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By Brad Gray

9. Rebel’s Edge is flying at the moment but racing without luck. His get back style always makes that a risk but the breaks will fall his way shortly. The four-year-old savaged the line at Scone first up behind talented filly Opal Ridge before hitting the line just as hard in Highway company after being inconvenienced in the straight. It was a deceptively good run. Again, he didn’t get the clearest of paths at Muswellbrook last start when second to Media Man. He jumped from 1200m to 1500m there too. Now fourth up only a six day turnaround over 1400m, he sets up to go one better. Sam Clipperton has been tasked with the job here and if the pair can find themselves somewhere midfield upon settling, or just a touch worse, he should be close enough if good enough.

Dangers: 1. Zaru has obvious claims being a last start Highway Handicap winner and he carries just 1kg more after the claim of Dylan Gibbons. The biggest tick, however, is that he maps to get a very similar cosy run in transit. 2. King Of Spades pulled up lame after disappointing at the Sapphire Coast. He won’t be far away in the run and keen to see what he can do getting onto firmer ground. Has always shown glimpses of talent. Lightly raced mare 14. Awesome Audrey won well at Moruya last start and could go right on with it now. 4. Dream Game is chasing three straight this time back and looks perfectly placed out to 1400m now third up. 3. Daksha was too bad to be true last start. The blinkers go back on.

How To Play It: Rebel’s Edge EACH WAY

2. Frumos still clocked the fastest last 600m split in the race last start despite never being allowed to get out of first gear. Remarkable. It was the first time that the lightly-raced five-year-old mare has tasted defeat but she's well placed to atone in a race with even less depth and out to 1500m. The way she put away two subsequent winners at Rosehill prior to that was in the manner of a galloper destined to rip through the grades. Again, she’ll balance up towards the tail of the field but at this level she’s good enough to give away a big head start and still round these up. Pending scratchings, there look to be sufficient speed for her to prove too good at the finish. The early market tells you that she should bounce back and right the wrong from two weeks ago.

Dangers: 4. Hope In Your Heart comes through that same race as Frumos and she too had no luck in the run home. The Kerry Parker-trained mare competed in group company as a three-year-old filly and it looks a strong crop from what we’ve seen of the now four-year-old’s already. 6. Air To Air finally added an elusive second victory to her tally last start at Newcastle where she got away with a slow getaway with her class edge. Can’t afford to do that in this.

How To Play It: Frumos WIN

1. Born A King was seven weeks between runs at Flemington last start but he still managed to get into the finish, picking up where he left off back in mid June. That was when he slipped past his rivals up the inside to put a gap on a very similar field. It was the same grade and over this same track and trip. He’s well in after the 3kg claim of Dylan Gibbons. Was to trust that form line through Lyrical Lad from three weeks ago where the market suggested that he could need the run. He beat third comfortably and can only improve off that outing. Back on his home track, middle draw allowing him to park up somewhere midfield and a firming track. It’s a perfect scenario for him to produce his best, which wins this.

Dangers: The last start run of 8. First Light suggests that he is just about ready to win. He wasn’t suited dropping back to the mile third up but kept finding the line behind Casino Kid. Fourth up he tackles 2000m and maps to settle close up from the inside gate. There was little between him and stablemate 5. Il Affare last start, she too racing like she wants this trip now. 9. Rondino is flying for Greg Hickman. He charged late behind Raging Bull here two weeks ago and is another that’ll relish the extra ground. 10. Rebel County perhaps doesn’t have the class of a number of his rivals, at least yet, but he looks to get complete control up front.

How To Play It: Born A King WIN

9. Eye See Things found the right part of the Kensington track first up this preparation at the midweeks but she won in style and beat a handy field that included the runner up Quick Tempo. It flagged that that six-year-old had returned as well as ever. She’s always had the talent but as her record suggests, she has a habit of running competitive races without winning. She wasn’t afforded the chance to build on her first up win second up having been shuffled back in the run before failing to shoulder into the clear. Thought she worked home well once the bird had already well and truly flown. Comes back in grade slightly to BM72 company and she looked very sharp in a subsequent tickover trial, matching motors with Group One winning mare Nimalee.

Dangers: 2. Noble Soldier was perhaps the pick of the runs from a Midway here two weeks ago over 1400m given he didn’t find the fence in run like 4. Oakfield Arrow and 7. Nictock. Nictock looks well placed coming back slightly to 1300m as the 1400m maxes him out. It’ll just come down to how much early work he has to do to cross. 8. Diamond Diesel has kickstarted his career again in the right way, winning two on the bounce at the provincials. Would’ve been keener on the chances of 15. Abuela over 1200m given she tackled 1100m first up but she is a mare capable of picking off a race or two at this level. Gets in light. 3. Highballer will be better over further but like the progression he made last preparation while 5. Leave Me Some will hit the line.

How To Play It: Eye See Things EACH WAY

Can we overlook the fact that it’s been nearly three and a half years since 1. Angel Of Truth has won a race? It was the 2019 ATC Derby. Easier said than done but the early price makes it more digestible. There’s a case to be made that his past two first up runs have been the best of his preparation. In the autumn he resumed in the G1 Chipping Norton and was only beaten 1.3L by Verry Elleegant, finishing third. The campaign prior to that he clocked the fastest last 200m of the entire meeting at Caulfield when second to Sierra Sue. To seal the deal is how well the seven-year-old has trialled ahead of his return. He matched motors with Anamoe in the first of them before holding his own behind speedy colt Best of Bordeaux in the latest.

Dangers: Nobody missed the return of 10. Grace And Harmony two weeks ago. Nor have bookmakers. The mare flashed home first up in a race where the leader, and eventual winner, walked in front. The race has already provided two subsequent winners in Pizarro and Niffler and her run was superior to both of those. Lightly raced import 9. Old Flame hit the ground running in his first Australian preparation and looks well placed first up over 1400m. He has enough speed to hold a spot from the low draw and get his chance. 6. Blaze A Trail is very good fresh and needs firm ground so the set up should be perfect for him on Saturday coming off a Mildura Cup win. The runner up there has since won too. 4. Purple Sector will run well fresh while 5. True Detective races well at Rosehill.

How To Play It: Angel Of Truth EACH WAY

5. Fire beat himself down the straight at Flemington last start when the $2.20 favourite. He rode a good speed, kicked like the winner but got lost late. The unbeaten Chain Of Lightning nailed him in the concluding stages. That was a sprint with good depth at BM84 level. The Hawkes stable send him back up the highway to contest a BM78 with very limited winning chances. We saw the four-year-old a couple of times in Sydney earlier in his career but he is a different horse now. He is still far from the finished product but he is well on his way to competing in better races than this. He gave his rivals a touch up at Sandown first up prior to Flemington so third up back around a bend sets him up perfectly to justify his short quote.

Dangers: 4. Quick Tempo bombed the start at Rosehill two weeks ago before charging into fourth on the worst part of the track. That was behind a potential group winner in Shades Of Rose. He smashed the clock late and the overall time of the race stacked up. He is flying but has potentially bumped into another very smart sprinter. Raw speed takes you a long way over the Rosehill 1100m as we saw from 3. Rubinocchi here two weeks ago. Handlebars down and catch me if you can. She was subsequently beaten by her stablemate 9. Lady Brook but has been freshened up since, looking sharp in a tickover trial behind In The Congo. Lady Brook subsequently failed at Randwick out to 1200m. She looked better placed back to 1100m. 8. Monte Ditto next best.

How To Play It: Fire WIN

14. Waterford made a huge impression at his first Australian start. That was only his second ever race start too. Chris Waller elected to tip the import straight out after that Warwick Farm victory. The half brother to talented stablemate Wicklow gets in with 53.5kg jumping straight into Saturday company and his two trials have been terrific, zooming home in the latest of his hitouts over 1200m. There looks to be five go-forward horses prior to any scratchings so the speed should be genuine enough for Tommy Berry, who rode him in his maiden victory, to camp just worse than midfield before cutting loose late. A couple of his key rivals have a fitness advantage over him but he has significantly more upside and the fact that he resumes over 1500m says that he has done plenty of work ahead of his resumption. Follow him.

Dangers: 8. Kalino was ridden outside of the lead at Rosehill last start, against his established pattern, but it mattered little. He was simply too good for his rivals and James McDonald wasn’t prepared to leave anything to chance. Like the set up for him out to 1500m from the soft draw. 12. Gracilistyla was turned sideways at the 300m mark first up and did a good job to pick himself up and finish the race off. Gracilistyla beat Diamil second up last campaign with Hugh Bowman in the saddle. 1. Kalapour made a big impression himself in his first Australian run, winning at Hawkesbury over 1500m. He’s also sure to appreciate a genuinely run race. 9. Aeecee Express is an improving type but won’t get an easy time in front.

How To Play It: Waterford WIN

5. Ringmaster’s run in the G1 JJ Atkins gets better every time you watch it. He was posted deep throughout before fading late to be beaten less than two lengths. This is the first time in his four start career he has drawn low too. He’s the one that has been overlooked by the market. Especially when you consider that Tommy Berry jumps off the stablemate 6. Backrower to ride Ringmaster. Ringmaster will still have some residual fitness from Queensland and it’s a near identical set up to Tiger Of Malay’s preparation heading into the Up And Coming last year. He won the race for the Freedman stable carrying 61kg. Recent history suggests that there is typically very little between the three-year-olds so early in their preparations, so the map is crucial.

Dangers: Haven’t dropped off 11. Conqueror after his first up effort. Just can’t get him so short. He’s well found in early betting. The colt raced the four-year-olds first up over 1400m and was set a big task from last. He can only come on from that and has trialled well since. 8. Kibou wasn’t quite sharp enough to get into the finish of the Rosebud two weeks ago over 1100m. Out to 1300m in a race he can potentially control is a very different set up, and a very likeable one for him. 3. Shalatin is still a maiden but he’s no stranger to Group company. 2. Basquiat may need the run but liked the progression he made in his first preparation. 1. Williamsburg pays the penalty at the weights for his two-year-old success.

How To Play it: Ringmaster EACH WAY

1. Best Of Bordeaux was the dominant two-year-old colt in Sydney, displaying blistering early speed. He won the Canonbury and the Silver Slipper before stretching his brilliance to 1200m in the Golden Slipper. He absorbed a stack of early pressure there yet was right there in the finish, running second to Fireburn on a heavy track. If there was any doubt about whether he’d train on as a three-year-old, he answered that with a sensational trial win at Rosehill recently over 1000m. There are a number of speed horses drawn inside of Best Of Bordeaux on Saturday but if James McDonald wants to find the front, he will. He’s simply too fast. Like the draw for him as well as looking at his two-year-old replays, he builds his speed.

Dangers: 5. Nettuno faces his stiffest test to date but he was brilliant in winning his first two starts. He scrambled home at the Gold Coast the last time we saw him at the races but he wasn’t at his best there. Has trialled up well ahead of his return. 7. Zoukerino had a lot in his favour when winning the Rosebud but he did make the jump from a midweek maiden straight into Listed company. He is still spiralling upwards and maps to get another perfect run. Big watch on 3. Promitto. He powered home to win a Newcastle maiden on debut before treating his Group Two rivals in the Skyline with similar contempt. 9. Spacewalk threw the Rosebud away when grabbed late by Zoukerino but the barrier doesn’t make it an easy task to turn the tables.

How To Play It: Best Of Bordeaux WIN

There is a lot more depth to the field 8. Shades Of Rose tackles here but she has been beating up her rivals recently. The form has stacked up through those races too. She has only been getting better each run too. James McDonald took her straight to the front at Rosehill over the 1100m two weeks ago and she cruised home. The four-year-old is unlikely to get the same level of control in the lead this time but her ability to stride forward and then quicken should see her competing in Group races before too long. The daughter of Rubick is chasing three straight wins, and her sixth victory from just eight starts, after a couple of hiccups derailed her preparation first and second up. McDonald won’t leave anything to chance again. They’ll be doing well to get past her late given the form she finds herself in.

Dangers: If it isn’t the favourite, it’s anybody’s guess. Inclined to go with a couple of outsiders to potentially fill the minors, starting with 9. Tristate. The gamble is whether he is going to be forward enough after 46 weeks on the sidelines but this is a four-year-old that was only beaten 2.7L by Home Affairs in a very deep Heritage back in September. He returns a gelding. 6. Dream Circle is incredibly inconsistent but he’ll relish the genuine speed this race promises. 3. Maotai got the job done first up but faces a tricky map.

How To Play It: Shades Of Rose WIN

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