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By Brad Gray

8. Matusalem stamped himself as a two-year-old to follow after an eye catching debut at Warwick Farm a couple of weeks ago. He’ll need to the turn the tables on Namesake but the barrier and extra 100m should see him do that. The colt, by The Autumn Sun, was always going to be better as he got over further given his breeding so to do what he did over 1100m bodes well for the future. He fits the profile perfectly as a JJ Atkins contender for Chris Waller. Barrier 1 will naturally see Matusalem settle closer in the run than being forced back to last, as was the case three weeks ago, but that also comes with the query of needing to angle off the fence at the right time. Stick with Matusalem. Looks a smart youngster going places.

Dangers: 2. Namesake has to be a threat again given his breeding also suggests that he’ll be better as he gets out over more ground. Like the gaps back through the field from his debut victory and that we’ve seen the form franked from that race already, with The King winning since. Wish we saw a touch more from Vanquished at Canterbury on Wednesday to back up the form reference 4. Snapback brings into this but Snapback had the excuse of finding himself in an awkward spot in the run from the gate. Doesn’t have those concerns here. Debutant 11. Ostraka maps to get the right run too. Liked his trials, particularly his latest which he won at Rosehill, and is bred to be fast being a half brother to Anders. 1. Chrysaor has knockout claims.

How To Play It: Matusalem WIN

5. Remlaps Commander finished second last in his first Highway Handicap run three weeks ago but he had genuine excuses. He travelled three wide the trip, having worked forward from the wide gate, and was said to have not handled the heavy track. The three-year-old should bounce back off that. The market is expecting similar so there is no spoil at the early quote but he has been back to the trials since, winning a heat at Muswellbrook in good style having punched up to hold the front. Jenny Duggan jumps back on having won on the colt at Newcastle first up. With just the four starts to his name, the son of Extreme Choice has more upside than his rivals. The barrier is the cherry on top, ensuring a cosy run throughout.

Dangers: 1. Blow Dart led in that same Highway as Remlaps Commander and boxed on bravely at the finish to be beaten just over three lengths. The form through that race stacked up last Saturday with the three horses that beat him home fighting it out for the minors behind Bianco Vilano. The four-year-old drops 2kg from that performance after the claim of Hannah Williams. He too will appreciate firmer footing. Cameron Crockett’s pair 3. Salire and 2. Super Extreme will be charging home at the finish. They’ll both get back in the run but few horses here can match the finish of this duo, both proven Highway performers. Can make a case that 14. Taketheshot is the best blowout hope given his last start victory and the form lines around him.

How To Play It: Remlaps Commander WIN

Kept coming back to 2. Turning. The main reason being that he is going to get the run of the race. The barrier gives Brad Rawiller the chance to stalk the speed. It’s not so simple for many of his main threats who are likely to be giving Turning a couple of lengths turning for home. The four-year-old is a chunky little sprinter so tends to take a run to find winning form. With that in mind there was plenty of merit to his luckless first up fourth behind Miss Jay Fox with 60.5kg on his back. With even luck he just about wins. Turning boasts a second up record of 3:2-0-1. Imagine this Midway has been somewhat of a target race for Wyong-based trainer Kim Waugh. Just has to jump from 1000m to 1200m. That’s the only small query.

Dangers: 3. Broken Arrows hasn’t won for 15 months but he has proven competitive at this level for years now. He races well fresh, has trialled up nicely and boasts a great record at Gosford (4:2-1-1), albeit from earlier in his career. 10. Miss Fox hasn’t been able to let down with her customary big finish at her past two starts on heavy tracks. Respect that she was sent around an odds on favourite when last seen at the races. She has the potential to improve sharply back on top of the ground with her profile. 13. Eye See Things is another runner that’ll get back in the field but her best form has her right in the mix. We saw that last start when making up late ground at Warwick Farm. 8. Eyewitness will prove hard to run down.

How To Play It: Turning WIN

3. Rediener faces a tricky gate to overcome especially given the lack of pressure on paper but willing to gamble that he has the class and recent form to record back-to-back victories. The three-year-old has returned a gelding this time back and has gone to another level. He was fantastic first up in a deep race where Hawaii Five Oh ran second before boxing on well behind Razeta in Listed company on a heavy track. He got his dues last start winning what looked to be a stacked midweek race. The son of Redoute’s Choice looks beautifully set up out to the mile now on the 11 day turnaround. If Brad Rawiller can tag the right horse into the straight, Rediener looks to possess too much firepower in the run to the line. Looks to be enough in the early price to take the punt.

Dangers: 4. Miss Madison loomed to win at Rosehill last Saturday but her wheels spun late in the very testing conditions. Perhaps her condition blew out late too, only being second up and being exposed a long way from home. Maps to get a soft run on the fence now third up seven days later. 8. Fall For Cindy was perhaps entitled to win easier last start but she got the job done and can be more dynamic ridden with cover. The filly was ridden outside of the leader at the midweeks, simply riding her like the best horse in the race, which she proved she was. 10. Buillt has a margin to turnaround on Rediener but he was seven weeks between runs so should have more improvement of the pair. There wasn’t a lot between 5. Toesonthenose and 9. Token Capitalist last start and they have claims again.

How To Play It: Rediener WIN

11. Unamerican is the only last start winner in the field, and what a win it was. The six-year-old made a mess of his rivals in the Orange Cup, justifying the confident support in betting. He put just shy of five lengths on Marsabit in second and he’s come out since and won himself since. You wouldn’t think there’d be a lot of upside left given the gelding is 30 starts into his career but a repeat of last start and he wins this too. Unamerican has been back to the trials since his win and he cruised to the line under double grips. His record at Gosford reads 3:2-0-1 and can’t find a lot of pressure on paper so he can take up a prominent position in the run. Lots of positives about his chances of going back-to-back.

Dangers: 8. Comme Bella Fille profiles as the potential big improver at odds. Her form doesn’t read like much on paper this time back but first up the leaders walked in front while second up she was chopped out for a run in the straight. If she rediscovers her form from last preparation this is right in her wheelhouse. 9. Hometruths chased home Pretty Amazing at Hawkesbury second up after getting no luck herself in the Epona Stakes, and was hard up against the fence. That proved to be some disadvantage throughout the meeting. 5. Biscayne Bay comes through that same form reference and was four weeks between runs. 10. Sir Lamorak rates a mention through that race too.

How To Play It: Unamerican WIN

13. Kin has just the one career win to her name, a 900m maiden at Newcastle last preparation but luck deserted on a couple of occasions over the spring that followed. The filly should have won at Caulfield second up, running into traffic. In her last start before spelling she ran a gutsy second down the straight to stablemate Renosu. Going back to her maiden win, she did beat Dashing Legend and that pair cleared out from the rest of the field. Kin has looked great in a couple of trials ahead of her return and love the set up on Saturday for her. A fast-run 1000m where she can stalk the speed with just 52.5kg on her back. The daughter of Impending will need a slice of luck again at the right time to angle into the clear but look for her charging to the line.

Dangers: 2. Vowmaster was a late scratching last Saturday after the track was downgraded at Rosehill. That was over 1200m. Plan B is a week later back to 1000m but doubt that worries him as he was brilliant first up last campaign over the same trip and should have won. 6. Winning Verse is a fast mare that shouldn’t be underestimated. Like the way she has trialled suggesting that she is going as well as ever and she was narrowly beaten by Fox Fighter first up last preparation. The knock on the chances of 4. Command Approved is where he gets to from the barrier. It looks tricky. However, he is a lightly-raced sprinter with an exceptional 1000m record. 10. Sports Legend has a race fitness advantage and he should get his desired dry conditions again on Saturday.

How To Play it: Kin WIN

We still don’t know how good 1. Think About It is. That’s the lure of the four-year-old who has won six of his seven starts. All of his rivals here, with due respect, look to have just about found their level. What faces Think About It on Saturday is no easy task, however. The barrier complicates things but we’ll leave that up to Sam Clipperton, who rode him in all four of his wins last campaign as he charged through the grades. It started in a midweek BM72 before ending with a dominant all-the-way win in Group Three company beating Gravina and Bandersnatch. There are several speed horses drawn inside of Think About It but the 1200m start at Gosford provides jockeys plenty of time to find a spot. Suspect we’ll get a better price come closer to jump.

Dangers: There was nothing between 8. Clemenceau and 3. Bacchanalia in the Star Kingdom. Clemenceau hasn’t been seen since while Bacchanalia is well placed to bounce back from a poor last start showing. 11. Fox Fighter would relish a fast run race given the splits he can close off in.

How To Play It: Think About It WIN

2. Military Expert had a lot against him first up and was entitled to fade out of the finish. He was posted deep throughout and it was on a track closer to heavy than soft. He doesn’t like wet tracks. Hence why he was a late scratching from Rosehill last week due to the track downgrade. Barrier 1 on Saturday gives Rachel King options. Imagine she finds herself just in behind the speed. He is a four-year-old that has improved sharply second up in his past two campaigns. Second up last preparation, jumping from 1400m to the mile, he gapped Uncle Bryn and So Si Bon before being narrowly beaten by Gentleman Roy. Thereafter he ran third in the G1 Toorak. Unfortunately, the market has also been quick to recognise how well set up he is at Gosford.

Dangers: Rustic Steel won this race 12 months ago coming off a fourth in the Provincial Midway Championships Final, which is what 13. Kayobi will be out to replicate. Kayobi started favourite there but failed to quicken on the heavy track. 1. Welwal hasn’t had much luck with barriers this preparation which has seen him give away unsurmountable head starts. Doesn’t have that same excuse here and like the progression out to the mile now. 3. Thalassophile just has to pick up where she left off in March, finding career best form. 6. Loch Eagle has run since the Provincial Midway Championships Final but might be looking for the mile himself now. Will be spotting his rivals a big head start though.

How To Play It: Military Expert WIN

3. Desert Icon stuck to his task courageously first up over the mile in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup behind stablemate New Mandate. That’s the first time in his career he has even placed first up. His second up form, on the other hand, tells a very different story. It reads 4:2-0-1. He covered ground throughout a couple of weeks ago too. He is a well exposed seven-year-old stayer now but he showed last campaign in Melbourne, with a couple of dominant wins, that he hasn’t finished adding to his tally yet. The other two ticks are getting out to 2100m, which seems to be his sweet spot on what he has done in Australia for Chris Waller, and where he’ll likely find himself in the run. Should be fighting out the finish.

Dangers: 7. Bois D’Argent was said to have felt the firmness of the track at Moonee Valley first up when disappointing as a $5.50 chance. That was seven weeks ago now. His trial since was a beauty at Rosehill suggesting that he is back on track and can find the form again that saw him run well in back in October, his first run in Australia. 1. Diamil chased a brutal speed in the JRA Plate but simply wanted it more. Like the three weeks between runs to help him recover from that tough effort. 6. Lord Ardmore had issues soon after the start two weeks ago which saw him settle much further back than anticipated. His run was good with that in mind. 8. Quality Time is trending towards another win on the seven day back up.

How To Play It: Desert Icon WIN

It’s easy to forget that 12. Flag Of Honour has only had one preparation. The three-year-old raced his way through from a maiden at Newcastle to competing against some of the best youngsters in the country. He ran fourth in the Ming Dynasty behind Golden Mile before backing that up with a similar run in the Dulcify behind Williamsburg and Communist. He then bled from both nostrils at Randwick, excusing his poor run. That saw him incur the mandatory three month ban. Like the way he trialled most recently at Gosford, looking sharp to win a heat over 1000m. That sets him up well for 1200m first up. He has been the quickest of beginners in the past but barrier 1 ensures that Sam Clipperton should be close enough to likely leader and main danger Short Shorts in the run.

Dangers: 3. Short Shorts was undone by a heavy track at Randwick last start. That saw her fail to replicate her blistering first up win at Kembla Grange. Has to come back to 1200m but it’ll be hand bars down, catch me if you can. She’ll bounce back on a firmer track. The Brad Widdup-trained stablemate 7. The Poacher wasn’t beaten all that far in a deeper race than this last start at Randwick. He too will appreciate the prospect of a firmer track. 1. Garrison resumes after nine weeks without an official trial but he was an impressive all-the-way winner at Randwick fresh last preparation, and that was off a 24 week break. 6. Mars Mission looks the best of the rest.

How To Play It: Flag Of Honour WIN

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Gosford meeting