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By Brad Gray

11. Whisky Wisdom has more talent than her record suggests, with one win from eight starts. The four-year-old mare raced well in Midway company at just her fourth start, straight out of maiden grade last preparation. She hit the line to run fourth to Cheerful Legend, matching motors with Miracle Spin in the run home. The favourite here State Of America was back in ninth. That prompted trainer Ben Smith to run her in Group company against the fillies. Her two runs back this time in have been terrific, setting her up perfectly for 1800m third up. Riff Rocket and Snowman, who ran the quinella in front of her at Kembla Grange a fortnight ago ran one-two at Rosehill on Wednesday to frank that form line. Gets the winkers back on too.

Dangers: In his defence, the David Payne-trained 5. State Of America has returned a better horse this time in. His win at Hawkesbury was dominant two starts ago and he should have gone back-to-back, with luck deserting him at Canterbury last start. He was scratched from a winnable race on Wednesday for this. On the topic of bad luck, 4. Phillipsburg is surely due a change of fortune. He hasn’t had much room at his past couple and should have been fighting out the finish in Midway company two weeks ago behind Satness. 10. Loving Cilla comes through that same form reference having run third. 9. Our Maryanne’s form ties in with State Of America. She’s still in her first preparation.

How To Play it: Whisky Wisdom WIN

6. Lady Of Camelot looked the pick of the fillies from the Kensington set of trials. The daughter of Written Tycoon began quickly before ripping clear at the finish, putting near four length on her rivals. Like the way she sustained her last 600m. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, ridden by James McDonald, the only negative is how well found she is in early markets. Pedigree-wise she is a half sister to Platinum Jubliee, who won the Gimcrack Stakes last year before going right on with it. That also makes Lady of Camelot a half to Queen Of The Ball, another precocious youngster that hit the ground running as a two-year-old herself. She’ll spear out and put herself on top of the speed. The filly to beat.

Dangers: The stablemate 7. Lady Tassort looks one of the obvious threats. The market also supports that. She was dug out of the barriers to lead her trial before finding in the straight under pressure. The overall time was slightly quicker than Lady of Camelot but she looked to work harder for it. 5. Invincible Madison showed a lovely turn of foot to dash past the leaders in her heat. She’s bred to be fast by I Am Invincible out of speedy mare Super Too. Doubt she’ll be part of the speed battle but on what we saw in her heat, she promises to be closing hard. No surprise that Sam Clipperton sticks from the trial. 4. Erno’s Cube did it all very comfortably in her trial. She cruised outside of the lead and went to the line under a hold. She travelled like she had a lot more to offer.

How To Play It: Lady Of Camelot WIN

12. Straight Charge was asked to run time in his Kensington heat but he answered. The son of Written By, trained by Waterhouse and Bott, was made to begin to take up the running and despite being headed in the straight, he fought back to win going away on the line. He doesn’t look to be the sharpest two-year-old we saw at the trial set but he does look to have some depth to him. His heat was the fastest of the morning and his strong close was backed up on the clock. Regan Bayliss rode him and he sticks on debut. Given that it took the colt a while to work to the front, don’t mind the wide draw. A low draw could have been problematic with the likelihood of being crossed in the early stages.

Dangers: 11. Scampi was posted as a $2.30 chance in first markets but the punters were happy to step in, forcing the son of Blue Point into an odds on quote. His trial win was effortless. The overall time wasn’t anything flash but trusting your eye, he looks a complete natural and looked to win with gears still up his sleeve. He is a half brother to Kindergarten Stakes winner Semillion. 14. Volatile came with a rush to win his trial in similar style to last year’s winner of this race Empire Of Japan, also for Peter and Paul Snowden. Just needs to get the first half of the race right. The gate helps. 6. Fearless also came with a rush to win his trial for the Snowdens, who are well represented with five runners. Can make a case for 8. Highness too.

How To Play It: Straight Charge WIN

3. Altivo never saw daylight at Randwick over 1400m two weeks ago. The five-year-old was beaten three lengths but should have been fighting out the finish, something he is well accustomed to having won four of his six starts. The Hawkes-trained gelding charged through the grades in Melbourne last campaign, winning two on the bounce by big margins, before going down in a bob of the heads at Flemington out to 1800m. The trick to Saturday is where he gets to from the draw but if Zac Lloyd can find a three wide running line and can blend into the race when he chooses, he should have a turn of foot superior to most of his rivals here. There doesn’t look to be too many genuine milers in this field.

Dangers: The early market has the biggest threats well pegged. Starting with 8. Unspoken. The import returned with a bang at Rosehill three weeks ago reeling in Gracilistyla. That sets up a preparation where he could race his way through benchmark company himself. Will just need the breaks to fall his way from barrier 1 but he has got enough speed to hold a position. 7. Renaissance Woman won a recent Randwick trial in good style and was only beaten three lengths by Olentia first up last campaign over 1400m. She is even better suited here over 1600m and on a dry track. Her Queensland form through Fireburn also reads well for this. 9. For Valour is hard fit now on the back up and will roll across to take up the running.

How To Play It: Altivo WIN

The run of 1. Tom Kitten gets better every time you watch the replay of the Ming Dynasty. From the wide gate he found himself posted four deep throughout, giving away a huge head start. Yet he still kept finding the line to run third. There were a number of eye catching runs behind Tom Kitten in the race but if they couldn’t beat him home there, given the run in transit he had, how will they get the better of him on Saturday? The Harry Angel colt exploded late to win first up in the Up And Coming to flag that he has returned in terrific order and his form through Encap this time back was franked in the Golden Rose. Tom Kitten looks perfectly set up out to the mile from a better gate and Nash Rawiller sticks. Expecting a better price closer to jump.

Dangers: 4. Café Millenium is last out of the barriers. He has been in his entire five race career. Doubt that changes now. His sectionals home in the Ming Dynasty were outstanding, particularly his last 200m. That screams Randwick mile. He also gets the blinkers on for the first time. He just needs to get the first half of the race right as we know what he is capable of doing in the second half. 11. Raf Attack will be out in front. He stuck on well in the Ming Dynasty given he was 1550m back to 1400m and five weeks between runs. He ran along and was run down late. His stablemate 5. Ganbare scored a confidence-boosting win at Hawkesbury last start and he too will make his own luck. Keen to see where the undefeated 6. Pushy fits in.

How To Play It: Tom Kitten WIN

Everything looks to have fallen into place for 10. Tutta La Vita. The filly matched motors with the colts and gelding in the Up And Coming Stakes first up, more than holding her own, before producing the fastest closing splits in the race in the Tea Rose a fortnight ago. She was forced back to last and took a while to work through her gears but powered to the line. Keen to see what this daughter of The Autumn Sun can do over the mile now. She should be able to position up much closer to the speed from the low draw and Chris Waller has booked Joao Moreira. Tutta La Vita has had the makings of a Flight Stakes filly ever since she first stepped out back in May. Saturday she gets her chance to prove that correct.

Dangers: The barrier makes 1. Tiz Invincible vulnerable. Had she drawn soft, it’d likely be game over having won the Rosebud, Furious and Tea Rose this campaign. She is the dominant filly to this point. However, each race has worked out perfectly for her. The mile looks okay on the strength of her 1400m win last start but it was a sprint home. 5. French Endevour made a wide run with Tutta La Vita in the Tea Rose, suggesting that she too would relish more ground. She too draws in after being forced back last start from the barrier. 2. Kimochi has been hot on the heels of Tiz Invincible in their three previous clashes. 12. Unique Ambition is the wildcard having had no luck in the Tea Rose. She’ll be hitting the line from well back.

How To Play It: Tutta La Vita EACH WAY

2. Think About It has won nine of his 10 career starts and it’s fair to say that the best is still to come from the lightly-raced five-year-old. He’s charged through the grades at his past two campaigns and now he is a two time Group One winner have collected major prizes in Queensland over the winter, including the Stradbroke where he beat Rothfire and 6. Hawaii Five Oh. There will be some improvement to come from Think It About It tackling the race first up, giving away a fitness advantage to his rivals, but we’re only a couple of weeks away from the Everest now so he won’t be too far off the mark. Sensational trials. Perfect draw. The market says he’ll be hard to beat and hard to argue.

Dangers: 3. Mazu’s run through in the Shorts wasn’t anywhere near as bad as it reads on paper. He’ll improve sharply from the better draw. 9. Bella Nipotina has form through the right races to be in the finish again. Has been kept fresh since running a close up third in the Concorde Stakes. 6. Hawaii Five Oh strips fitter and will improve out to 1200m.

How To Play It: Think About It WIN

3. The Inevitable sizzled home to run second in the Theo Marks Stakes first up. He clocked the fastest closing splits across the entire meeting, with 59kg on his back. The Tasmanian might be an eight-year-old but he’s hardly showing signs of slowing down. It was only back in March that he charged home into second behind Mr Brightside at weight-for-age in what was arguably a career best run. It was a long time ago now that the son of Dundeel raced at Randwick but he won his only prior start at the track, taking out the Silver Eagle back in 2019. He is a winning machine with a phenomenal overall record (31:16-3-2) and a strong record at the mile (6:3-1-1). He isn’t blessed with gate speed but given the make up of this year’s Epsom, should still settle in the first half.

Dangers: 8. Hope In Your Heart should have finished closer to Pericles first up in the Tramway Stakes, blocked for a run in the straight. The blinkers go on for the first time on Saturday. She’s four weeks between runs but has raced off identical freshens in the past and has been knocking on the door at this level for a couple of preparations now. Four-year-olds have owned this race in the past and 10. Kovalica fits the profile. His run first up was better than it reads on paper. He is a sharp improver out to the mile. 16. Democracy Manifest was dominant in the Cameron at Newcastle, draws an inside gate and gets in light. It’s a similar case for 17. Rediener with the Bill Ritchie providing the past four Epsom winners. 13. Communist is going better than the form guide suggests.

How To Play It: The Inevitable WIN

How short is too short for 14. Just Fine? He’s set to become the shortest priced winner of the Metrop in the race’s history. It’s undeniable that the six-year-old import has been brilliant in winning his two Australian starts. He has taken no time to settle in, hitting the ground running. Not only have the margins been dominant but he has also been smashing the clock. He ran faster time than the Chelmsford first up and then came within a whisker of breaking the Randwick 2000m track record which has stood for a decade. The cherry on top is plummeting to 50kg given he couldn’t be penalised. Playing Devil’s Advocate, there is a lot of pressure on paper and he has to do it over 2400m now, which he couldn’t in the UK.

Dangers: 17. Mr Waterville still might be half a run short but he’ll relish getting out to 2400m given he is a genuine two miler. What appeals about the set up on Saturday is dropping to 50kg and the prospect of a truly run race. If it’s a test of stamina, Mr Waterville becomes a key player. 12. Benaud kept chasing behind Just Fine last start and will be right there ready to pounce again if the favourite doesn’t see out the trip. Suspect we’ll see sharp improvement from 7. Manzoice. He never got into the race second up having settled out the back. Michael Dee jumps back on. 5. Bois D’Argent hit the line as well as anything in the Newcastle Cup last start behind 13. Military Mission.

How To Play It: Just Fine WIN

8. Kibou only won by a narrow margin first up, clinging on to beat a fast finishing Garza Blanca, but that doesn’t tell the story. The four-year-old was softened up throughout, dragging the field up to the leader turning for home. Kibou was left in front and looked sure to be run down yet he kept fighting to scramble home. That’s now four wins from seven starts for the son of Maurice and best is still yet to come. Would like this race to be over a touch further, as opposed to staying at 1200m but he won’t be knocking around in benchmark company for too much longer. The stable have one eye on the Golden Eagle. There is no shortage of pressure on paper but Regan Bayliss will sum that up in the early stages. His horse doesn’t have to lead at all costs.

Dangers: If Kibou is beaten, it’s most likely to be by a closer. 18. Airman fits the bill. He charged home behind Red Card first up over 1100m. He was horribly suited there from the wide draw over a notoriously leader friendly track and trip. 2. Recommendation will burn across to ride the speed, justifying being sent around as on odds on favourite at Moonee Valley last start with an all-the-way win. 4. Rubamos could sneak into the placings at big odds given the set up. He’ll be sneaking home late having drawn soft, camping in behind the speed. Like the way he trialled at Rosehill recently. 3. Much Much Better is eight weeks between runs but has trialled well himself since then and races well fresh as a rule.

How To Play It: Kibou WIN

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