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By Brad Gray

The barrier is the biggest obstacle ahead of 5. Bandi’s Boy but his assignment looks a touch less daunting after the six emergencies come out. The Danny Williams-trained sprinter debuted in the G3 Kindergarten last preparation as a two-year-old, catching the eye late as an $81 chance, before backing that up with an impressive win at Randwick, getting the better of race favourite Zougotcha despite still doing plenty wrong. He hung out in the straight but still won by a length. That sees him well placed in Class 2 company as a three-year-old first up. Willie Pike was on last start and he sticks here. Bandi’s Boy held his own alongside Group One winning stablemate Shelby Sixtysix in a recent Moruya barrier trial. Has to prove he’s more than a wet tracker but willing to give him the opportunity given his upside.

Dangers: 4. Participator also has a wide gate to overcome but he too isn’t short on talent. He jumped a well backed $3.10 chance the last time we saw him at the races and although he was beaten there in Highway company, it proved to be an exceptionally deep race won by Testator Silens. Anethole ran second while Golden Point, Shelby Sixtysix and Commando Hunt weren’t far away either. Not sure how 7. Optimo will react to coming back to 1100m off a five week break after several runs at 1400m but at least we know he’ll be powering through the line. He was luckless in Highway company two starts ago. 3. Daredevil is a lightly-raced six-year-old with a mind of his own at times but if he runs up to his best, he’s a player. Just needs to settle in the run. Fellow speedsters 2. Comonic and 6. Dollar Magic will keep him company up front though. Wary of 11. Salire.

How To Play It: Bandi’s Boy WIN

4. So United tackled this track and trip two weeks ago, in this same grade, when run down late by Cadre Du Noir. Loved the fight the five-year-old showed when he was headed though and there was five lengths back to third. That was the first time So United had tackled the mile and a half and he clearly relished it. It’s also worth noting that all three of his past career wins have been on good tracks. He gets through the wet, as he has proved this campaign, but is most effective on top of the ground. Rachel King has ridden the son of So You Think at his past three starts and would expect similar tactics to a fortnight ago, get him out in front and rolling, particularly now knowing that he gets a strong 2400m. He has been up since May but he is getting better if anything.

Dangers: 3. Impulsar is only five starts into his career, winning three of them, with two of those coming in Australia for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. However, he is a last start Pakenham synthetic winner. The start prior to that he jumped $4 at Caulfield and had no luck, finishing alongside his stablemate 2. Strawberry Rock, who he clashes with again here. Strawberry Rock started $31 there. Struggling to now see why Strawberry Rock is shorter one start later, having since finished second at Moonee Valley over 2500m. Then there’s 6. Monfelicity on the back up after racing without luck last Saturday. She’ll love the 2400m.

How To Play It: So United WIN

Siding with the up and comer 17. My Truth. He has less convictions that his Midway rivals here with just two starts to his name and although he comes here off a maiden midweek win as a $20 chance, the way he put his rivals away was impressive. The overall time stacked up well across the meeting. The three-year-old did manage to pinch a breather in the middle stages but showed a terrific turn of acceleration at the 400m mark to put the race away. He won with his ears pricked, eased down with 4.6 lengths back to the runner up Ironbark Artie who won his next start. My Truth’s debut fourth at Wyong might not have looked flash on paper but that maiden has subsequently produced three winners and two placegetters. Drawn wide but imagine Willie Pike slides across in his own time. Should get his chance from there.

Dangers: 1. Bazooka was backed as if his number was already in the frame last start and the enigmatic five-year-old delivered for the punters. It was a convincing win over 1800m. Has to cope with a slight drop in trip back to the mile and an extra 5kg here. The blinkers go back on. 2. Buba has form around the right horses for this and looks well placed after the claim. Wasn’t beaten far by Star Sparks last start who won again at Canterbury on Wednesday. 14. Scorched Land fits in well after lumping huge weights at his past couple. 7. Bella Violet is suited out to her pet trip of the mile second up and Hugh Bowman jumps back on. 8. Adios Steve will make his own luck up top but has 4.6 lengths to make up on Bazooka.

How To Play It: My Truth WIN

If anything, the narrow margin 8. Casino Kid won by last start flattered his rivals. It was slowly run in the early stages but it mattered little to the five-year-old, who rounded up his rivals over this same track and trip. This is the same grade but there is more depth here. Even so, Casino Kid was only second up out to the mile and was four weeks between runs having resumed over 1100m a month earlier. He can only step forward again from that win which sees him very hard to hold out in this. The Jan Bowen-trained galloper really started hitting his straps at the backend of last preparation and the early signs this time back suggest that he can continue marching through the grades. See no reason why he won’t go back-to-back.

Dangers: There is a sense of timing about 4. Opacity now fourth up out to the mile, on the back up with the blinkers going back on. He hit the line against the bias at Rosehill last start suggesting that another win was close. 5. Niffler clocked the second quickest last 200m split across the meeting last start despite running seventh. Yukon walked in front and pinched the race. Niffler was five weeks between runs there too, dropping back from 1800m to 1300m. There is a lot in her favour here, especially with the front-running Narrated running at Hawkesbury instead. 2. Equation has his chance first up but can only improve off that while don’t want to drop off 3. Bold Mac completely.

How To Play It: Casino Kid WIN

1. Special Reward lost his way for a preparation or two but he found his best form again at the backend of last campaign. That coincided with finding Glyn Schofield who has a knack of clicking with certain horses. The seven-year-old resumed over this same track and trip in the G2 Missile Stakes a fortnight ago where he was forced to give away an impossible start from the wide draw. Like the way he was mowing his rivals down through the line though. Schofield jumps back on second up and drawn a lovely gate here back in grade, the pair will camp midfield behind a genuine speed and be looking to weave a path late. That’s how it played out when he was so impressive winner at Randwick over 1200m back in December where he beat Snapdancer.

Dangers: 6. Showmanship is the big unknown. He too is a seven-year-old but with just nine starts to his name, winning seven of them. He resumed in the Wangoom back in May after spending 86 weeks on the sidelines prior. Obviously has his issues but he’s a talent and J-Mac is booked. 2. King Of Sparta didn’t let down like he can last start down the Flemington straight. Forgive him that. His win at Caulfield prior was strong and the drying track suits. 7. Chat typically runs well fresh and he’ll find this easier than bumping into Lost And Running and Overpass first up last preparation.

How To Play It: Special Reward EACH WAY

It was impossible to miss the run of 13. Yiyi in the Premiers Cup Prelude two weeks ago, the logical form reference for this. The five-year-old was a touch flat first up but he bounced back in a big way second up out to 1800m. He was jagged back from the wide gate and rattled home. His last 600m split of 34.15s was a whopping 3.5 lengths quicker than the next best in the race while his last 200m split was among the quickest across the entire meeting. That sets him up beautifully third up out to 2000m from a better draw. Yiyi has shown in the past that he possesses the tactical versatility to settle handy too. The gelding’s form is well exposed by now so the gamble is Yiyi repeating that last start effort but there is enough in the early price to take the punt that he can.

Dangers: 3. Lord Ardmore was the winner of the Prelude and it was never really in doubt after Hugh Bowman gave him the run of the race. He maps to get a similar run in transit here. He’s returned in terrific order and absolutely no knock on his winning chances. 9. Grove Ferry took it to Lord Ardmore for much of the straight. He drops another kilo to carry 53kg and will give another sight from in front. 7. Toomuchtobear brings a different form line and backed up his blistering return with a second to Cross Talk, where Gold Trip ran third. He is two from two at Randwick. 8. Francesco Guardi’s chances of turning the tables on Lord Ardmore haven’t been made easy by the barrier. Keen to see what 10. Chalk Stream will produce fresh while 6. Raging Bull was a big winner last Saturday defying the bias and with 61kg.

How To Play It: Yiyi EACH WAY

More was expected from 2. Belluci Babe first up in the G2 Missile Stakes. She didn’t fire a shot. It was too bad to be true and a race where all horses in the market underperformed. There is enough in the early price to gamble that the six-year-old can bounce back to her best second up. She comes back to her own sex and to Group Three company. Last preparation she mixed it with the best sprinters in the country. After running a luckless fourth in the G1 Galaxy, she backed that up by hitting the line behind Nature Strip and Eduardo in the G1 TJ Smith at weight-for-age! Fancy the drop back to 1100m, love the soft draw and she gets her preferred dry track. Just have to take on trust that she had an off day two weeks ago.

Dangers: 10. Zapateo is a mare still very much on the up. That sees her get in on the minimum with 53kg. First up last preparation she tackled the 1100m at Rosehill and was beaten only by Mazu. The four-year-old looked razor sharp in a recent trial win at Kembla Grange. Coming through that same heat was 5. Jamaea who also caught the eye. She could find the 1100m a touch on the short side but she fits in well here. 3. Fituese gets an ideal set up to defend her Toy Show crown from 12 months ago. A drying track, 1100m, fresh. Barrier 1 could be the little knock if any as she’ll need luck at the right time. Wouldn’t be surprised to see 6. More Prophets run a race at odds first up. The blinkers go on.

How To Play It: Belluci Babe WIN

3. Anamoe is the obvious horse to beat but he’s very well found. He’s well placed kicking off over 1400m. Has looked sharp in his two trials and draws to camp just in behind the speed if he jumps on terms. Forbidden Love was plain first up in the Missile Stakes but inclined to forgive her that given that every horse in the market failed. She owns the race from in front and she showed last preparation how lethal she can be with that set up, albeit on wet tracks.

Dangers: 1. Mo’unga won this race 12 months ago when perfectly ridden by Tommy Berry. Ignore his trials, he saves his best for race day. He always has. He is another one that could find himself closer in the run that we’re used to seeing. The five-year-old flies fresh too. There is nowhere to hide for 10. Fangirl in weight for age company but suspect she’s up to the task.

How To Play it: Anamoe WIN

7. In Secret made a big impression in her two starts as a two-year-old. She was brilliant winning eased down at Hawkesbury on debut before improving again at her second outing, winning the Listed Woodlands Stakes. A race Libertini won back in 2019 before blowing her rivals away first up in the Silver Shadow at three. The takeaway from In Secret’s victories has been her late strength. The daughter of I Am Invincible has run right through the line at the end of 1100m so she should relish 1200m at Randwick. The gate will give James McDonald the chance to balance her up midfield and on the evidence of her exposed, she is a deserved favourite. Was hard to take away too much from her one quiet Warwick Farm barrier trial but her last start was only 14 weeks ago so there is some residual fitness compared to her rivals.

Dangers: Want to trust the Percy Sykes form where 5. Willinga Beast was brilliant, pairing off with Paris Dior. There was four lengths back to fourth. It’s easy to forget that Willinga Beast was having just her second start there too. We’ll find out whether she was flattered by the heavy tracks. Has won both trials back this time in. 14. Opal Ridge clocked the fastest last 200m split of the entire meeting last start when second to Troach. The form through that race has been franked since. She’s up and running and there is no guesswork involved as to whether she’s come back. 3. Seven Veils caught the eye in her two trials and made giant strides as a two-year-old. Forget her Slipper failure. 1. Revolutionary Miss, 10. Mumbai Jewel and 13. Zougotcha rate mentions.

How To Play It: In Secret WIN

There was so much more merit to the first up win of 13. Arbitration than the margin suggests. The lightly-raced four-year-old looped the field from last on a Heavy 10 with 59kg on her back. Granted, she was simply better than those and this second up assignment is considerably harder but she’s still a mare with untold upside. What we do know of her is that she produces a devastating turn of foot. That makes her extremely dangerous dropping 5.5kg and getting onto a firmer track. Tim Clark takes the ride and another tick for this daughter of Street Boss is her versatility in terms of where she settles. She has been equally effective from on top of the speed and back in the field. That gives Clark plenty of options to sum it all up upon jumping. Would expect her to settle down no worse than midfield in a race without a stack of pressure on paper.

Dangers: 7. Mayrose is also an improving mare and although he form tapered off at the backend of last preparation, perhaps her second up win on a bottomless Heavy 10 flattened her. She was brilliant in winning at Canterbury first up last campaign and love the way she recently trialled. 3. Pizarro is up and running striking this race with a considerable fitness edge. He wasn’t suited by the slow tempo up front last start. Yet to finish out of the placings in his seven starts. 8. Conrad got his career back on track last start at Canterbury, albeit by finding the fast lane out wide at Canterbury. This is harder but she showed so much potential early days. 5. Zarastro resumes a gelding but he fired up early in his one trial while 9. Larkspur Run fits in well here. Both are very well found, however.

How To Play It: Arbitration WIN

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