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By Brad Gray

2. Wild Botanica battled on bravely at Rosehill last start in a genuinely run 1300m race against the older mares. Arbitration picked her way through the field to win but she’s a talented galloper. Wild Botanica was in for the fight and that pair held off the rest of the field comfortably. The leader of the race packed up to finish last. The daughter of Spieth has been a handy pick up for Lee and Cherie Curtis and although she is giving away weight to most of her rivals, she brings genuine city class benchmark form to the table. The same can’t be said for many others engaged here. She maps beautifully to settle in the first couple and her only previous run on a heavy track resulted in a dominant maiden victory in Queensland. Jay Ford has ridden her all three starts this time in.

Dangers: 6. Lonrioli is a tall, rangy filly that’ll be better again in time but it all clicked for her at start three at Goulburn. She went straight to the front and just kept on running. Don’t mind the wide draw for her allowing Andrew Adkins plenty of time to roll across. Blueblood filly 9. Orzala (Snitzel x Norzita) put a poor debut behind her to bounce back at Newcastle, breaking her maiden. 13. Fun Sunday comes through that same race and has to be in the conversation too. Respect that James Cummings scratched 10. Parisal from two very winnable races at Warwick Farm on Wednesday to give her the chance to win a Listed race despite still being a maiden. 5. A Lot More Love got her dues last start at short odds and ran a narrow second to Matcha Latte first up.

How To Play it: Wild Botanica EACH WAY

1. Kirwan’s Lane is a pattern horse. Most recently he has needed his first up run before firing at his next start. The six-year-old has won three of his past four second up, the latest of those last preparation when winning the Hawkesbury Gold Cup. Most encouraging perhaps is how well he went fresh this time back when only a couple of lengths behind Surf Dancer, finishing alongside Ellsberg. The six-year-old has won seven from 16 over the mile and is 4:2-0-1 over the Randwick 1600m. The 62kg weight is offset by the claim of Dylan Gibbons and he shouldn’t be left with any excuses from the perfect gate likely to park in the third line without having to spend a penny early. Gets the perfect set up to produce his best, which wins this, even with 60kg.

Dangers: 13. Two Big Fari is a warrior. Trainer Todd Howlett has turned around the seven-year-old’s form. He was touched off by Mensa Missile at Rosehill last start and he drops 8kg from that placing. He was coming back from the mile to 1400m there too. Imagine he rolls forward again. 3. Steely clocked the second quickest last 600m of the meeting when seventh at Randwick first up in a slowly run race behind Remarque. Gets out quickly to the mile. 2. Wild Chap beat Luncies and Character to win the G2 Cameron Handicap last start and he too should put himself right on top of the speed. 9. Wicklow is likely to find himself out the back but he has responded well to coming back in trip in the past.

How To Play It: Kirwan’s Lane WIN

1. Cascadian is entitled to be an odds on favourite on the back of his brilliant Hill Stakes win where he knocked off Numerian and Montefilia. A repeat of that performance and he beats this field by even further. The eight-year-old has a terrific affinity with Randwick and he loves wet tracks. Prior to his three length romp two weeks ago he ran fourth in a hot Makybe Diva Stakes field at Flemington. James McDonald has ridden Cascadian six times for three wins and two minor placings. The other nod for Cascadian holding his form, as that’s all he has to do, is how well he has coped with dropping back in trip in the past. Three times he has been asked to come back in journey in his career, resulting in a Group One win and a Group One placing.

Dangers: 3. Surf Dancer got complete control in the G2 Shannon Stakes at Rosehill last start but there was a lot to like about the way he quickened to put his rivals away. The form has been franked since via Ellsberg. A wetter track and stretching to 1800m is a different scenario for him to overcome but he looks to find the front again here. 10. Promitto is the big unknown. The way he has found the line this time back suggests that he is looking for more ground now, coming through the Golden Rose. He gets in with just 50kg on his back being a three-year-old and he won the Skyline as a two-year-old at his only previous Randwick run. Forgive 8. Hezashocka’s run last start. He is a wet tracker and the Turnbull wasn’t run at a genuine enough gallop for him to figure from out the back.

How To Play It: Cascadian WIN

2. Stockman is beautifully set up out to 2600m. He carried the 56.5kg top weight in the Metrop last start and wasn’t suited by the muddling speed, which turned the staying feature into a sprint home. He doesn’t have a turn of foot once he gets into his preparation and is better suited to a genuine staying contest. Despite those excuses, he was still beaten less than a length. 4. Fun Fact and 5. Sacramento should ensure a genuine gallop this time. The six-year-old loves wet tracks and can use the draw to park up midfield. His form prior to last start was stronger than his rivals too, with most of them heading south to line up in the Caulfield Cup. The kicker is how well he is in under the set weights and penalties scale being the highest rated runner.

Dangers: 6. Cadre Du Noir gapped his rivals in the Tatts Cup two starts ago over the Randwick 2400m before regressing onto a firmer track at Rosehill where Grove Ferry got the better of him late. Inclined to assess him here off the big Randwick win. He’s well placed back onto a wet deck. Want to give 8. Chalk Stream another chance. Yes, he was beaten seven lengths by Cadre Du Noir last start and it was six weeks ago now but he was heavily backed that day and taking off midrace ended up backfiring. Still hanging on to his massive Queens Cup run last preparation as an indicator of what he is capable of. 3. Arapaho comes through the Metrop too and wasn’t suited by the shape of the race either. 7. Carif goes in the exotics.

How To Play It: Stockman WIN

3. Front Page was brilliant when winning the Wagga Town Plate first up last preparation. He put four lengths on his rivals having sat outside of the leader. 2. Handle The Truth was seven lengths back. The lightly-raced six-year-old has won five of his 13 starts with three of them coming first up. Hence he goes into this fresh. Front Page hasn’t raced on a track rated worse than a Soft 6 but he won by nearly 10 lengths at Albury that day so willing to gamble that he’ll handle whatever Randwick throws up on Saturday. The son of Magnus also draws the perfect gate to stalk the speed with Tyler Schiller in the saddle, and it was Tyler that piloted him to his Wagga win. Obviously he has been a horse plagued with issues but when he is on song, there aren’t too many country trained gallopers that can match him. Particularly given they’ll have to come from behind to beat him.

Dangers: Don’t understand why 1. Art Cadeau is double figure odds. The defending Kosciuszko champ jumped $4 favourite a year ago and justified that with a typically tenacious win. Sure, he carries 2kg more but he has gone to another level again since then and loves Randwick (6:4-1-0). He too maps perfectly. There’s an injury cloud over It was hard to miss the return of 11. Spiranac three weeks ago. She was a touch unlucky in this race last year.

How To Play It: Front Page WIN, QUINELLA 1,3

7. Remarque is reformed. He is yet to taste defeat as a gelding. The four-year-old promised so much earlier in his career but wasn’t delivering on the track. That’s all changed now as he works his way back through the grades. He comes through benchmark company but like the way he put his rivals away over this same track and trip two weeks ago on a heavy track. Team Hawkes would have still left something up their sleeve for this so would be surprised if he doesn’t come on again from that. He'll need to given he jumps back into Group company and at weight for age. Hugh Bowman has been aboard in both wins this time back and he sticks with the cherry on top being the plum barrier. There is a stack of speed engaged and Bowman will park up forward of midfield and let Remarque do the rest.

Dangers: 3. Gem Song is a great fresh horse and this looks a plan to target this race first up. Love the way he trialled at Rosehill recently too. 20. Waihaha Falls was put away with this race in mind after bolting in twice last preparation. Just has a tricky draw to overcome. 1. Apache Chase also comes through the Premiere and he beat Paulele second up last campaign. Won’t have it all his own way in front though with the likes of 4. In The Congo keeping him honest. 17. Forbidden Love is a three time Group One winner.

How To Play It: Remarque WIN

1. Nature Strip is the best sprinter in the world and he has the best jockey in the world on his back. That’s a formidable combination for his rivals. It’s a pretty simple scenario for Nature Strip here. If he produces his best, he’ll win. He’d have to underperform to be beaten. You’ve only got to watch replays of his last three wins to understand why he is an even money favourite. He looked to be in second gear when winning The Shorts first up, which you’d think he could only improve off. Prior to that he belted his rivals in the G1 King’s Stand at Ascot and the last time he tackled the Randwick 1200m was in the TJ Smith Stakes over the autumn where he bullied his rivals from the wide draw to win by a widening three lengths. Love barrier 12 for Nature Strip, allowing him to tag Eduardo across.

Dangers: We know what to expect from 2. Eduardo. Nash Rawiller jumping back on is key to the nine-year-old running up to his best. The duo have combined 14 times for nine wins and four placings. Want to forgive his fourth in The Shorts as he wasn’t ridden to his best asset, his sustained speed. Last year’s TAB Everest and the past two runnings of the TJ Smith Stakes says he’ll be in the minors again. 4. Masked Crusader is another proven big-time performer. He has a terrific record over the Randwick 1200m and just missed behind Nature Strip in last year’s TAB Everest on the back of a run in the Premiere Stakes that was every bit as good as this year’s. 5. Mazu has proved his chops at this level now while the three-year-old 11. Jacquinot is the wildcard.

How To Play It: Nature Strip WIN

It all went pear shaped for 2. Mr Mozart first up in the Theo Marks Stakes when he fired up in the middle stages. That saw him wide and working for the latter half of the race. Just as he looked to be fading out of the finish he picked himself up off the canvas to raise a second effort. That was on a good track too. The four-year-old relished wet tracks at the backend of last campaign, winning three on the bounce. He also thrived when being put on top of the speed. Barrier 1 means Brenton Avdulla will need to punch up in the early stages, which could be tricky, but there isn’t a lot of speed on paper so he’ll get his chance. The son of Snitzel is still trending upwards and is beautifully placed at the weights given what he has already achieved.

Dangers: 8. Loch Eagle’s Canterbury win first up had to be seen to be believed. The question mark remains as to what he beat but he mixed it with the likes of 3. Vilana and 4. Kiss Sum last preparation which ties in well here. 2. Startantes should have been fighting out the finish with Nimalee in the Golden Pendant last start if not for striking traffic. That’s always the risk with her racing style, however. In her only previous heavy track run she savaged the line behind Hinged in the G1 Surround as a three-year-old. 12. Waterford is completely untapped but his chances have been dealt a hammer blow with the barrier, especially given that 1300m is well on the short side for him.

How To Play It: Mr Mozart WIN

It’s hard to tip against a last start Epsom winner, that being 1. Ellsberg. It’s not as if he did it with a feather weight either. He only got half a kilo off Top Ranked who he dead heated with. Given the company he faces in this, he isn’t too badly treated even with 59.5kg. The five-year-old handles all tracks, maps to get a lovely smother just in behind the speed and if anything, coming back slightly in trip to 1500m looks a positive. A strange anomaly in his form, given he has won seven of his 22 starts, is that he has never strung two wins together but he is beautifully placed here by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou. Looking back through Ellsberg’s history, some of his best performances have come fourth up and the way he has returned this campaign, would expect similar here.

Dangers: You have to go back to June 2021 but 2. Ayrton put a gap on Ellsberg at Eagle Farm. He did more than enough first up behind I Wish I Win at Sandown. The obvious knock is that one of Ayrton’s worst career runs came on his only try on wet ground. Wish 4. Rustic Steel drew a gate. It mightn’t matter but it dents the confidence. He was unlucky first up before having to come back to 1200m second up with 61kg in a slowly run race. That hidden effort sees him go around big odds now, despite getting out to his right trip third up. Hugh Bowman goes on too. 8. Toomuchtobear’s form tapered off after huge efforts first and second up. He has been freshened since and wouldn’t discount him finding that fresh form again. 13. Sibaaq rates a mention.

How To Play It: Ellsberg WIN

1. Polly Grey is the epitome of a wet tracker. She’s a completely different horse when she gets conditions to suit. The Randwick track won’t be as wet as last Saturday but she just needs the track in the soft or heavy range and she’s sure to get that. The last time she raced on a heavy track she ran Zaaki to a length. The evergreen eight-year-old is just so well placed at the weights given her rating is a whopping 20 points clear of the second highest. Can’t find a lot of speed on paper so can see her lobbing into a prominent spot by default. The last time Hugh Bowman rode her, she led and beat Numerian by more than five lengths. The market will be our best guide as to whether she’s ready to go first up but everything else looks to have fallen into place for her to return a winner.

Dangers: Wouldn’t be surprised to see 11. Narrated sneak into the placings given she is the only obvious leader in a field largely made up of backmarkers. Her record reads 6:3-2-1 on heavy ground. Be forgiving of her defeat to 8. Finepoint last start on a good track. Finepoint was given a perfect ride there and she delivered. It’s hard to knock her claims here, however, as she should get a similar run in transit. That form line also brings 10. Ita into the mix. Only Espiona had faster closing splits than 5. Meg in the Golden Pendant. She was undone by the wide gate. Expect her to be much closer from the better draw fourth up out to the mile. She’s flying. The same can be said about 2. Hope In Your Heart coming off a last start win in the G3 Tibbie Stakes at Newcastle.

How To Play It: Polly Grey WIN

All the fields, form and replays for TAB Everest Day at Randwick