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By Ray Hickson

ROYAL RANDWICK – BEST BET: Race 10 # 7 – SPRING LEE

Trainer Bjorn Baker (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Everything about this lightly raced Bjorn Baker-trained mare suggests she’s headed for stakes company this spring and she did get a taste of it back in May when chasing home Commemorative in the Denise’s Joy at Scone. She started favourite in that race too. Luck deserted her first-up at Rosehill three weeks ago, she was buried back in the ruck and spent most of the straight ducking and weaving and checking only to be ambushed by the winner who had an unimpeded run. She’ll take improvement from it and the way the race looks to set up she will have her chance to go one better.

ROYAL RANDWICK – NEXT BEST: Race 6 # 1 – MANAAL

A little underrated as a two-year-old, despite being a Group 1 winner of the Inglis Sires’, it’ll be interesting to see how this filly returns at three in the Silver Shadow. You have to forgive her heavy track failure in the Champagne, where she started $2.50 and ran fourth to Broadsiding, as everything she’d done prior was high class. Just found Lady Of Camelot, the subsequent Slipper winner, a touch slick at 1100m fresh in the autumn before winning at 1200m second-up. Starts at 1200m this time around and her trials suggest she’s in the right order to win first-up.

ROYAL RANDWICK – SECTIONAL STAR: Race 1 # 4 – SMASHING EAGLE

We all know this gelding is a backmarker and often has the flashing light on at the end of them but he does look so well placed in this particular Midway. There should be good speed again and from a slightly kinder draw and with James McDonald getting the call up it wouldn’t surprise to see him around midfield or just off instead of right out the back, a la Green Shadows a few weeks ago. He rushed home from an impossible position at 1100m two weeks ago running easily the fastest last 600m of 33.58 (Punter’s Intelligence) and broke 11 seconds in three consecutive splits to the 200m, and was still able to run the fastest last 200m of 11.70. Granted he’s been costly but he’s a big chance.

NEWCASTLE – PROVINCIAL PICK: Race 7 # 3 – GOLD DUST

A win doesn’t look too far off for this O’Shea/Charlton four-year-old mare who has been around the mark in three runs back. Only beaten 1.2 lengths by Cosmonova at Canterbury two runs back and while beaten 3-3/4 lengths at Newcastle last time it was a better run that it looked. She had to cart the field up to a tearaway leader and was a sitting shot once she got to the front. The winner was the unbeaten Wings Of Desire. There’s nothing quite as progressive as her in this field and with a bit of luck and a good steer from Sam Clipperton she’s well placed to break through.

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