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By Brad Gray

Punters were quick to correct opening quote of 6. Tribeca Star, backing the Matt Dunn-trained galloper into favourite. The equally lightly-raced four-year-old looks perfectly set up himself now third up too. He found a couple too sharp over 1100m at Ipswich last start as an odds on favourite. His work through the line suggested that 1200m would be spot on now.

Dangers: 5. Love Shuck was confidently backed through the same race as Bandi’s Boy last Saturday but never saw daylight. 4. Lisztomania next best.

How To Play It: Tribeca Star WIN

2. Dream Hour was suited by a genuinely run 1300m first up at the midweeks but he looks to be the one that the market has overlooked early. There was still a lot to like about the way he put his rivals away which sets up his next couple of runs perfectly. Second up out to 1500m looks ideal. The four-year-old had a nasty habit of getting himself into tricky in run positions last campaign, not helped by a run of bad draws, which proved costly on a number of occasions. He should have won a couple. Dream Hour held a more forward position first up from a low draw and hoping Dylan Gibbons can do the same from barrier 1 on Saturday. Like his form around Rediener in his first couple of runs for Kris Lees. Suspect there is still more to come.

Dangers: 5. Fall For Cindy also sets up beautifully fourth up out to 1500m, and on the seven day backup. She wasn’t suited by a lack of early pressure in that race won by Gringotts either. She shouldn’t be far away in the run either from barrier 2. 3. I’mintowin comes through strong crop of now four-year-olds in New Zealand. Has trialled up well on two occasions and there’s intent to be red into the set up of tackling 1500m fresh. 4. Nails Murphy was fancied in betting in his first Australian run at Randwick. He proved no match for Sequestered but like the way he kept chasing a hot speed. That should bring him on second up. Three weeks between runs looks to suit too. 1. Peace Officer is in career best form but there’s more depth here.

How To Play It: Dream Hour EACH WAY

8. Mountain Guest had no excuses in the Angst Stakes three weeks ago having box seated but she was only beaten 2.6 lengths by Renaissance Woman and Ausbred Flirt. That pair subsequently came out and ran well in the Craven Plate and Invitation thereafter. Thalassophile also franked the form by running second at Moonee Valley behind the flying Wishlor Lass. The race that confronts Mountain Guest is a long way off the assignments that her rivals confronted at their next start. This BM78 lacks depth, hence why the four-year-old mare has been so well found in markets already. She also looks well placed getting back out in trip having dropped back to the mile three weeks ago. Prior to last start she hit the line in the Bathurst Cup. The prospect of rain won’t bother her, she goes on all surfaces.

Dangers: 7. First Light brings a different form line up from Melbourne. He raced well when third at Moonee Valley two starts ago, having been asked to make a wide, sustained run. He’d appreciate some cut in the track. 1. Caboche looks ready now third up and he gets the blinkers on for the first time. The claim of Amy McLucas offsets the 60kg impost and he is back from two runs in BM88 grade. Maps well. Shouldn’t have any excuses. There was little between 5. Queenmaker and Caboche when they met at Randwick two weeks ago and would expect that to again be the case on Saturday. 4. Peshmerga at least gets on speed favours, which could prove telling given how evenly matched this field looks on paper.

How To Play It: Mountain Guest WIN

4. Salisano has won four of her five career starts and has won two on the bounce since being transferred to Nathan Doyle. The mare surprised first up at Newcastle winning at $51, leading all of the way. Punters didn’t miss her second up though, backing her into second favourite. She camped in behind the speed and although the ride was perfect, she won well again to beat Lancaster Bomber, Ningaloo Star and Toronomica. It was a deep provincial race. Ningaloo Star has since run exceptionally well in Midway company at Randwick. Salisano comes to town for the first time but she gets the right set up to make that transition, against her own sex and she can make her own luck in a race without a lot of pressure on paper. Big odds.

Dangers: 2. Shohei’s two previous wins have been first up. She has historically, even though it’s only a small sample size, has raced best fresh. Two preparations ago she beat Parisal to break her maiden at Canterbury. Last campaign first up she absorbed early pressure yet still won by a margin at Newcastle. Her two trials suggest that she has returned better than ever. There is a case to be made that 5. Junqueira has been too quickly forgotten. Granted, she has been well beaten at her past two starts but has had genuine excuses. Two weeks ago she overraced outside of a hot speed. Forget that. Like the way 10. Ballroom Bella raised a second effort at Warwick Farm last start. Earns a crack in Saturday grade out to 1200m. 8. Cholante next best.

How To Play It: Salisano EACH WAY

The return from 5. Overriding was every bit as good as the runner up Commemorative. Failing to muster any early speed proved costly. Had she been able to hold a spot from the low draw, she probably would have been fighting out the finish. Instead, she settled out the back and couldn’t get into the race striking traffic. Like the way she still chased a lost caused. The hallmark from this four-year-old’s campaign last time in was her determination. A couple of times she simply refused to lose. The daughter of Star Turn gets the chance to redeem herself on Saturday having drawn the same soft barrier. She had no problem racing closer last preparation. The bookies haven’t missed her in early betting but she’s entitled to be well found.

Dangers: 3. Zoe’s Promise finds Nash Rawiller and comes back in grade from her past three starts before spelling. She has swapped Maher and Eustace for Kris Lees since then too. She jumped a $5 chance in the G3 Carbine over The Championships back in April. Three trials should have her ready to go fresh. Looks the likely leader here. 7. Kelvedon Road will be finishing fast with Rubusto. He remains an underrated horse despite his record. 8. Mars Mission typically isn’t too far away in this grade.

How To Play It: Overriding WIN

18. Sweet Mercy gets by far the best set up of her preparation on Saturday. Third up out to 1500m on the quick back up from a middle draw. The capacity field should also ensure plenty of pressure up front. The David Payne-trained mare found 1100m too sharp first up at Warwick Farm and was forced into the role of dragging the field up to the tearaway leader. She was then five weeks between runs at Randwick last Saturday and not suited by the lack of tempo up top. It turned into a sprint home. Despite running seven of nine, her run behind Gringotts and Russian Conquest had merit. Her good Midway form from last preparation, when often hard in the market, is perhaps the most accurate representation of her chances in this. Any rain around would be a bonus.

Dangers: Speaking of Midway consistency, that current crown rests with 13. Satness. His past five starts have all been in Midway company resulting in a win and three minor placings. That’s part due to his racing style. He’ll bounce out from the inside draw and looks the likely leader. The barrier doesn’t make the task and easy one for 9. Toronomica but he charged late at Newcastle first up to get into fourth. The clock backed up the eye. Straight out to 1500m second up. He raced in the Eskimo Prince behind Aft Cabin as a three-year-old. 12. Epicus has a wide draw to contend with too. This has been his target all along.

How To Play It: Sweet Mercy WIN

1. Think About It produced a career best to win the TAB Everest last start. The five-year-old just keeps finding a way to win. It’s such an admirable trait. Perhaps the scariest part is what is still potentially to come. Think About It was only second up there and is still only 12 starts into his career, winning 11 of them. You look back on the catalogue of Joe Pride’s best horses over the years and they typically continue to improve. As far has his chance on Saturday, the only possible knock is his short price. However, it looks justified. If he improves again out of the Everest, which seems likely out to 1300m and third up, it’s game over. Especially given that he maps to get the run of the race once more. Tried to find an angle to get him beat, but couldn’t.

Dangers: 4. Private Eye was brilliant when winning this race 12 months ago off. This year it’s three weeks between the Everest and the Giga Kick, which suits even better. Private Eye has been given an easy time in a tickover trial since. The case for Private Eye to turn the tables on his stablemate is that Private Eye travelled three deep the trip in the Everest. However, can he give Think It Over a couple of lengths head start and run him down? The barrier doesn’t help. 6. Bella Nipotina clocked the fastest closing splits of the meeting when third in the Sydney Stakes. I Am Me has franked that form line and she’d love some of the forecasted Saturday rain to fall. She was only beaten a length by Think About It in the Premiere Stakes. 3. Mazu next best.

How To Play It: Think About It WIN

Going to roll the dice with 5. Kovalica. His barrier makes things significantly harder but the compensation is double the price we would have got had he draw a soft gate. Kovalica’s sectionals have been exceptional at his past two starts. And that still feels like an understatement. A lack of pressure, and early speed on his own behalf, saw him narrowly beaten in the Epsom. A wide gate then proved costly in the King Charles. Only Bella Nipotina and In Secret had a faster last 200m split than Kovalica. He was taking late ground off established Group One WFA stars in Fangirl and Mr Brightside. Three weeks between runs suits and the blinkers on for the first time perhaps papaers over the fact he is probably looking for 2000m. Tommy Berry has so much faith in this son of Ocean Park.

Dangers: 7. Osipenko has always threatened to win a big race. Like his stablemate Kovalica, he too brings Group One WFA form into this. He drops back from 2000m in the Turnbull Stakes but has had four weeks to freshen up and he looked particularly sharp in a tickover trial behind Iowna Merc and Malkovich. That was with the blinkers on for the first time. 18. Legarto typically isn’t the best into stride. Would love to see her in the running line with plenty of galloping room as opposed to being pinned away on the fence. The Australian Guineas winner looks cherry ripe for this. This four-year-old crop from New Zealand is littered with stars. 1. Hawaii Five Oh has matched it with the best sprinters in the country all preparation and he’s only a makeshift sprinter. Not sure how to approach 16. Amelia’s Jewel.

How To Play It: Kovalica WIN

6. Canberra Legend has been heavily backed already. UK trainer James Ferguson has already won the St Leger at Randwick with Land Legend and he didn’t have the depth of form of Canberra Legend. Land Legend beat a subsequent Moonee Valley Cup winner there in Cleveland too. Back to Canberra Legend. The son of Australia has only had six careers starts with five of them coming in Listed and Group company. That was after winning by a space on debut. He ran third to Desert Hero in a Group Three at Goodwood and that horse placed in Group One company at his next start when third in the St Leger at Doncaster. Certainly don’t profess to be an expert in international form but the formula has been written for a while now. Their stayers are simply better than ours.

Dangers: 2. Diamil wasn’t beaten far in the Coongy two weeks ago at Caulfield. That reads well for this. The 2000m trip is his best journey. Any rain around wouldn’t hurt his chances either. 9. Stroke Of Luck gets in on the minimum and is a last start winner. He was only second up there and can improve again at run three this time back. 1. No Compromise wasn’t suited by the sit-sprint in the Craven Plate last Saturday, especially having been cluttered up in behind.

How To Play It: Canberra Legend WIN

The form around 9. Jedibeel all campaign has stacked up. Even going back to his first up run at Kembla Grange where he almost beat Dancing Alone. Three starts ago the wide gate cost him any chance of beating Way To The Stars at Canterbury. Despite being exposed a long way from home he stuck it out late to hold down second. He then beat Written In Code at Warwick Farm, with a gap back to third, before a wide gate again proved costly at Randwick two weeks ago. The four-year-old was trapped deep through, loomed to win, but the wide run told at the finish when sixth to Dashing Legend. The wide gate is no concern on Saturday having drawn barrier 1. Just hope the fence holds up come the last. Wet or dry, it doesn’t matter with him.

Dangers: 3. Way To The Stars will be doing his thing out in front and Nash Rawiller sticks. Don’t expect him to get it all his own way but he didn’t over this same track and trip last start, having sat outside of the leader yet still gave a kick. Doull has franked that form line since. Given that Way To The Stars is so effective fresh, the four weeks between runs looks to suit too. It’s a big tick for 2. Tristate coming back to 1100m. Any further finds him out at this stage. He’ll be let slide forward from the wide gate. If the leaders carve each other up, the likes of 8. Smashing Eagle will be there to pounce.

How To Play It: Jedibeel WIN

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Golden Eagle meeting at Rosehill Gardens