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By Brad Gray

BEST BET
RANGI TOA (Race 3, No.2 - $2.70 fav)

Have been waiting patiently for 7. O’Tycoon ($2.60 favourite on TAB) to make is debut after trialling so well on three occasions. He looks a pretty straightforward colt off those three hit-outs, showing terrific gate speed before settling in front and then quickening at the finish. He has won all three of his trials and with something still in reserve. Even the form through his trials has been subsequently franked. Scratched from a maiden two-year-old on Wednesday instead saved for a Saturday class two-year-old handicap probably tells you everything you need to know about the regard the Bjorn Baker stable hold the son of Written Tycoon in. From the low draw Rachel King should be the first to the fence and if he runs up to his trials, he looks set to make a big first impression.

Dangers: 4. Kandos Cosmos ($11) clocked the fastest last 200m split of the meeting on debut at Canterbury when flashing home into second. That was despite being sent around at $81. Looks suited swapping Canterbury for Rosehill and he is big odds again. 2. Northern Beaches ($3.60) chased home Resonator at Gosford last start and was held up momentarily so could’ve finished closer again. Forget his Pierro Plate run last preparation where he pulled up lame. 12. Valspar ($10) didn’t do much on debut but he has trialled sweetly ahead of his return this time back.

How To Play It: O’Tycoon WIN

5. Hardware Lane ($2.70 fav) put it all together at Hawkesbury last start to put three lengths on his Highway rivals. That was a Class 2 over 1100m. There is a lot more depth in this week’s running but we probably still haven’t seen the best of this lightly-raced three-year-old.

Dangers: This looks a target race second-up. 6. Boom Boom Basil ($11) had to work too hard early last start to find a spot and that told at the finish. He has never raced better but again faces a similar wide draw. 10. Markwell Dreamer ($7.50) comes through that same race and has also returned well. 16. Overextend ($10) has an awkward draw to overcome but warrants respect on his raw talent.

How To Play It: Hardware Lane WIN

Former Kiwi-trained three-year-old 2. Rangi Toa ($2.30 fav) spent nearly a year on the sidelines before resuming at the midweeks back in late April and he held off all challengers. It was an impressive win given the context. He lumped 61kg, tackled 1400m fresh and had to make a bee line to the outside fence given the way the Kensington Track played that meeting. He transitions now into Saturday company but Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott couldn’t have found a more suitable assignment for him. He shapes to relish getting out to 1500m now and there isn’t a lot of speed on paper so Hugh Bowman should be able to run it to suit. The son of Shamexpress has now won three of his four starts with his miss a narrow second in a Listed race at Te Rapa. He’ll be a tough nut to crack for his rivals.

Dangers: 4. Elusive Jewel ($4.00) looks the obvious threat. Would be surprised if the winner came from outside of these two. The mare was worn down by Solar Apex last start at Gosford, getting nailed right on the line but John Thompson has her racing in career best form. Fourth-up, she’s hard fit. 1. French Bonnet ($7.00) was galloped on last start. Forgive her that. If she can reproduce what she did when winning a Midway two starts ago, that sees her around the money again here. Maps to settle outside of Rangi Toa in the run. 6. Manderboss ($23) comes to town for the first time but the Canberra-based three-year-old is flying and deserves his crack at this level.

How To Play It: Rangi Toa WIN

2. Marnix ($7) has hit a real purple patch of form for Richard Litt. The four-year-old has hardly put a foot wrong since joining the stable. After stringing two midweek wins together back in January he ran a luckless fourth behind Irish Songs at Lised level in Canberra before running Kalapour to less than a length at Hawkesbury, where there was a huge gap back to the third placed Shibli. That prompted connections to take aim at the Hawkesbury Gold Cup despite still being a 74 rater and he justified the market support, having been backed in from $41 into $21 late, to run on late into sixth behind Kirwan’s Lane. He drops back to a BM72 now at Midway level. The extra weight is the leveller but it’s a very winnable Midway and he maps to get every possible chance in the run.

Dangers: 4. Bazooka ($6.50 eq fav) is a much better horse than his record of two wins from 25 starts suggests. His pattern often sees him find one or two better, which was the story for much of last preparation. He’s a gelding that can savage a line so if the breaks fall his way from barrier 1, which doesn’t look an ideal gate, he’ll take holding out. 11. Anagain ($12) finds Hugh Bowman and she did enough first up in the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas when a $61 pop to warrant respect back to this company. She’s a filly that showed good ability as a two-year-old, which included a second to Paulele. 5. Highly Desired ($7) is all guts and determination. He bounce back to his best last start when second in this grade three weeks ago. 6. Media Starguest ($8.50) is capable but the draw looks ugly.

How To Play It: Marnix EACH-WAY

3. Ting Tong ($7.00) comes back to three-year-old company after mixing it with older horses at his last couple. Most recently he ran fourth behind Hameron and Military Mission. Flooding home into third was Bonny Ezra who won himself just seven days later at Scone. Prior to that Ting Tong finished third behind La Chevalee on a Heavy 10 despite being five weeks between runs. Back in fifth there was Diamil, albeit with excuses. It still serves to highlight the depth to the form around Ting Tong. Now he has had that 2000m run under his belt at Gosford he sets up beautifully from a perfect draw to give this a shake at each-way odds. Jason Collett knows the horse, having ridden him twice already in the past, with one of those a narrow second behind Olympic Theatre.

Dangers: 14. Awesome Wonder ($6.50) is by Galileo out of Nechita! That’s some pedigree. Formerly trained in Ireland, she hit the ground running in Australia, winning at Wyong first-up over 1600m. There is obviously more depth here but she’s untapped. 16. Kopangi ($14) bounced back second-up after disappointing fresh and he sets up well third-up out to 2000m. Respect the early support for 12. Aravene ($3.40 fav), a Flemington-based filly that heads up the Highway a last start Sandown winner.

How To Play It: Ting Tong EACH-WAY

6. Dynasties ($2.25 fav) is the horse to beat but she’s very well found, particularly given she now takes on some pretty seasoned older horses. Beating Gypsy Goddess last start and running third behind Espiona first-up obviously reads well.

Dangers: 11. Mahis Angel ($17) looks well placed out to 1800m now after two really encouraging performances for Cody Morgan. Cardiac arrythmia explains the poor last start effort from 3. Shibli ($18). He’ll bounce back. 10. Rebel Rama ($9.50) was strong to the line at Gosford. Like the Aleas form line 4. Dream Runner ($11) brings here from the Wagga Cup while 8. Oceanic Flash ($10) couldn’t have done much more over 1300m first-up, attacking the line behind Norwegian Bliss.

How To Play It: Dynasties WIN

4. Hopeful ($4.60) was causing his strapper and jockey Rachel King all kinds of bother at Hawkesbury three weeks ago in the yard yet still produced a brilliant effort to run second behind Kirwan’s Lane. That looks a strong form reference for this with Olmedo and Atishu both running well since. That was Hopeful’s first run in Australia. The former French-based five-year-old had enough speed to win over 1500m on debut but his last three wins before being transferred to Annabel Neasham were over 2000m, 2400m and 2250m so he looks perfectly set up out to 2000m now second-up after tackling the mile first up. Has tactical speed if King wants to race prominently too. Just be on yard watch when parades and bet with confidence if he behaves this time.

Dangers: 3. Aleas ($4.60) has improved each time he has stepped out this preparation which culminated in a determined win in the Wagga Cup last start. This is a touch harder again but he is still only 12 starts into his career and on an upward spiral. 8. Irish Sequel ($4.80) meets Aleas 2kg better off from last start but was two lengths away. They’re both in the conversation but still face a task in turning the tables. 11. Bethencourt ($4.00 fav) is fit and flying. He is yet to win beyond the mile (albeit he was narrowly beaten over 1800m and 1900m in the past) and skips a few grades. Forget 10. Pappalino’s ($34) run last start while 12. Mirann ($17) has some claims.

How To Play It: Hopeful WIN

Like what we saw from 9. Mariamia ($5.00) at her first start for Joe Pride. The five-year-old mare just felt the pinch late when third behind Andermatt on a Heavy 10 at Randwick. She has been given four weeks to get over that run. There was support for Mariamia in betting too, jumping $10 in what is a much deeper race than this. It was a BM94. The overall time was near five lengths quicker than 13. Sunborn's ($4.80 fav) Midway win so that ties in neatly, with Sunborn one of her key dangers. Mariamia should only improve on what she did there given she was four weeks between runs, drops back to BM78 level against her own sex and will appreciate a drier surface. It was only in February that she was collared late by Probabeel in a Group Three at Caulfield!

Dangers: When it rained it poured for 1. Lady of Luxury ($7). After taking 11 starts to break her maiden, she went on to win another four from her subsequent nine starts. Has trialled twice ahead of her return, the latest over 1000m so she looks ready to go fresh. Sunborn was a dominant winner last start and she stuck to the inside when the pattern was to get to the outside fence. She has obviously returned in fantastic order and this is a suitable second up target. 11. Calgary Queen ($12) has a tricky gate to overcome but she’ll be in the finish again if he gets the breaks. She always is, and should have finished a touch closer last start. 3. Irish Angel ($5) can be explosive fresh while and 16. Bitcoin Baby ($5) also has claims.

How To Play It: Mariamia WIN

8. Night Of Power ($8.50) will be saved for one last crack at his rivals which makes him hard to catch but with the right breaks, he’s absolutely capable of rounding this field up. He should have finished closer first-up at Hawkesbury having been held up in the straight. It’s never easy sweeping wide at Rosehill so he’ll need a clever ride from Tyler Schiller.

Dangers: 13. Quintello ($1.95 fav) was a big winner at Randwick last start, making it two on the bounce. That was against her own sex and in weaker grade and just not sure where she gets to from the draw here. The knock is the price, not on her talent. 11. Zing ($6) has won or placed in 13 of her 23 starts. She is rarely far away and she can only improve off her second to Taksu first-up. 7. Solar Apex ($6) nabbed Elusive Jewel at Gosford first-up. He drops back to 1500m now second-up.

How To Play It: Night Of Power EACH-WAY

2. Rainbow Connection ($4.40) has more upside than any of these. A fully fit Rainbow Connection would probably blow these away. The query is how forward he is coming back from a tendon injury which sidelined him for over a year. Loved what he did in his first racing preparation, however. At just his third start he powered to the line to finish third behind Ellsberg and Private Eye in the Listed South Pacific Classic. He then ran Exoboom to half a length in the Hawkesbury Guineas at Group Three level. Now a four-year-old, here he is in a very winnable BM78. Has had three trials to ready him for his return and it was good to get a look at him on the grass in the latest of those given his first two were on the Warwick Farm synthetic. Even an 80% fit Rainbow Connection might be able to get away with this.

Dangers: There’s a cast of usual suspects that are always competitive at this level but have probably found their mark. Had to double check that it was indeed 10. El Buena ($5.50) that won a recent Rosehill trial. It was a brilliant piece of work. He’ll see most of these turning for home but if he runs up to his trial, he’ll be in the finish. 13. Skywolf ($3.30 fav) is chasing three on the bounce having won at Pakenham and Sandown in his two runs back. He’ll roll forward and make his own luck once more. Short enough in early betting, however. 8. Lancaster Bomber ($11) gets the blinkers back on and can sneak into the finish again. 14. The Big Easy ($9.50) won his only previous start at Rosehill.

How To Play It: Rainbow Connection WIN

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Rosehill Gardens here