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By Brad Gray

We only got a glimpse of what 3. Shotmaker is capable of doing in his four runs for Nathan Doyle last preparation. The reason for that is three of his starts were on wet tracks. He ran a luckless fourth in his one run on a good track, and that was over this same track and trip. The six-year-old former Victorian is well exposed but his best gives this a shake and he sets up to produce at least somewhere near it. The dry track is the first piece of the puzzle. The son of Shooting To Win also draws a perfect gate, has trialled impressively ahead of his return, winning his heat at Newcastle, while Doyle is a fantastic first up conditioner. Expecting this gelding to be ready to go on Saturday. Doyle is also having a great run of form in the Midways at the moment too.

Dangers: Stablemate 11. Jacquine Reward isn’t without a hope at odds either. The six-year-old sat outside of the leader at Gosford last start and pulled too many punches late for Ceasefire. Looks to have returned well and sets up to improve again third up. 4. Miss Kojiki didn’t go around a horse to win at Canterbury first up but winning has become a habit for this mare now. She has won three of her past five and is still trending upwards. 7. Prince Invincible stuck on bravely despite covering a stack of ground in Midway company at Randwick two weeks ago. Has to stretch his brilliance to 1200m now. 1. Astero is the class runner and warrants respect but the barrier looks problematic.

How To Play It: Shotmaker EACH WAY

8. Godzilla will be savaging the line late. There looks to be plentiful speed in this race on paper which suits this Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt. We’ve only seen him once at the races and that was in the BJ McLachlan in Queensland where a wide draw forced him back to last in the run before he thundered home to be beaten a length by The Novelist. He pulled up sore thereafter so was tipped out. He was an eye catcher in his trial since then, running through the line at Rosehill. The trick with him is just keeping in touch in the first half of the race. The stable have eyes for the Sires’ and Champagne Stakes over further but if the more fancied colts in this field are putting in small steps late coming off 1000m and 1100m form, he’ll be there to pick them off. The odds look too big to ignore.

Dangers: 2. Maharba is still learning on the job but his natural talent still saw him get home at Flemington three weeks ago. Third and fourth from that race have already come out and won since. Won’t have to spend a penny early from barrier 1. 7. Introducing has to jump from 1000m to 1200m but the Waterhouse and Bott-trained two-year-olds are running through brick walls at the moment. He was green but very impressive when winning his maiden on a heavy track at Warwick Farm. Second and third from that race finished in the same positions on Wednesday. Debutant 11. Gustosisimo has looked sharp in his two trial wins and he ran good time in winning his latest hitout at Wyong. Should bounce out and take up a prominent position in running from the draw.

How To Play It: Godzilla EACH WAY

6. Attractable has his first start for Wyong-based trainer Sara Ryan on Saturday having formerly been trained by Peter Moody. There is a lot to like about the depth of this four-year-old’s form lines. He was only beaten 2.5 lengths by Pounding back in September at Moonee Valley and he started hard in the market. Thereafter he bolted in on the synthetic at Ballarat. That was before failing in the Listed Seymor Cup, but again he was fancied by the market. The son of I Am Invincible has a brilliant record on good tracks so Rosehill’s surface with suit. Attractable draws a middle gate to give Tyler Schiller options with the cherry on top how well he has trialled on two occasions, matching motors with race-fit mare Banana Queen in the latest of those at Wyong.

Dangers: 2. Tamerlane has been a proven performer in this type of race for a couple of preparations now and he typically comes to hand quickly so tackling this first up isn’t an issue. Have liked the way that the five-year-old has trialled ahead of his return. There might be a spot for him in behind the speed with early intent from the wide draw. 4. Finepoint resumed a winner in this same grade last preparation before running third in the G3 Angst when not far behind Hope In Your Heart. Draws to get the right run and shouldn’t be left with any excuses. 5. Dynamic Impact is holding his form well this preparation and looks ready for this trip now. 3. Maotai steps out beyond 1200m for the first time. Tactics will be interesting, and all important, from the wide draw.

How To Play It: Attractable WIN

We are left to wonder would could have been with 6. Steel City in the Blue Diamond Stakes two weeks ago. She never saw daylight at any point and went to the line as a hard-held 12th. Prior to that she has run narrow seconds to Red Resistance and Learning To Fly, two of the best two-year-olds in the country at this point, and the current second and third favourites for the Golden Slipper. The filly needs to win here to earn a spot of her own in the Golden Slipper and her claims are obvious. Drawn barrier 1, she is going to need a slice of luck again at the right time but can’t imagine she is far away from the action, punching up to park in behind the leaders. Nicely set up to atone for last start.

Dangers: 7. Tu Qui Santuzza received the plaudits for her debut win at Canterbury, and fair enough, but the run of 13. Untouchable Legend in fourth had just as much merit. She rode the speed, making a brief play for the front, and was entitled to finish out the back yet she still loomed as the winner. That’s no knock on the win of Tu Qui Santuzza. Once she found the front, she was always going to be hard to get past and the further they went the stronger she looked. Suited out to 1200m but they won’t gift her the front in this. 1. Blanc De Blanc has claims but the gate looks tricky. 3. Remedies gave a sight at Randwick last start, only be run down by Café Millenium.

How To Play It: Steel City WIN

This looks a lovely race for 5. Clemenceau to resume a winner and build on his already impressive record. The four-year-old has won five of his nine career starts, with four of those victories coming over Saturday’s 1100m journey. He tackled this same track and trip first up last preparation, finishing a narrow second to stablemate Remarque. He probably should have won if not for being pocketed for a stride or two too long in the straight. He flashed late, closing in sectionals only bettered by In Secret at the meeting. Thereafter Clemenceau ran second to Zethus at Moonee Valley as an odds on favourite before atoning for that with an emphatic victory at Randwick. Has the speed, and versatility, to overcome the gate and sit handy.

Dangers: 2. Athelric is yet to win first up in five fresh runs but that’s deceptive. First up last campaign he ran second to Eduardo. Would prefer this to be 1000m as opposed to 1100m but liked the way he has trialled ahead of his return, holding off Clemenceau, in the latest of those hitouts. He maps beautifully too. 7. Quick Tempo is often the eye catcher in his races due to his get back style but barrier 1 in a smaller field will see him park up closer by default. Will just need the gaps to appear at the right time. 9. Cannonball brings a completely different three-year-old form line and last ran third to Giga Kick in the Danehill. Has his first run for Peter and Paul Snowden here.

How To Play It: Clemenceau WIN

It’s no secret that Chris Waller has owned this race recently, winning six of the past eight runnings. All with brilliant fillies. Winx, Verry Elleegant, Funstar, just to name a few. Enter 7. Zougotcha. The Flight Stakes winner resumes over 1400m in the G1 Surround Stakes two weeks ago and despite having missed the run over 1200m prior with a minor setback, she was still fighting out the finish to be narrowly beaten in a busy finish. She can only improve off that. James McDonald gets down to 54.5kg to ride Zougotcha, who was scratched from the G1 Coolmore for this, and she draws a lovely gate which will see her get the run of the race. There is a case to be made that her best form is on wet tracks, and it’s hard to argue that to this point, otherwise, she profiles to justify the short quote.

Dangers: The market has cottoned on to the fact that 8. Madame Pommery is the likely big improver from the Surround Stakes. She got too far out of her ground after a slow getaway and slipped up the inside late, on the inferior part of the track. 1. Glint Of Silver sat outside of a very soft speed in Melbourne last start but to his credit, he took advantage of that. There isn’t a lot of pressure in this race either, at least on paper, and like the way he has trialled since. 2. Brosnan could be looking for further than 1500m, and would prefer him in a race with guaranteed pressure, but the grey is building towards something this campaign and he’ll get his preferred surface come Saturday. 6. Fireburn is set to be ridden more aggressively to take up a spot.

How To Play It: Zougotcha WIN

Newmarket-based trainer William Haggas has a deadly strike rate with horses that he has brought out to Sydney for The Championships. Eight runners for five winners. Sure, three of those wins belonged to star galloper Addeyyb but he also won the Manion Cup twice with two different stayers. 16. Protagonist will be out to add to the stable’s record on Saturday and he looks well placed to do so. Significantly, four of the six-year-old’s previous five wins have been on good tracks so the Rosehill surface shouldn’t be an excuse come the weekend. James McDonald has been booked to ride to there is intent to be read into that while the barrier gives McDonald options in terms of where he settles in the run. Protagonist looks to possess a turn of foot too.

Dangers: 15. King Frankel has won four of his five starts in Australia as he skips through the grades. His racing pattern makes him all the more likeable, making his own luck on top of the speed. Showed determination to beat the race fit Banju first up three weeks ago. His stablemate 12. Sunshine Rising doesn’t have the same upside, or positive racing style, but he does still have a motor, despite being a nine-year-old. He is yet to win in his three Australian runs for Mark Newhnam but each run has had plenty of merit. Keen to see him out to 2000m. 14. Zeyrek sprinted home in quick closing splits to beat a subsequent winner Cross Talk first up. Can he hold that form now? That’s the gamble, particularly from the tricky draw. 13. Benaud scored a pass mark first up but could improve out to 2000m. Respect 4. No Compromise.

How To Play It: Protagonist WIN

3. Hope In Your Heart has won four of her past six starts, having made a habit of getting her head down when it counts. It’s an admirable trait. All four of those wins have been by 0.7 of a length or less. The four-year-old won the Guy Walter Stakes first up two weeks ago, a race that has produced three of the past four winners of the Coolmore Classic, and she overcame trouble too. She was shuffled back in the run but when she saw daylight, pinned her ears back to savage the line. The case can be made that it was a blanket finish with a number of luckless runs in behind but Hope In Your Heart’s runs in the Golden Eagle, over this same track and trip, and then in The Gong, last preparation serve to remind of her class.

Dangers: Cream has risen to the top in this race recently, with the last six winners of the Coolmore carrying 55kg or more. Hope In Your Heart fits that profile but so does the top weight 1. Hinged. There was little between the pair when they clashed in the Golden Eagle over the spring and Hinged has the benefit of an extra run under her belt. Wasn’t beaten far in the G1 Chipping Norton at WFA last start. Just has to cope with a drop back in trip and another dry track. 13. Yearning gets a 6.5kg weight swing on Hope In Your Heart from the Guy Walter and didn’t get much luck in the straight. 10. Sheeza Belter has proven herself against the older mares in the past and her Surround Stakes run was better than it reads on paper. 9. Ruthless Dame covered ground in the Surround and was brave.

How To Play It: Hope In Your Heart WIN

1. Bandersnatch was excellent first up in what looks to be a key form race for this year’s Ajax Stakes given it provides many of the key runners. Bandersnatch spent the first half of the race looking for cover, wide and working from the gate, before running third to Think About It. There was a lot to like about how he stuck to the task at hand despite being entitled to knock up. He still beat home Riodini and Sibaaq despite enduring a much tougher run in transit. There is no such concern second up having drawn barrier 2. The six-year-old will find himself smothered up on the fence just in behind the leaders. Second up last preparation he was beaten in a photo finish by Aegon. He has raced well over the Rosehill 1500m in the past and another dry track suits.

Dangers: 4. Sibaaq got the back of Bandersnatch first up and there was little between them at the finish. He is yet to win below 1500m so it was an encouraging return over a trip short of his best. 12. Waterford comes through a different race but it was also won by Think About It which ties the form in neatly. Wasn’t his explosive self first up four weeks ago but was perhaps ridden too close and that dulled his finish. Has been freshened up since then and has trialled sweetly in the interim. He is three from three over this track and trip. Don’t be too quick to dismiss him. 3. Riodini tends to improve as he gets into his preparations so he might need this too but a dry track suits, as does a wide gate allowing Tim Clark to slide across in his own time.

How To Play it: Bandersnatch WIN

Keen to see 13. Stroke Of Luck get out beyond the mile for the first time. He’ll need to turn the tables on another three-year-old in Major Beel to win on Saturday but he looks beautifully set up third up, drawn a soft gate to do exactly that. He has only had five starts and it was third up last preparation that he ran a slashing third in the Listed Dulcify Stakes behind Williamsburg and Communist. Perhaps he was flattered by the heavy track or he could have relished the test of stamina that the race turned into it. The son of Fastnet Rock, out of a Galileo mare, loomed to beat Major Beel two weeks ago before peaking on his run. No excuses now. He should be at his top and profiles to relish 1900m.

Dangers: That’s absolutely no knock on 9. Major Beel. He came under pressure a long way from home but was in for the fight at the finish. It was the same story first up, winning despite covering ground. There isn’t a lot of him but he has plenty of desire. 1. Almania is probably looking for further now but he strips fitter for his last start third given he was a month between runs. 2. Claim The Crown comes through that same race.

How To Play It: Stroke Of Luck WIN

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Coolmore Classic meeting at Rosehill