By Neil Evans
An in-depth look at every runner in the $150,000 Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Kembla on Saturday:
1. Flying Bandit (Kerry Parker, Kembla Grange): Home tracker with a strong 50 percent winning strike rate from eight starts, resuming off two trials. Won two straight up to BM 72 metro level last prep over further, and despite a wide draw can fire fresh, especially if the track slips back into soft range and the pattern is wider.
2. Broadway Bouncer (Kristen Buchanan, Wyong): Hard fit and made up a stack of ground into a place in the Hawkesbury Qualifier a fortnight ago. Will have to slide back a long way from the draw again, but if the closing trend is in, he's a winning chance.
3. Apollo Mission (Mitchell Beer, Kembla Grange): One of four accepted from this stable, and was good late first-up at Canterbury. Will get back again from the draw, but well over the odds considering he's won two from three second-up.
4. Direct Fire (Theresa Bateup, Kembla Grange): Honest local who led all the way to win the Bega Cup. Draws low here, and will handle any track downgrades, but this looks too steep.
5. High Dandy (Brad Widdup, Hawkesbury): Good quality four-year-old primed to run a big race fresh off two improving trials. Performances last prep up to BM 78 grade and in feature carnival races were good enough, and he draws to get a nice trail just off the speed. Definite chance in a wide race.
Silvanito (Pic: Bradley Photos).
6. Silvanito (Nathan Doyle, Newcastle): Tough Newcastle galloper who can win this after not getting much room when it counted in the Hawkesbury qualifier. That was his first run in six weeks too, so naturally fitter. Right at home in soft ground, he can give this a mighty shake settling off the fence around midfield.
7. Prince Of Sorts (Allan Kehoe, Wyong): Progressive three-year-old who was strong from barrier to box winning a BM 64 at Wyong second-up in heavy ground. The 10-day back-up is a strong pointer, and he's drawn to dictate up front again.
8. Vintage Choice (Joseph Ible, Kembla Grange): Struggles to win, and would have to find a couple of lengths at least off a fair first-up run at Warwick Farm.
9. Artful Persuasion (Mitchell Beer, Kembla Grange): Over the odds down in weight, coming off a four week freshen-up and a solid closing effort in BM 68 company here. That said, more depth here, and would need a charmed run to win.
10. Salonius (Mitchell Beer, Kembla Grange): Has found the line well in three runs this prep, and naturally gets plenty of weight relief, but a few of these are out of reach.
11. Zipitalist (Mitchell Beer, Kembla Grange): Ran home okay in that same country Class 3 as the former, but is drawn wide and this is simply too rich.
12. Tartana (Theresa Bateup, Kembla Grange): Tough local mare not without a chance at good odds. Led all the way in BM 72 metro company before holding her ground okay in the Hawkesbury qualifier. Will roll forward from the inside draw, but likely will need to steer a path away from the inside late in the day.
13. Fugitiva (Robert & Luke Price, Kembla Grange): Another home tracker coming through that Hawkesbury qualifier where she was beaten only two lengths. Shaping for a peak run here fourth-up, and drawn to get cover just off the speed. Each-way hope.
14. Imposant (Kris Lees, Newcastle): Comfortably beaten in the Hawkesbury qualifier, and while second-up form is solid enough, doubt she can win this.
SELECTIONS:
6 SILVANITO
2 Broadway Bouncer
5 High Dandy
1 Flying Bandit
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Kembla Grange meeting