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There’s a couple of steps to take but the win of Sunrise Ruby in Saturday’s TAB Highway suggests she could be on the radar for a berth in the Kosciuszko.

Unfortunately there were no other 1200m races to get a comparison with the Benchmark horses but Punter’s Intelligence sectional data shows the now four-year-old was so dominant with her last 600m of 33.89 being almost four lengths faster than anything else.

Add to that the fact she had rely on gaps opening to get through the pack from last, she ran a 10.99 from the 400m-200m and a last 200m of 11.58 which were both clearly the best of the race.

She’s now won four of her five starts, that was her first win on a good track, and we’ll find out if she’s Kosciuszko material soon – though worth noting It’s Me won last year’s $1.3m race off an impressive Class 3 Highway win.

Beaten favourite Mr Hussill should lose no admirers, while Sunrise Ruby was able to get runs when she needed them he was unable to gather momentum while the winner was at full steam.

So though his last 600m of 34.48 was several lengths slower the 400m-200m split comparison tells the story – he ran 11.45 versus the 10.99 of Sunrise Ruby then closed the gap significantly over the last 200m running 11.65 to her 11.58.

Godolphin sprinter Valaquenta could be in for his best preparation yet after a strong first-up win in the Fujitsu General Handicap (1100m), coming with a burst from worse than midfield.

His last 600m of 33.50 was just a tick outside the race best but he produced the fastest last 200m of 11.49 as he ran down Spaceboy who was game on the speed again.

The eye-catcher behind the winner came from Outback Diva, over a trip short of her best, who was last to turn but reeled off the meeting’s fastest last 600m of 33.45 and a lot of that work was done between the 600m and 200m.

Her last 200m of 11.63 was still second fastest in the race and leaves something in the tank to keep up her super second-up record of three wins and a third from four attempts.

Another sectionally dominant performance came from the enigmatic Night Of Power who clocked 33.47 for his last 600m in winning the ATC Thank You Trainers Handicap (1300m).

He was four lengths faster than his rivals and needed to be as he came from last on the turn for his first win since January 2020.

The win compared well with the other 1300m event on the day won by Tamerlane, who ran a last 600m of 34.01 and the meeting’s fastest last 200m of 11.38. The first 500m of both races were similar, split by just 0.01 seconds.

The overall time was faster in Night Of Power’s race by a length which adds merit to his win.

New Arrangement signalled he’s ready to win when he gets back to a mile or so with a slashing second in the Moet & Chandon Handicap (1400m).

His last 600m of 34.53 was the race’s fastest by a length, a top effort given he was four weeks between runs and back from 1500m on a heavy track.

The winner Mirra Vision was too strong late running a race best last 200m of 11.95 and wouldn’t be too hard on Madam Legend, she loomed up clocking 11.14 from the 400m-200m and the six length difference between that sectional and her last 200m suggests the five weeks between runs and 300m rise in distance just told on her.

And Criminal Code didn’t have the same set up on a good track in the Agency Real Estate Handicap (1800m) that he had two weeks earlier but his race best last 600m of 34.68 says his fourth placing had merit.

He did a lot of chasing in the race as he posted four consecutive fastest 200m splits before his last 200m of 11.78, 0.01 outside the winner Silent Agenda’s race best split.

Fastest last 600m: Outback Diva 33.45

Watch Punter’s Intelligence with Ben Way, Brad Davidson and Brad Gray at 7pm on Tuesday on Sky Thoroughbred Central.

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