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By Brad Gray

4. Michelangelo looks to have the best grounding for the mile tackling it fourth up, coming through the Baillieu when sixth to Nepotism. Only the winner had faster closing splits. He has just taken time to get himself organised in all three of his runs so far. He still looks to be learning. The Baillieu didn’t really play out of him either. He got shuffled back entering the straight and didn’t get the clearest of passages. He ran through the line with still more to offer. Off that win Nepotism catapulted himself into favouritism for the Champagne Stakes. Last year this race was won by Broadsiding. Twelve months on it doesn’t look to have the same depth. For most of these it was Plan B after the nominations were so light. Not for Michelangelo. That should take him a long way.

Dangers: 5. Spicy Lu has wins at Cowra and Albury to her name but she has been beating up the older horses. She ran good time when winning out to 1400m last start, holding out Rose Aye who prior to that gave Istolea Merc a scare at Nowra. There was six lengths back to third. There has been money for her at big odds in early betting. 2. Polish Playgirl was unlucky at Flemington last start, snookered away on the fence. She improved sharply off her Magic Night debut. Should be able to make her own luck. Have a query over 1. Tupakara at the mile. She beat home Michelangelo last start but he was finishing the stronger. Her Reisling form reads well for any two-year-old race though. 7. Lady Pankhurst is out of staying mare Thunder Lady so the mile won’t be an issue but jumps from 1000m and the race is an afterthought.

How To Play It: Michelangelo WIN

7. Canara looks well set up tackling 1400m third up. She is up in grade but is no stranger to black type company. This looks a target race for the Chris Waller-trained filly. The daughter of I Am Invincible ran as well as she could first up over 1100m, rattling home into second behind Written In Code, who has won again since. Then she went straight out to 1400m and although suited by a high-pressure race she was forced to come from last to fight out the finish with Mogul Monarch. She was beaten a nostril in a deceptive photo finish. Respect that she jumped a $5 chance in the Carbine Club over the spring before annihilating her rivals in maiden company at Moonee Valley, where she led. That tactical versatility should see her park up much closer in this, which could prove significant as there doesn’t look to be a lot of speed on paper. Worth an each way ticket at double figure odds.

Dangers: 4. Sargeant Major was beaten near five lengths by Autumn Glow in the Darby Munro but it was a fast race and the winner looks a star in the rise. He didn’t have any excuses, parking in behind the speed. The way he picked up and ran through the line suggested that he was already looking for 1400m. 5. Nostringsattached is six weeks between runs but has won a jump out since. Respect him if he is here. Has also accepted in the Bendigo Guineas. 11. Meridiana is untapped. She won her maiden by two lengths in a sprint home and second and fourth have won their subsequent starts. Gives the impression she’ll make the grade. The gamble is whether it’ll all come too soon. Only Autumn Glow had faster closer splits than 8. Alabama State in the Darby Munro. The barrier doesn’t do him any favours.

How To Play It: Canara EACH WAY

1. Matcha Latte hasn’t seen much of the racetrack in the past few years, having spent 77 weeks on the sidelines recently, which has largely protected his rating. Perhaps that is the silver lining. The five-year-old had just one run last campaign, tackling the G3 Cameron Handicap at Newcastle where he ran Here To Shock to half a length. Wyong-based trainer Sara Ryan set out to qualify the Maurice gelding for this final, returning at Newcastle where he was run down late by Lord Of Biscay and Welcometobarbados. Matcha Latte took good benefit from that outing, heading back to Newcastle three weeks later, leading all the way as a $2.30 favourite. The stable have so much faith in this horse’s talent. His rating soars above his rivals, being a 95 with the next highest 82, yet he meets them at set weights.

Dangers: 8. Money Team has won four from four since being transferred to Brad Widdup. The dominance of his last two wins in particular make him a player here. He ran straight past subsequent winner Mogul Monarch at Gosford to book his spot. Still improving. Will need a Craig Williams special from the gate. Kris Lees has owned this race since its inception, winning five of the ten runnings. He books James McDonald for 2. Lord Of Biscay. That pair combined two years ago with Spangler. Has been freshened since last start, six weeks between runs. Maps to be close enough to Matcha Latte in the run to get his chance. 11. Rapt ran past Art Volant to qualify and her form ties into Matcha Latte. She too has been kept fresh for this, tackling it seven weeks between runs. Has trialled well since alongside Lord Of Biscay.

How To Play It: Matcha Latte WIN

7. Savvy Hallie looks to have been overlooked in early betting. The Brad Widdup-trained filly started $8 in the Reisling against 2. Tempted ($2.90) and 5. Inkaruna ($5.50). A slow getaway saw her settle last. She kept finding the line but the race was lost at the start. Savvy Hallie has run in the Baillieu since then, leading up over 1400m. Nepotism, who is favourite for the Champagne Stakes off that win, ran her down but she held down third comfortably. That was as a well-backed $6.50 chance. Not sure what she has done wrong to now be considered a $26 outsider. On debut she ran the subsequent Black Opal winner King Of Pop to a narrow margin at Warwick Farm. Should settle in the first couple from the inside gate and give a sight at odds.

Dangers: 5. Inkaruna has been freshened since running well in the Reisling. That was only her second career start jumping 1000m to a truly run 1200m contest, five weeks between runs. That’ll bring her on. Again she tackles this five weeks between runs, with a Randwick trial keeping her up to the market. Should be much more prominent from the draw. 2. Tempted maps to settle last and has been around the block a few times this autumn but she must keep bouncing back for James Cummings to press on. Was unlucky in the Golden Slipper, momentarily held up. 1. Within The Law went through the inside running rail in the Golden Slipper. Forget that. She knows how to find the line. 3. Memo and 8. Dream Side fought out the Magic Night last start while 10. Sequista looked sharp in a recent trial win.

How To Play It: Savvy Hallie EACH WAY

3. Enriched was runner up to Autumn Glow last start and although it’s hard to make a case for him to turn the tables, he looks well set up to run another placing. There was 1.7L back to third. This race isn’t an afterthought like it is for many others here.

Dangers: 2. Public Attention got himself into a perfect spot from the wide draw in The Kiwi last start but perhaps was found out at 1500m. The best performance of his campaign was over this track and trip in the Eskimo Prince. Has been freshened up five weeks. 1. Private Life was plain in the Futurity but that’s Group One weight for age form. Ran well back to 1200m in the VRC Classic in the spring off a freshen so there is a precedent there. 5. Imperial Force is racing well in easier.

How To Play It: Enriched WIN

2. Treasurethe Moment has won an imposing seven straight races. That goes back to the Wakeful and VRC Oaks in the spring. She has returned even better in the autumn. She was dominant over 1400m and the mile before justifying the $1.40 quote in the Vinery. The Matt Laurie-trained filly didn’t look as comfortable on wet ground last start, dulling her turn of foot yet her class saw her still hold a decisive margin. Second and third from that race aren’t here which leaves Verona Rose who was three lengths away. It would have been a fascinating clash had Aeliana turned up here but that’s all hypotheticals now. Treasurethe Moment should be too good for the rivals that line up against her on Saturday as one of the dominant three-year-old fillies. Another shortie but hard to oppose.

Dangers: 5. Belle Detelle brings some ‘x factor’ backing up from the Adrian Knox where she relished 2000m, showing a brilliant turn of foot. Her last 200m was the second quickest of the entire meeting, bettered only by Jimmysstar. She is a close relation to Verry Elleegant. 4. Verona Rose was working home strongly in the Vinery suggesting 2400m suits now. That was the first time she had tasted defeat having won the Kembla Grange Classic the start prior. 1. Leica Lucy won the NZ Oaks seventh up in her first campaign. Now she is asked to show up in Australia. Wasn’t as brilliant out to 2400m, having won so impressively in the Lowland Stakes over 2000m, but she tackles this hard fit.

How To Play It: Treasurethe Moment WIN

4. Circle Of Fire is back to defend his Sydney Cup title. He carries an extra 3.5kg but the dominance of that two mile win a year ago shouldn’t be underestimated. It was an outstanding staying performance. He wasn’t going as well in the spring yet still managed to run sixth in a Melbourne Cup with 54.5kg. This has been his autumn grand final and Ciaron Maher has the five-year-old where he needs him. He was left flatfooted in the Sky High over 2000m but was coming again through the line behind Vauban and Arapaho. He was then the first horse to come under pressure in the Tancred and held his spot through the line that is now desperate for further. He return to Randwick for the first time since winning the Chairmans and Sydney Cup last year. Draws wide but that’ll allow Jason Collett to slide across into a prominent position.

Dangers: Chris Waller has won the Sydney Cup five times, with four of those winners coming through the Chairmans. The champion trainer has seven runners but 18. Strathtay fits the right profile, down in the weights. He looks to be ticking over perfectly clocking the fastest closing splits in the Chairmans behind Alalcance. Has a 5.5 length margin to turnaround but gives the impression he’ll relish two miles. Eleven of the past 20 Sydney Cup winners ran in the Chairmans prior. 8. Alalcance gapped her rivals in the Manion and the Chairmans and drops to 52kg. The way she busts up a field at the top of the straight will ensure she needs to run a strong two miles. That’s the only knock in the context of her price. 1. Duke De Sessa brings Dubai Honour form into this. He’s a Caulfield Cup winner. Needs to answer the 3200m question too. It’s an intriguing set up for 6. Zardozi.

How To Play It: Circle Of Fire EACH WAY

12. Via Sistina has won at an odds on quote in her last three wins. Initial reaction to her short quote was that it doesn’t do the depth of the field justice. Once you pull apart the form, however, and factor in where she’ll settle in the run, it looks justified. Her main dangers face the task of giving her a head start and chasing her down. Given the strength of Via Sistina’s close, that appears unlikely. It was fourth up over the spring that she produced the eight length Cox Plate win, beating Prognosis and Broadsiding. While she’s highly unlikely to repeat anything like that ever again, Chris Waller looks to have the seven-year-old exactly where he wants her. She only won the Turnbull by a narrow margin prior to that Cox Plate win. Last start she was in cruise control, winning the Ranvet by 1.5 lengths at $1.22.

Dangers: Via Sistina looks to have the locals covered, which sees 1. Dubai Honour and 2. Rousham Park the outliers. Dubai Honour we know. The globetrotting gelding has won three from three in Australia for William Haggas and jockey Tom Marquand, adding a Tancred to his Queen Elizabeth and Ranvet. It’s not an ideal set up back from 2400m on a soft track to 2000m on a good track on an 11 day turnaround. Rousham Park hasn’t won for 80 weeks but his six starts since then have been at the top level, five in Group Ones. He ran Rebel’s Romance to a narrow margin in the Breeders Cup Turf over 2414m. Proven traveller and the wide gate gives Christophe Lemaire plenty of room. 8. Lindermann comes off a second to Via Sistina in the Ranvet when a $10 chance. He maps well. 7. Buckaroo’s return was much better than it reads on paper.

How To Play It: Via Sistina WIN

1. Fangirl hasn’t raced against her own sex since contesting this race as a three-year-old back in 2022. That’s 22 starts ago. The Chris Waller-trained mare won the Apollo Stakes first up at Randwick before stablemate Via Sistina turned the tables in the Verry Elleegant. She lost little in defeat. The barrier and track pattern were against in the George Ryder where she produced on the of runs of the day to be beaten in a photo finish by Gringotts. It was an advantage to be fence in run. Yet she was posted three deep. There were two standout runs defying the pattern, Fangirl and Briasa. We have already seen what Briasa has subsequently achieved, winning the TJ Smith. Fangirl loves Randwick (20:7-4-3) and loves dry tracks. James McDonald has ridden Fangirl 12 times boasting a record of 12:6-2-2.

Dangers: 3. Atishu should have won this race last year having been held up behind Zougotcha. The challenge is having to overcome a more talented stablemate in Fangirl. That performance was on the back of a third in the Australian Cup. Her Empire Rose win in the spring was coming back from 2000m too. It’s been a good formula for her in the past to produce her best. 2. Stefi Magnetica bounced back to her best form winning the Doncaster. She backed up over the spring in the Cantala when fourth up and was excellent behind Mr Brightside. 12. Lazzura draws wide but can go forward to offset that. Should have won the Emancipation when a $2.50 favourite. Forgive 4. Amelia’s Jewel in the Coolmore going from a slow run Guy Walter into a fast run 1500m second up. She blew out.

How To Play It: Fangirl WIN

5. Commemorative returns to the Randwick 1200m. She produced a career best when winning over this track and trip two starts ago, mowing down her rivals to win the Wenona Girl. That saw James Cummings run her in the Group One Galaxy with 51kg on her back. She was truckloaded in betting to start $3.70 and had she got the splits when she needed them, may have been fighting out the finish. She was potentially aided by finding the rails in run at that meeting but we’ve seen Briasa frank the form through the race. Commemorative drops back to fillies and mares company, finds James McDonald and draw wide, which in her case is a positive. She is a mare that likes room given her size. Only has to hold her form to be in the finish again, which the early market has recognised.

Dangers: 3. Olentia should be able to cope with a drop back to 1200m after a four week freshen. She had her chance in the Coolmore last start but it was a fast race won by Lady Shenandoah. That form will hold up. Maps to be smothered up. Like that scenario for her. Four of her seven wins have come over the sprint trip. 1. Lady Laguna carried 57kg in the Galaxy. Her run was a pass mark. Tends to improve into her preparation. 10. Infancy was unlucky on occasions last campaign before her form tapered off. Three trials suggests that she is ready first up.

How To Play It: Commemorative WIN

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