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By Greg Prichard

The trainers of all the runners in the $1 million Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) have the last say on their chances at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

1. MATCHA LATTE (Sara Ryan, Wyong): “Terrific win in the qualifier and very satisfying to get such a good result from this horse because he’s had a lot of problems. It’s great that he’s back and racing as well as he is. He did major damage to a tendon back in 2023 and came back and ran a fantastic race in the Cameron and in his next trial he bled out of a nostril, so he’s a hard horse to manage and it’s taken a big team effort to get him back and happy. These races are hard to win, but he’s a quality horse that’s been placed in quite a few Group races. If he brings his best form he'll be hard to beat.”

2. LORD OF BISCAY (Kris Lees, Newcastle): “He’s the pick of our three. He’s been set for the race a long time now and the preparation has gone to plan so far. He’s come up with a nice gate in four and a top jockey in James McDonald, so I can envisage him being in the finish on what he’s showing us. He had a pretty tough run in the qualifier, so rather than give him another race start after that we thought the best way was to send him around in a barrier trial and that way we’ve kept the freshness in his legs. He’s won up to 1700 metres and you need stamina for a tough 1400 at Randwick.”

Will Freedman (Pic: Bradley Photos)

3. MAGNATEAR (Richard and Will Freedman, Rosehill): “He’s the sentimental horse to us and his owners. I think he comes out of the right form-line. He’s run very high-rating races in his last couple and gets a fairly decent weight advantage here. He drops back from 57.5kg in the qualifier and wild card to 56, which is the minimum weight for colts and geldings, and he’s drawn a good alley (one). He’ll sit on speed in the first four and hopefully he gets the luck at the right time. It’s an incredibly even race. I don’t think there’s going to be a runaway winner. I think they’ll be finishing in a bunch, so luck will be vital.”

4. FRENCH RULER (John Sargent, Randwick): “He’s on the way up and he’s improved again with that wild-card win. I think he just jarred up at Newcastle and that’s why he didn’t finish off, so that give in the track helped at Wyong and it’ll help again on Saturday. That’s just what he needs. He’s run well at Randwick before. I’d like to see the speed go and he’ll come over behind the first wave and go to sleep and hopefully finish strongly. He’s run some good races and I think he will go up another level. He should be at his peak and we’ve got a world-class rider on in Blake Shinn”.

5. MOGUL MONARCH (Kim Waugh, Wyong): “I’m very happy with the horse. He’s done so well since he won last-start at Kensington. That was his first time over the 1400 and they went solid. They all kicked up inside of him and he had to keep pushing forward to cross, so it was a really good, tough effort over the distance. So we know he can run the 1400. He’s a great competitor and he’s really mentally matured this prep. I think there will be a bit of pace on so hopefully he can get across into a decent position from the wide draw, but I’ll leave it to Tommy (Berry) to work all of that out once they jump.”

6. WELL TIMED (Kerry Parker, Kembla Grange): “I was really pleased with his effort in the qualifier at Hawkesbury, then unfortunately in his next start at Rosehill he just never got comfortable on the wet track. It’s obviously not the perfect lead-up, he was struggling in the going and Nash (Rawiller) sort of sat up on him and to be beaten 20-odd lengths we’ve got turn that around in 10 days. But all signs at home are that the horse is 100 per cent. It was one bad run and I’ve put the pen through that and I’m looking forward to a good showing on a dry track. Third-up I think we can be optimistic he’ll run a strong race.”.

7. BOJANGLES (Kim Waugh, Wyong): “He’s going very well. Went a bit too keen last start at Rosehill, they went very slow in that 1400 and he was jammed in the middle of horses and just overdid it the whole way, so I’ve taken the blinkers off him and we’ve gone to winkers, which I think will make all the difference. If they do happen to steady up he’ll be fine, he’s worked well in them this week. He hasn’t won over 1400 yet, but he’s run several really good seconds over that distance, so I’ve got no concerns there. Again, I’m hoping there’s a good pace and he can get across into a decent position from the wide draw.”

8. MONEY TEAM (Brad Widdup, Hawkesbury): “He’s done nothing wrong - four wins from four starts this campaign. He had an exhibition gallop at Hawkesbury last Saturday and a bit more work on Tuesday and he’ll go into the final nice and fit. Couldn’t be happier with him condition-wise. Randwick will suit the horse, but we were hoping to draw a good barrier and get him to relax and be very explosive late and then we had no luck and drew 18 so now we’ll just have to deal with that. The stable’s been going well though, so we’ll go in and see what happens. It would be very nice to win a race like that.”

9. BROADWAY BOUNCER (Kristen Buchanan, Wyong): “Very happy with him. We had bad luck with the barrier draws all along, but he raced well in both of the qualifiers we ran him in and then the wild card at Wyong to get into the final. Wyong doesn’t really suit him and from a tricky alley he did an enormous job to make up a lot of ground in the straight. We’ve got a good rider (Kerrin McEvoy) on-board and we’ve actually got a decent gate (three) and Randwick will be much more suited to him. We persevered to get him into the final because the form of the horses around him in the qualifiers warranted me persisting.”

10. VINTAGE CHOICE (Joseph Ible, Kembla Grange): “The horse will go there in great shape, we’re really happy with him. I thought his run in the qualifier was excellent, so, yeah, it’s great to be able to take part in it. The surface will suit him and after that it comes down to luck in running from the barrier. Two barrier trials and two race starts into the final, the plan was always to make this a peak performance and so far everything’s gone to plan. Tyler Schiller’s a great jockey who’s riding well, so I’m optimistic he’ll be a good fit for the horse. We’ll be positive and hope to lead if possible.”

Trainer Jason Deamer (Pic: Bradley Photos).

11. RAPT (Jason Deamer, Newcastle): “She’s going really well. She had a little break after the heat win. Had a nice trial here last week and she’s ready to go. There wasn’t a really suitable race for her and this way, with the trial, we get in with a nice light weight and she races very well fresh. It was a good hit-out for her in the trial, she was pushed out a bit. The wide draw doesn’t worry us because she’s a backmarker anyway. A couple further in would’ve been nice but it’s nothing to worry about. If we’re in front of two or three and we’ve got cover it’s not a bad result.”

12. WELCOMETOBARBADOS (SCRATCHED).

13. ART VOLANT (Richard and Will Freedman, Rosehill): “She’s drawn wide and is probably going to get back and needs to have the race run at a speed that allows her to run on. The barrier is concerning, but her best form is definitely good enough to compete at this level and if she’d drawn a better barrier and could’ve positioned a bit closer I almost would’ve edged her on top of the stablemate, but she’s going to need luck in terms of speed and getting the right run. But on ability she’s got as much as any of these, I think. I’m confident both of our horses will run very well, but luck will be critical.”

14. MAHOGANY GIRL (Darryll Kell, Hawkesbury): “I’m very happy the weather has cleared up. To perform at her absolute best she needs a Good 4 surface and then you hope for a trouble-free run, basically. Whatever happens after that we know she’s going to try hard and that’s all you can ask for, isn’t it. We had to give her a run at Rosehill the other week to fit her for this race, but she just doesn’t like a heavy track so we’ve just got to put that result behind us. I’m very happy with her condition and everything. This is her grand final and she’ll go to the paddock for a spell after Saturday.”

15. IMPOSANT (Kris Lees, Newcastle): “Did a good job to win a qualifier at Kembla and came through that run well. She should get a good run from barrier five and be strong late and acquit herself well. Again, we’ve got a top jockey on-board in Jason Collett, who’s in great form. She’s a mare who’s found a bit of form and she’s capable of surprising a few people in a race like this. She’s been set for the race for a long time. I’d prefer it wet, so I wouldn’t mind a bit of rain. I see there’s a forecast for the possibility of some in the morning, but whatever the conditions she’ll run well.”

16. KIND WORDS (Kris Lees, Newcastle): “She’s got a bit of class on her side, but she’s better over a longer distance so we’ve kept her a little on the fresh side for this. She was good when she ran third in a qualifier at Newcastle and she’s come on well since then. It’s just a matter of whether they’re going to be a bit sharp for her over the 1400. She was unlucky when she was fourth in an Oaks over 2200 in Queensland, so this is the sort of horse we’re dealing with. We haven’t done a lot with her since the qualifier, but the work she has done has been good. She’ll probably be midfield in the run.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 2 of The Star Championships at Randwick