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Tips by Brad Gray
Brad Gray's tips and insights for Royal Randwick. There are winners to be found for nine races!
The track was tipped into the heavy range with overnight rain on Thursday but with fine weather forecasted for Friday and Saturday, there’s a chance of an upgrade back to the soft range. The rail is in the True position.
| Race 1 - 11:50AM WWW.WALKING2HELP.COM.AU SPRINT (1200 METRES) |
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Siding with Addictive Nature in the opening race which is littered with quality. This pricey colt lived up to the hype on debut saluting as a very well backed favourite and broke a 13-year class record in the process. Adding further merit is his pedigree, which suggests he’ll get over much further given he is a full brother to Savvy Nature. Really like the way he went about his business at Warwick Farm sitting outside of the leader before dashing quickly to never give his rivals a sniff. He can only come on further from that outing.
Danger: Doesn’t take a genius to work out that the main threat looks to come via Brave Song. He steamed home on debut behind Calculated before bolting in at Canterbury. Don’t think he beat much there but he put them to the sword. Wild Heart for any multiples.
How to play it: Addictive Nature WIN ($2.40 TAB Fixed Odds)
Addictive Nature’s winning debut at Warwick Farm
| Race 2 - 12:30PM #THERACES HANDICAP (1800 METRES) |
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Diapason is a lightly-raced five-year-old in the Chris Waller yard and looks a handy stayer in the making. The daughter of Shocking has done all of her racing in Melbourne to date. Her record reads 6:2-3-1 but there is a case to be made that a couple of those placings should be further wins. She was beaten fair and square by Dulverton last start at Flemington but that galloper is currently flying. Kerrin McEvoy will suit this mare down to the ground. She is the play here in a tricky race.
Danger: La Chica Bella is building a great little record herself since finding herself with Joe Pride after a maiden win in Tasmania. She makes her own luck and is as tough as nails. A good recipe to win plenty more races. A poor start cost Long Time Ago at Rosehill last start while Miss Dubois looks the best of the outsiders.
How to play it: Diapason WIN ($4.80 TAB Fixed Odds)
La Chica Bella’s fighting qualities were on display again last start
| Race 3 - 1:05PM CINDY SULLIVAN MEMORIAL HANDICAP (1400 METRES) |
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King Darci was disappointing at Randwick last start, after a really encouraging first-up run, but this race sets up perfectly for him third-up. A wet track and over the 1400m journey looks tailor-made for the now five-year-old. He has drawn wide but without much speed engaged, Adam Hyeronimus should be able to cart across, keep him in a rhythm and take up the running in his own time. Still convinced this Darci Brahma gelding is going as well as he ever has. Time to cash in.
Danger: He’s A Given is a handy wet tracker (having never finished worse than second in four runs on heavy ground) and looks a big improver off a forgivable first-up run albeit behind smart sprinter Kings Of Leon. Imperator Augustus will give another sight.
How to play it: King Darci WIN ($4.20 TAB Fixed Odds)
King Darci’s first-up run behind Calanda
| Race 4 - 1:40PM TAB HIGHWAY SUPPORTS JOCKEYS TRUST (1400 METRES) |
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The TAB Highway Handicaps can often be difficult betting affairs but can’t resist the $7 with TAB Fixed Odds about Gitan. His form is excellent this campaign with a dominant Kembla Grange win before running third to Awoke and The Pharaoh with both of them subsequently going on to run second in Saturday company. Awoke behind Philosophy and The Pharaoh behind Arbeitsam. Gitan was 1400m back to 1250m there too which was hardly ideal. Back out to his pet trip of 1400m (5:3-1-0), he’ll take plenty of running down. The wet track won’t stop him either.
Danger: Care To Think will be the best horse to come out of this race in 12 months time but could be wanting a mile now. Classy animal though capable of overcoming this. Will have it all to do from a wide draw though. Makfi Lass was a big winner at Scone last start.
How to play it: Gitan WIN ($4.80 TAB Fixed Odds)
Gitan’s last start third at Canterbury
| Race 5 - 2:15PM JOHN & DENISE COBCROFT RECOGNITION HANDICAP (2400 METRES) |
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King’s Officer is going much better than his form suggests and on his favoured wet surface, he is a big hope of popping up a odds. Three starts ago at Rosehill he found trouble only getting clear late before being posted wide the trip at Canterbury. Last start he just missed in a three-way go out to 2200m at Warwick Farm. That was on a Good track too. Five of his six victories have come on soft or heavy ground. Down on 54kg don’t be surprised if he pings down the middle of the track to swallow these up.
Danger: Go Benny was one of the other horses in that aforementioned three-way finish so has to be respected here too. Sayed won well at Warwick Farm the last time we saw him, beating Go Benny who ran second, but he is really starting to creep up in the weights and is a month between runs, albeit with a Randwick trial to bridge the gap.
How to play it: King’s Officer EACH WAY ($19 TAB Fixed Odds)
King’s Officer at Warwick Farm last start
| Race 6 - 2:50PM JOCKEY CELEBRATION DAY HANDICAP (1600 METRES) |
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Looks Invincible Knight’s race to lose. He looked home at Randwick last start only to be run down by the flying Pelethronius. There was a big gap back to third which is always encouraging when assessing the merit of the form. His Civic Stakes run prior to that, at Listed level, was strong beaten only 2.3L by Gold Symphony. Admiral Jello and Steyne are rated by the market as the biggest threats and although both didn’t have the clearest of runs last start, they have plenty of ground to make up on Invincible Knight who beat them home by a space.
Danger: So Willie generally needs everything to go his way to win but he finds a suitable race here and handles the wet. All of his wins have been around the mile range. Despite looking like he’d get 1800m or further his form suggests otherwise.
How to play it: Invincible Knight WIN ($3.20 TAB Fixed Odds)
Invincible Knight at Randwick last start
| Race 7 - 3:30PM MISSILE STAKES (1200 METRES) |
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Wanted to find reasons to oppose Le Romain but tipping class prevails. The now five-year-old is a three-time Group One winner and over the autumn beat Chautauqua on a wet track at Randwick over 1300m in the Canterbury Stakes. Connections will no doubt be keen for Le Romain to send a message to slot holders of The Everest that he’s a force to be reckoned with over the 1200m at Randwick. There is a stack of speed engaged so Glyn Schofield will be able to take hold, let him settle and come with one late run at the down the guts.
Danger: The Monstar is fit and flying. With a hectic tempo all but assured it may very well come down to the last man standing. His win on a wet Randwick track in the June Stakes recently was Winx-like in terms of the margins back to second.
How to play it: Le Romain WIN ($2.20 TAB Fixed Odds)
Le Romain’s Canterbury Stakes victory
| Race 8 - 4:10PM TAB.COM.AU HANDICAP (1000 METRES) |
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Launch Code is still very much a work in progress but the Smart Missile gelding finally produced a performance worthy of his reputation at Wyong last start. He sat third the fence before charging clear recording slick times in doing so. He maps to get a very similar run here from barrier 2. His failure at Warwick Farm prior to that can be chalked up to the gap between runs and being left exposed outside of the leader. Kris Lees is adamant that cover is imperative to Launch Code’s chances.
Danger: Tango Rain has been $4.20 into $2.90 with TAB since Wednesday and it’s easy to see why. His run as an early three-year-old in the Group Three San Domenico was a cracker. Has trialled well but has been off the scene for a while which is the big query.
How to play it: Launch Code WIN ($3.20 TAB Fixed Odds)
Launch Code’s Wyong demolition job
| Race 9 - 4:50PM SCHWEPPES HANDICAP (1200 METRES) |
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Thought Kings Of Leon would open much shorter albeit in a very open race to close out the Missile Stakes meeting at Randwick. He is currently $9 with TAB Fixed Odds and is worth a ticket at that price given the form he is in this campaign. Possesses a booming finish and with plenty of speed engaged here, he should get his chance to make it three straight. Only won narrowly last start but he looked to float once he hit the front. He was much more dominant than the margin suggests.
Danger: Clipper is a big scratching. Chances aplenty but all honours went to Argent D'Or last start beating Spending To Win. He maps nicely here. Mana should also get a beautiful run in the race and loves the wet. Alluvion goes into the exotics.
How to play it: Kings Of Leon ($9 TAB Fixed Odds)
Kings Of Leon scrambling home at Randwick last start
