Latest News

By Brad Gray

Tim Martin’s mare 12. Miss Thatcher was ridden conservatively in Highway company last start and caught the eye late, hitting the line. The tempo of the race gave the backmarkers their chance to flash home but it may have unlocked the best way to ride the four-year-old. In her two runs prior to that, both also in Highway Handicap company, she rode the speed and was run down late. She started hard in the market on both occasions too, on the back of a dominant first up win at Goulburn. The draw should give Adam Hyeronimus the chance to stalk the speed, staying at Rosehill and dropping back slightly to Class 2 company. This isn’t a deep Highway either. There aren’t too many other ways to turn.

Dangers: 5. Take The Kitty went to the line untested in Highway company behind Iron Will four weeks ago. It was a non-event. The blinkers go back on and Matt Dunn is on a Highway rampage at the moment. Draws barrier 1 and finds Nash. 9. Melody Again had no excuses behind Overlord last start, through the same race as Miss Thatcher. Thought she presented like the winner in the straight. More ground suits now given she is already proven over 1400m. 13. Eight Of A Kind has won two from three since being transferred to Danielle Seib at Goulburn. Forgive the failure too, on a heavy track. Still has upside and respect the placement of the stable.

How To Play It: Miss Thatcher WIN

6. Little Mix offers a different form line. The lightly-raced five-year-old, with just 11 starts to her name, resumed at Warwick Farm a couple of weeks ago and thundered home into third in a race where first and second in the run fought out the finish. Again, there isn’t a lot of speed on paper but she should be able to settle closer from the low gate and can only improve second up out to 2000m. Especially given that she was 41 weeks between runs prior to resuming. All three of her runs for Annabel Neasham have been in midweek company but one of them was behind Roots and the other was on a bottomless Heavy 10. Not sure where she fits in but the stable look to have found the perfect Saturday race.

Dangers: 1. Too Much Caviar could get complete control in front. He has two lengths to turnaround on 2. Wineglass Bay from four weeks ago but was dictated to throughout by Don Pedro. They went quick enough early to be run down. Too Much Caviar has been back to the trials since and won his Rosehill heat in good style and was a fourth up winner last preparation. Wineglass Bay had every possible chance as an even money favourite at Rosehill two weeks ago with 3. Travelling Kate worrying him out of it late. Wineglass Bay gets a 2kg weight swing and obviously brings that strong SP into this. He’s well found again on the back of that. Travelling Kate is fit, flying and chasing three straight.

How To Play It: Little Mix WIN

The confident market support was justified after 8. Marquess charged home to win first up at Warwick Farm. That was despite being 42 weeks between runs and drawing wide. It didn’t matter. He rounded his rivals up in style. James McDonald sticks. Will settle much closer here. The knock is the price.

Dangers: 5. Foujita San found 1200m too sharp first up behind Brudenell. Gets out quickly to 1500m second up. Looks a talent but we’re still learning about him. 3. Gracilistyla ran well (again) last start without winning. Amor Victorious has won since then at the midweeks. 6. Green Shadows fits a similar profile with six seconds to his name since his last win.

How To Play It: Marquess WIN

A Midway Handicap over 1800m has 1. Dr Evil’s name written all over it. The seven-year-old hasn’t had much go his way recently. Last start he was posted three deep outside of the leader. That was in the Forbes Cup. Forget that, knocking up late to be well beaten as a $6 chance. Prior to that he never saw daylight over the mile at Randwick in what looks to be a key form reference for this. There was less than two lengths from first to ninth, and it could be something similar in this such is the evenness of the field. Dr Evil has finished a narrow second to Wicklow over this same track and trip in the past. The 3kg claim of Jett Stanley sees Dr Evil well in at the weights too. Maps to settle midfield. Double figure odds seems fair enough.

Dangers: No runner hit the line harder than 3. Casual Connection last start behind Strait Acer. That was over 1500m. The gamble is whether he’ll still have any dash in his legs. He showed last campaign that he is a genuine stayer. 13. Vain Invader proved that the trip won’t be an issue with a boxing third last start at Canterbury over 1900m. He’ll roll forward and put himself in the first couple. Not sure what happened two starts ago in Midway company but he bounced back from that. Another win has to be close for 5. Elettrica. The timing is right to try her beyond a mile for the first time. The gate helps too. She’ll be smothered up doing no work. 10. Monfelicity comes off a confidence boosting win at the provincials.

How To Play It: Dr Evil EACH WAY

7. Smashing Eagle has put together three fantastic runs in a row and was rewarded last start over this same track and trip. He got the breaks at the right time, unlike the runner up Garza Blanca, but pounced on his chance to score comprehensively. That was on the back of a luckless third at Randwick behind Mogo Magic where he savaged the line. That’s now two starts in a row where he has clocked the fastest closing splits across the meeting. The Rosehill 1100m doesn’t typically lend itself to backmarkers however there is a lot of speed here on paper. Tyler Schiller, who won on the sprinter last start, will be licking his lips at the thought of smothering up Smashing Eagle again, before giving him last look. All he has to do is hold his form to win again.

Dangers: 9. Xtravagant Star stuck on well at Warwick Farm first up over 1000m despite travelling deep the trip first up with 60.5kg on her back. It’s positive that James McDonald sticks with her off that. She recently had a stable change and might be turning the corner again having lost her way as a three-year-old. 5. Xpresso next best.

How To Play It: Smashing Eagle WIN

5. Call Di looked to have her chance first up at Rosehill over 1400m but breaking it all down, there was plenty of merit to her run. The pressure cranked up in the middle stages setting it up for the closers. She was the only on speed survivor with first, third and fourth all settling in the second half. That was on the back of one soft 900m trial too. Want to give her the chance to go one better second up. Nash Rawiller jumps back on having been on when she won her maiden last preparation. That was before running a luckless third in Group Two company behind a subsequent Goodwood winner in Royal Merchant. The barrier looks a little tricky on paper but it doesn’t seem to matter where Call Di settles. Well found after plenty of early support but she is the horse to beat.

Dangers: 1. Powerful Peg missed the kick last start and it turned out to be a blessing as she came with a rush to beat Call Di. The claim of Amy McLucas offsets the extra weight she is being asked to carry, chasing three straight wins. 2. Pierossa appears to be anything but straightforward. This head strong mare is talented though. She actually beat home Call Di in their two clashes last campaign in Group company as fillies. She has trialled well ahead of her return but was slow out. Still does too much wrong to be confident but she’s worth a second look at the early price being offered up. 10. Howgoodareyou held off Principessa to win last start. Three weeks between runs but has trialled since. Could have trialled a touch better.

How To Play It: Call Di WIN

7. Encap comes into this as a maiden but he shouldn’t be. The Gary Portelli-trained gelding has been luckless in both runs back this time in. Love the way he has flattened out late though, pinning his ears back to attack the line. He should relish 1300m. The price discrepancy between him and Les Vampires looks wrong. There was little between them SP wise at Warwick Farm and Encap makes it interesting if he had angled into the clear earlier. That was with 59kg too. It’s midweek form but Coincide has franked the form through his first up second. He also meets a couple of his key rivals with a fitness advantaged. The timing looks spot on and the fact that he is still winless yet tackling a Group race means he has slipped the net.

Dangers: 1. Tom Kitten pays the penalty for being a Listed winner, carrying 59kg, but everything looks to have fallen nicely into place for him first up. The last time was saw him at the races he started a $6.50 chance in the Champagne Stakes, running fourth. He has Spring Champion written all over him. Great trials, Nash on, perfect gate. Has to run well. 11. Les Vampires is your likely leader which gives him every chance to pinch it again from in front. Was a beaten odds on favourite on debut but he atoned for that two weeks ago. 3. Caballus had his own hard luck story to tell last start. No edge in the early price though. Would have liked to have found spots for the untapped 6. Ducasse and 10. Griff, whose Rosebud run was much better than it reads on paper.

How To Play It: Encap EACH WAY

1. Corniche could be the sleeper in the Godolphin pack this season. The cat is perhaps out of the bag now given his price, however. There has been a lot to like about the way this Fastnet Rock colt has trialled ahead of his return. If you can match motors with Zapateo at the trials, you’re humming. She has been a sensational trialled for a couple of years now and ran fast time again. Corniche’s spring ended prematurely after his dominant Skyline Stakes win, where he beat Shinzo and Bases Loaded. The runner up went on to win the Golden Slipper and the third horse placed in the Champagne Stakes. The likes of Paulele, Astern and Bivouac were all handy two-year-olds that jumped out of the ground at three. Corniche could be the latest to fit that profile. Nash Rawiller rides and the draw looks perfect to camp forward of midfield.

Dangers: The market has been quick to forget about what 8. General Salute showed us a glimpse of as a two-year-old. He clocked the fastest closing splits of the meeting when third to Red Resistance and Steel City on debut before gapping his rivals at the midweeks. He’ll be better over a touch further being a half to Brutality but the kind draw gives him knockout claims. 9. Kandinsky Abstract is the untapped talent here having won on debut at Canterbury. He doesn’t face an easy task from the barrier. 5. Introducing and 4. The Instructor will make their own luck, and have a run under their belt from the Rosebud. Just worried about their late strength. 13. Untouchable Legend should get the run of the race.

When To Bet: Corniche WIN

The best runs of 12. Glint Of Silver’s preparation last time in were fourth and fifth up so expect him to continue to improve. He’s now third up and like the improvement he made from first to second up. It was Pericles and Madame Pommery that beat him home two weeks ago.

Dangers: . 6. Inver Park is much better suited out to 1400m. The import found 1100m too sharp, as expected, on his Australian debut. His closing splits were strong behind Insurrection. 13. Political Debate comes through the same Pericles race as Glint Of Silver. He loomed to run into the finish before peaking on his run. Stays at 1400m and might want a mile now but he can only improve off that.

How To Play It: Glint Of Silver WIN

7. Brosnan resumes a gelding. Will that be the making of him? We’ll find out on Saturday. The grey has been a tease for much of his career but in his defence 12 of his 13 starts have been in Group company. He won the only one that wasn’t. We know that the son of Snitzel despises wet track so a dry deck suits too. He has only had one inconspicuously quiet trial ahead of his return but it was the same prior to resuming last campaign and he ran fourth behind Aft Cabin, Zou Tiger and Communist. Osipenko ran fifth. His closing splits were comparable to that of Aft Cabin over 1200m. We know it was a very strong crop of three-year-olds. Maybe he isn’t looking for further after all. He could be a sprinter/miler.

Dangers: 1. Cuban Royale is going to be forever underrated. The evergreen nine-year-old found himself in career best form last campaign! It saw him charge through the grades to win a Listed race. Tends to race well fresh. 3. Astero was plain at Doomben last start but he is better than that. Freshened since then, he races well at Rosehill and looked sharp at in a Warwick Farm trial. Maps to get all favours in the run. It could be the right race at the right time for 12. Diamond Dealer. No weight, hard fit, rolls forward. 2. Loch Eagle is an explosive sprinter on his day, he just prefers wet ground. The barrier does 6. Razeta no favours but like the depth of her form lines.

How To Play It: Brosnan WIN

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