That perhaps suggests he’s had a little setback in between. 14. November Falls is a well credentialled wet tracker. She’ll need to prove she is equally effective on top of the ground. Respect her recent starting prices. Has a great racing pattern. She’ll have 10. Byron for company on top of the speed. He hasn’t been far away in Midway company himself throughout his career and can improve second up. 1. Cheerful Legend and 3. Herb next best.

How To Play It: The Extreme Cat WIN

5. Martini Mumma looks nicely set up first up to resume a winner. The lightly-raced four-year-old has won three of her five starts and there’s still more to come. She was charging through the grades last campaign which saw her jump from a Highway winner to starting one of the favourites in Listed company at Scone. Commemorative powered home to score a commanding victory on that occasion, with Spring Lee in second, but Martini Mumma didn’t get to the right part of the track and may have come to the end of her preparation. Under the handicap conditions Martini Mumma meets Spring Lee 2.5kg better off, finds James McDonald and maps to get the run of the race. It’s show off time for this mare if she wants to be picked up for the Kosciuszko and this isn’t a deep race.

Dangers: 3. Spring Lee raced a touch keen in the early stages at Randwick last start. Perhaps that nulled her finish. She does well set up to bounce back from that. She drops back to 1100m and is against the fillies and mares. Has been a beaten favourite in her past three starts now. More was expected from 1. Lost last start over this same track trip. That first up win at Warwick Farm, when fresh from a bleed, may have taken the edge off her. Three weeks between runs suits. Would be more confident about the chances of 6. Confess Our Dreams had this been 1000m. That might find her out late, particularly being first up, but she has speed to burn and might look to cross these early. Pairs well with Tim Clark who rode her in two recent trials.

How To Play It: Martini Mumma WIN

2. Atmospheric Rock’s class shone first up in Highway company two weeks ago. Trainer Danny Williams was a little surprised given the expected improvement. That bodes well for this chances of going back-to-back to kick off his campaign. He is lumped with 62kg but carried half a kilo more than that to victory last start. That was with Jason Collett in the saddle and he sticks given his association with the five-year-old. The step out to 1200m looks a perfect progression and although he isn’t a horse blessed with early speed, the low gate ensures he can settle closer. The other positive is another dry track. His last two runs on good tracks have been a win and a narrow second to talented stablemate Bandi’s Boy.

Dangers: 4. Melody Again has been a project horse for Scott Singleton. Her waywardness proved costly first up in a Highway when fourth to Lonhro’s Queen. She was only beaten a length. If she had run straight she just about wins. Since then she flashed home behind World Alliance in BM78 company. 5. Lisztomania has a string of Highway placings to his name. Finds James McDonald for the first time. 6. Florino covered ground first up over 1000m. Respect how firm he was in betting. Have reservations over the depth of that particular Highway but might be worth a second chance at the odds. Has trialled well since and jumps out to 1200m.

How To Play It: Atmospheric Rock WIN

6. Strathtay has to transition from a benchmark level stayer to a Listed race but it’s not a huge leap to make looking at the make up of this field. The five-year-old burst clear to win over this track and trip two weeks ago, landing good late bets. It was a dominant win. The former Kiwi also proved there that he doesn’t need a wet track to produce his best. He has been up for a while, tackling this seventh up but Chris Waller is plotting a path towards a potential Metrop tilt such is the upside of the son of Preferment. It’s been a busy campaign but he is still only 14 starts into his career. Because of the rise in grade, Strathtay drops 7kg which sees Jay Ford jump back on. He rode him to victories second and third up. Not too many of his rivals are striking this at the peak of their powers.

Dangers: 1. Changingoftheguard is a classy import having run fifth in an Epsom Derby. He resumed from a 57 week spell in the Premiers Cup Prelude a month ago. It was a run he needed, blowing out the cobwebs finding the 1800m too short. He’ll be better again next campaign but runs well on class. The gamble with 4. Redstone Well is whether he is a genuine 2400m horse. He was a late scratching two weeks ago after rearing in the barriers. That saw him forced back to the trials. He held his own in a sharp heat but is now four weeks between runs too. 2. Sir Lucan was plain first up but he can mix his form. Could bounce back without surprising. Want to be a touch forgiving of 5. Canberra Legend’s last start run given he led.

How To Play It: Strathtay WIN

1. Zeyrek hasn’t beaten a runner home in his past two starts. Not the most conventional way to start a paragraph tipping a horse but those past two starts have been in the G1 Winx Stakes two weeks ago and in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, his last run over the autumn before spelling. There are no Pride Of Jennis, Via Sistinas or Fangirls here. It’s a long way off that. This BM94 is hard to make much sense of. Zeyrek found the 1400m too sharp and the company too hot in the Winx but he was only beaten 4.5 lengths. Originally tasked with a whopping 65kg coming back to this grade, that’s offset by the 3kg claim of in form apprentice Zac Wadick. The class of this eight-year-old should see him fighting out the finish.

Dangers: 7. Roma Avenue bounced back from cardiac arrhythmia to win second up. It was a tight finish with three lengths from first to last, and in lesser grade, but he could get complete control in front. He drops 5.5kg. 4. Galeron finished midfield in the Premiers Cup Prelude a month ago. Drops back to the mile but that shouldn’t be an issue on the strength of his run prior over this same track and trip. 5. Junipal wasn’t beaten far in the Rowley Mile last start at Hawkesbury and prior to that behind Williamsburg. Getting close to another win. 6. Floating didn’t get a lot of room to let down in the Goulburn Cup first up. There wasn’t a lot of market expectation. Can improve.

How To Play It: Zeyrek WIN

1. Manaal was largely chalked up as being disappointing first up in the Silver Shadow Stakes. Harshly. She was beaten a narrow margin giving the field 3kg. That changes here under the set weights. Have to respect how firm she was in betting late, jumping an even money favourite. She did look to race in patches but was surging again through the line. The Tassort filly was a brilliant two-year-old racing in the Slipper, Sires and Champagne. She notably made good improvement from first up into her second up run last preparation too, winning the Sweet Embrace. There are a couple of red flags from the Silver Shadow with the overall time and bunched finish raising concerns but her benchmark rating tells you everything you need to know about her class.

Dangers: 4. El Morzillo brings a different form line. Broadsiding form lines. She was well beaten but drawing a line through her run in the Percy Sykes, where she was a luckless and eye-catching fourth, that says she measures up here. Craig Williams knows her well. 2. Ameena won the Silver Shadow on the back of an inch perfect ride from James McDonald. Will need that magic again from a tricky gate. She has also accepted in Melbourne. 9. Zeitung maps much better than last start. She had to do a stack of work to get into the race from back in the field. That saw her peak late. 8. Lazzura is a smart filly, still developing. Adds wildcard value. Liked the first up win of 3. Drifting but don’t know where she lands from the gate.

How To Play It: Manaal WIN

2. Private Eye isn’t known as a 1000m horse but his latest two runs over the trip have been exceptional. He resumed first up with a narrow second to Imperatriz in the Lightning Stakes down the Flemington straight before sizzling home in the Challenge Stakes second up behind Passive Aggressive. He simply had to much to do. Note that he was $2.30 in that race. The seven-year-old is dynamite fresh and tends to save his best for the spring as opposed to the autumn. We’ve seen enough of him to know that he is an elite sprinter when on song and Joe Pride is saying all the right things when it comes to how happy he is ahead of Private Eye’s return. A win here puts him right back on the radar as far as the TAB Everest goes. In his corner at the price.

Dangers: Not in the corner of 1. Giga Kick due to the price. That’s no knock on the talent the five-year-old possesses but he is first up for a year and has only had one run in the past 16 months. Clayton Douglas will have him as forward as he can get him, and his trials have been great, but there’ll be improvement to come. His run over the 1000m at Randwick in the 2023 Challenge Stakes was enormous in defeat having flopped out of the barriers. 3. Aft Cabin returns a gelding. He arguably should have won the 2024 Challenge Stakes first up last campaign. That was on a good track. Great trials. 7. I Am Me maps too well to ignore her. 4. Bella Nipotina enjoyed a remarkable preparation last time in. 5. Remarque won this race 12 months ago.

How To Play It: Private Eye WIN

It looks 10. Zardozi’s race to lose. The market has priced it that way too, installing her an odds on favourite after early backing. The mare did enough first up in a hot Winx Stakes behind the likes of Via Sistina and Fangirl, beaten a touch over two lengths. She wasn’t sharp enough over 1400m to match it with those. This is a very different looking race. It’s a field largely made up of stayers. She is potentially on a Caulfield Cup path herself but she has got a turn of foot over a mile. She showcased that second up over the autumn, improving sharply to dominate the Phar Lap. James McDonald rides and should park her forward of midfield. The more you dive into the form, the more justified the price looks to be.

Dangers: Interested to see what Nash Rawiller can coax out of 9. Hinged. She was dragged back from the wide gate first up and worked home well without threatening behind Tom Kitten. She is well set up to improve off that, especially from the soft draw. Ceolwulf has franked the form from that race since. Her conviction remains the same. She hasn’t won for a long time. 1. Buckaroo’s run in the Winx Stakes arguably had as much merit as Zardozi. It was an encouraging return. Maps to settle out the back from the draw and with his tardiness at the jump. Peaks next time out to 2000m. 5. Just Fine comes through the Winx Stakes too. He boxed on fairly. Can improve out to the mile and being able to dictate.

How To Play It: Zardozi WIN

8. Amelia’s Jewel was tried as a sprinter last campaign. It didn’t quite work. Despite that, she was still only beaten a length in the Quokka when second to Overpass. A change of scenery could be exactly what this mare needed. Annabel Neasham, who now trains in partnership with Rob Archibald, has used this race successfully as a launch pad in the past with former stable star Zaaki. It’s been a race dominated by the favourites too. Class tends to rise. Amelia’s Jewel is well in under the set weights plus penalties conditions with her lofty benchmark ratings and everyone connected to the five-year-old are suggesting she is humming along nicely. By all reports she has never been the flashiest of trialers or track workers but the signs are positive she can rediscover her best form. It wasn’t that long ago that she was touted as potentially the best horse in the country.

Dangers: 14. Arctic Glamour only needed another stride to steal the Missile Stakes off Schwarz first up. The post came up momentarily too soon. He was charging through the line. Talented mare that can run time when she’s on song. Has been given a month to freshen up from that. 3. Democracy Manifest ran as well as he could first up over 1200m behind budding star Joliestar. The race rated through the roof and should prove a strong form reference going forward. Improves off that out to 1400m. Maps to be giving away a big head start from the wide gate but that’s his typical pattern regardless. 7. Phearson boxed on well through that same race. 2. My Oberon resumes after 45 weeks but is no stranger to overachieving at odds.

How To Play It: Amelia’s Jewel WIN

8. Thunderlips nipped home in sharp time at Rosehill first up. The run was better than the beaten margin suggests. He’ll need to turn the tables on 14. Piastri but Thunderlips was only first up. Second up last campaign he improved sharply to put a gap on his rivals at the midweeks before winning third up out to 1400m. That sees the step out to 1200m here suit perfectly. The four-year-old is also versatile. Doubt he gets involved the with speed battle. There is a stack of pressure on paper. He was only first up and will appreciate the step out to 1200m.

Dangers: There is a lot to like about the way 9. World Alliance is attacking the line this time back. 12. Iron Man will be thereabouts on his win two starts ago. 14. Althoff was a Group 3 winner at just his second race start. Didn't quite measure up in the Group 2 behind Broadsiding after that but is back in grade and drawn well.

How To Play It: Thunderlips WIN

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