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By Brad Gray

5. Well Timed gets his chance to turn the tables on Bundeena from two weeks ago. The Kerry Parker-trained galloper tackled Midway company first up and although he was left without any excuses, there is more to come from the four-year-old. Like the step out to 1200m second up and don’t mind the wide draw given there isn’t a lot of speed drawn underneath him. He has speed and has crossed to lead from barrier 15 in a Provincial Midway Championships Qualifier in the past. Nash Rawiller sticks with the son of Nicconi. He is still a lightly-raced galloper with just eight starts to his name. Not only does he strip fitter with the run under his belt but he also meets Bundeena 2kg better off. Well set up to go one better.

Dangers: 4. Smashing Eagle is testing the patience of punters having not won for 53 weeks. His pattern makes him hard to catch but James McDonald rides the backmarker for the first time in his 23 start career. Has to stretch his sprint to 1200m. Have always thought that he was a touch more dynamic late over 1100m. Chad Schofield slid forward on 2. Bundeena last start and it proved the winning move. He covered ground throughout yet still won well. The barrier does him no favours again but he should get a cart across from Well Timed. 7. Lancaster Bomber was good first up at Canterbury. He can improve off that and the last time he raced in Midway company he ran third behind Willaidow and Gently Rolled. A deep Midway. 1. Cheerful Legend rates a mention. Wouldn’t liked to have seen more from 9. Treize in her trials.

How To Play It: Well Timed WIN

2. Strathtay has drawn wide but it won’t change much with the former Kiwi who has hit the ground running for Chris Waller in Australia. The five-year-old balances up in the second half of the field regardless. He’s been the eye catcher at his past two, charging late in obvious form references for Saturday’s race. This bunch of stayers are just about on a first name basis, lining up every two weeks and taking turns to stand in the winners’ stall. So what changes this week for Strathtay? The booking of Nash Rawiller. The trade off is having to carry and extra 2.5kg from his past two starts, but he looks a horse tailor made to Nash’s strength and tactical nous. He’ll know he is on a very fit stayer that can sustain a run home. Just needs a back to follow at the right time to prove hard to hold out.

Dangers: 1. Jabbawockeez at least offers a different form line, coming up from Melbourne. The Hayes stable are firing at the moment and respect the placement of the stable heading up to Randwick. Won well at Caulfield over 2000m two starts ago before he had his first run over 2400m three weeks ago at Sandown and wasn’t beaten far. That’ll toughen him up for another run over the trip. 6. Awesome Wonder rises 2.5kg from last start but she did put two lengths on her rivals late. Has obvious claims again off that. Jett Stanley rode the perfect race. 5. Kureder had his chance behind Awesome Wonder, boxing on to run second. James McDonald sticks and the gelding maps to get the right run again.

How To Play It: Strathtay WIN

8. Palazzo Prince resumes from a break without an official trial. It’s a guessing game somewhat but trainer Rod Northam wouldn’t be tackling a Highway Handicap with the five-year-old if he wasn’t ready. Palazzo Prince won his first two starts, with the narrow margins not doing either win justice, before being tested in Highway company at start three. He did early work to race outside of the leader, not his usual pattern, boxing on well in soft conditions out to 1400m. That was behind Belvedere Boys. He is obviously a horse that has his niggles being so lightly raced but with the benefit of a racing preparation under his belt now, you’d think he could only improve. He has drawn wide but will come in a few after emergencies are scratched.

Dangers: 16. Kreon made a big impression on debut at Gunnedah. Danny Williams has high hopes for the grey having won by four lengths back in November last year. Seven subsequent winners have come through that maiden. He hasn’t been sighted since, spending 40 weeks on the sidelines but he impressed in a recent Moruya trial and the booking of James McDonald might tell us all we need to know. Gets blinkers first time too. 10. Cool Storm did manage to drop anchor in the middle stages at Rosehill last start when third to Lonhro’s Queen but there was merit to her run given she was 1000m straight to 1200m. Like the set up for her dropping back to 1100m now. 1. Atmospheric Rock carries 62.5kg and resumes over a trip short of his best but respect his class. 11. Sammiballerina has a knockout hope at odds.

How To Play It: Palazzo Prince WIN

1. West Of Africa has won three of his past four. You don’t have to make excuses for him. He has been winning. The same can’t be said for many of his rivals. Some of which profile to be looking for further than the mile. West Of Africa is asked to lump 60.5kg, penalised for his run of good form but the five-year-old is a proven weight carrier. Two starts ago he won with his head on his chest at the midweeks with 59.5kg. His only recent poor run was on a heavy track at Rosehill. With nothing but sunshine in the forecast for this week, Randwick should be close to a good track come Saturday morning. That should see the inside hold up okay which is significant given he has drawn barrier 1. Just needs the breaks to fall his way at some point in the straight.

Dangers: 13. Unlimited should have been fighting out the finish with West Of Africa last start. He was disappointed for a run before flashing home. Gets a 3kg weight swing too. The knock is staying at the mile given he won out to 2000m when trained overseas and where he’ll get to in the run from the wide gate. 12. Medatsu was perhaps flattered by the ride first up with Tommy Berry’s initiative in the middle stages winning the race, overcoming a muddling tempo. Some chance he flattens off second up looking for 2000m. 6. Rattle And Hum, although a resuming stayer, could get on speed favours.

How To Play It: West Of Africa WIN

3. Eliyass made a big impression in his first Australian run. It was hard to know what to expect from the French import in the Lord Mayor’s Cup but he proved too classy for those rivals. Hopeful, the runner up, had a hard luck story to tell in second but the dominance of the victory prompted Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to tip the six-year-old straight out to aim up at better races over the spring. He is now one of the favourites for the Metrop. That victory took his record to seven wins from nine starts. Impressive. He has tuned up for his return with two trials and is only 11 weeks between runs so will have some residual fitness. If there is a knock it’s the price. Punters are being asked to take near even money but don’t know where else to turn if it’s not Eliyass.

Dangers: 7. Redstone Well was much better third up, running third in the Premiers Cup Prelude behind Golden Path. His disappointing second up run left us scratching our heads as to whether he had come up this campaign but he’s back on track now and can build again off that being fourth up. 4. Sir Lucan has shown that he can mix his form but he can own this race from in front with intent. However, there is a thought that he is better with cover, as he may have proven in the Winter Cup before spelling. 6. Touristic has been given five weeks to freshen up from the Grafton Cup over a mile and a half. Has hit a good patch of form. 1. Kalapour was a Tancred winner over the autumn. The market will be a guide as to how ready he is first up.

How To Play It: Eliyass WIN

1. Manaal was one of the standout two-year-olds last season. Under different circumstances she could be lining up a triple crown winner. The barrier beat her in the Golden Slipper while the heavy track brought about her undoing in the Champagne Stakes when a $2.50 favourite. Under the set weights and penalties conditions of the race she pays the penalty for her Sires Produce victory at Group One level having to give away 3kg to the majority of the field. Has to go back to 2008 and Samantha Miss to find the last filly to win with 58kg in this race. That said, her two trials this time back stamped her as the horse to beat. Zipped to the line in the latest of those to beat Southport Tycoon. She isn’t a one dimensional backmarker either. She just hasn’t had much luck with gates. Draws perfectly Saturday.

Dangers: Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have won the Silver Shadow twice in the past three years and 6. Hallett looks well set up to make it three from four. Hallett won a deep fillies race on debut running sharp time, where 9. Zeitung finished third, which saw her jump a $6 chance in the Kindergarten Stakes against the colts. She didn’t handle the heavy track, boxing on to run a well beaten third. Has looked good in two trials and draws the inside gate. Zeitung has the benefit of a run under her belt where she produced a sharp turn of foot to beat a subsequent winner in Bonita Queen. The barrier doesn’t make the task an easy one. 4. Ameena had perhaps come to the end of her campaign by the time she lines up in the Percy Sykes. Has trialled well and finds James McDonald.

How To Play It: Manaal WIN

It’s all in front of 8. Joliestar this carnival. The four-year-old won a Thousand Guineas in style last spring before a very light autumn. That saw her race just once where she won the G2 Arrowfield Sprint. That win captured the attention of most. Chris Waller resisted the temptation to go any further and has openly said that an Everest spot is hers to earn. There is a long way to go until she warrants that but it says plenty about how highlight the stable regard her. If she doesn’t turn out to be a genuine sprinter, there’d be plenty of options for her over further. The way the daughter of Zoustar is trialling ahead of her return suggests that she is humming. James McDonald has been aboard in both heats. The barrier is a little tricky on paper but she has run well for anywhere.

Dangers: We didn’t see the best of 6. Airman over the spring but he had excuses. He travelled wide the trip in the Star Kingdom before tackling a heavy 10 in the G1 All Aged Stakes thereafter. Was given an easy time in one trial ahead of his return. Maps well. 10. Encap profiles to be sharp enough for 1200m first up despite getting out to the mile last campaign when luckless in the Randwick Guineas. Those form lines around the likes of Celestial Legend, Tom Kitten, Militarize and Makarena read well for this. 14. Our Kobison earns a crack in better company but jumps not only from a BM88 into a Group Three but also from 1000m to 1200m. 13. Much Much Better gave a sight in the G2 Missile Stakes two weeks ago as an $8.50 chance. This is no harder.

How To Play It: Joliestar WIN

Wanted to find something to beat 6. Fangirl at the short quote but came up empty-handed. If she repeats what she did first up last campaign over this same track and trip in the Apollo Stakes she’d win. It was a breathtaking win. It was arrogant the way she idled up to her rivals before being eased down at the finish. She only won this race narrowly 12 months ago but she has improved since then. Now a fully mature six-year-old, her two career best wins have come in her past five runs. The other being her King Charles Stakes romp. She flies at Randwick. The daughter of Sebring has tuned up for her return with two trials and despite failing to beat a runner home in the most recent, she was towing James McDonald through the line.

Dangers: 7. Via Sistina isn’t a 1400m horse but she is a very talented mare. Top class race horses can overcome such hurdles. Verry Elleegant won this race first up in 2020 before winning a Caulfield Cup. A year later she missed narrowly in the Winx Stakes before winning a Melbourne Cup. Via Sistina sizzled home in the Ranvet to win her first Australian start. She does have a turn of foot. 9. Zougotcha will settle in front of her two fancied stablemates. Has won two Group Ones at her past two starts. Not sure where 12. Zardozi fits in this spring but she doesn’t have a dissimilar profile to Colette, a mare that was effective over 1400m and 2400m. Has trialled better this time back. 5. Riff Rocket is Caulfield Cup-bound but can sprint well fresh. Maps to be last.

How To Play It: Fangirl WIN

11. Commemorative couldn’t get a better set up than the one that confronts her on Saturday. She is brilliant fresh, is undefeated in two runs over 1100m and a improving soft track is perfect given what she has done on similar surfaces in the past. No excuses. The hulking mare is a sight to behold in the yard. She just needs room to move in the run but that’s up to Zac Lloyd who did exactly that when steering her to victory at Scone back in May. She was tipped out thereafter. The daughter of I Am Invincible has had just the one trial ahead of her return, where she trucked powerfully through the line. Her sectionals in that heat where just as impressive as the visuals. Surprised she isn’t early favourite. Tipping she will be come jump.

Dangers: 2. Opal Ridge boasts an equally impressive fresh record. She too won over the Scone carnival taking her first up record to 5:4-1-0. The defeat was a second in the Kosciuszko behind a rampant Front Page. 10. The Black Cloud steps into Group company for the first time but she earns her place. Joe Pride freshened her up with nine weeks between runs after winning down the straight at Flemington. Short enough in betting, however. 1. Lady Laguna enjoyed an incredible spring. She was a revelation. This is no easy task first up over 1100m with 61kg but she is a recent Group One WFA winner. That counts for plenty. 4. Kimochi and 8. Mumbai Muse next best.

How To Play It: Commemorative WIN

7. Spring Lee should have won first up. She had a checkered run in the straight, beaten half a length. There was two lengths back to third. She is a sharp mare that looks well placed to atone for that defeat. Second up last preperation she ran second to Commemorative in the Listed Denise’s Joy where she jumped favourite. She has only had eight career starts so there is more to come from here. Has to stretch her brilliance out to 1200m but that shouldn’t be an excuse if she’s beaten. In her one previous run over the trip she overraced badly before going down by half a length. Her manners cost her. Not her ability to run the trip. Mark Zahra is booked to ride her on Saturday.

Dangers: 10. World Alliance kept closing last start in a race that didn’t have enough pressure for him to trouble the winner. Willaidow owned the race from in front while the runner up settled second. Tackles a similar race here. Deserves more market respect. The barrier hasn’t done 3. Panic any favours first up but he’s an improving four-year-old having won four of his seven starts. Matched motors with The Black Cloud in a recent trial win which suggests he’s sharp enough to 1200m first up. James McDonald rides. 9. Invader Zim has returned well but comes back to 1200m after two runs at 1300m, and on heavy tracks. 5. Flying Destiny continues to improve into his preperation. This is harder again.

How To Play It: Spring Lee WIN

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