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By Brad Gray

16. Alabama State bumped into a handy mare in Unique Ambition two weeks ago at Rosehill. He didn’t get the clearest of passages in the straight but he was never beating the winner. Want to trust that form reference, however. The way he ran through the line towards the inside suggests that 1400m suits now. The three-year-old colt strikes this race fourth up but there is still more to come from him. Second up he had excuses in Midway company, forced to settle out the back from a wide gate before fanning in the straight. He can be a touch awkward in his getaways but the barrier should give Kerrin McEvoy the chance to recover a decent trailing spot given the gate. The son of Alabama Express is well found but profiles as the horse to beat.

Dangers: 14. Totoka also has upside being a filly with just six starts to her name. Three of those have been in Group company. She chased home Pippie Beach and Mergeila at the midweeks last start but that reads well for this. Strikes this third up. 2. Peace Officer draws awkwardly and is seven weeks between runs but the prospect of a dry track suits. His last start was a second in BM78 company behind Medatsu. 1. Cheerful Legend maps to be giving away a head start too. He has raced in Midway company five times for a win and two seconds. Will be flashing home late. 4. Apollo Mission produced a career best at Kembla Grange last start and earns a crack at this level now.

How To Play It: Alabama State WIN

11. Occhiata didn’t get a lot of room at Rosehill four weeks ago when fourth behind Awaygoesthebunny in Highway Handicap company. That was an improvement on what she had done first and second up. Can improve again now fourth up out to 1500m. It’s her first run beyond 1400m but she gives the impression that it’ll suit. Tim Clark rode the Matt Dale-trained mare last time out and he stays aboard. She’ll need a few things to fall into place given where has drawn but a capacity field should ensure a genuine tempo and if she can get into a three wide running line, that’d be a perfect scenario for the five-year-old. Highways have a reputation for being wide open but this is next level! Anything goes.

Dangers: 9. Who Ever Thought comes into this on the back to two career-best performances. That sees the Scone-based gelding deserve respect. He settled outside of the leader at Mudgee two starts ago and Awaygoesthebunny had to work to beat him. That ties in neatly to established Highway form. He then led all the way at Taree to win well. Can see why the $51 was knocked off when markets opened. 17. Ballinderry Sal hasn’t had much luck at her past couple. She was flushed out wide two back before never seeing daylight behind Marenaro a fortnight ago after starting an $8 chance. 21. Straight Fire comes through that same form reference and wasn’t beaten far. 4. One Beat No Beat can bounce back but the draw doesn’t help.

How To Play It: Ochiata WIN

9. Medatsu has had excuses at his past two starts. He was forced to settle last in the Dubbo Cup two weeks ago as a $6 chance, charging late to run sixth. It was a better run than it reads on paper. He was also dropping 2100m back to the mile. Prior to that he settled in the second half of a slowly run Wyong Cup and never got into the race. Etna Rosso has franked that form line since. Prior to that, Medatsu put two wins together. It was in easier company but there was a lot to like about the turn of foot he showed. The four-year-old gets in with 53.5kg on Saturday and maps to take up a midfield position. If he can get the back of Bear On The Loose at any point in the straight, he’ll take him everywhere he needs to go.

Dangers: 6. Bear On The Loose had his chance first up at Randwick, leading only to be run down by Floating. Can improve off that out to 2000m second up. Capable of better and no reason why he won’t produce that on Saturday. 8. Mare Of Mt Buller didn’t run to expectations second up. Perhaps the fast run race found her out late. Her first up run has her in the mix here. 4. Super Strike is capable on his day but it’s getting harder to predict when he’ll show up.

How To Play It: Medatsu WIN

1. Swiftfalcon made light work of his rivals in the Dulcify Stakes last Saturday. He had too much late firepower and class for his rivals. He gave them a head start, just as he did at Flemington first up, but it mattered little. The most exciting aspect to this improving three-year-old’s profile is that every time he has stepped out, he has improved. There is still no ceiling on his talent. The son of Exceedance has also proven that he can overcome slowly run races. He does swap the Randwick mile for the 1800m start at Rosehill, which is notoriously tricky for backmarkers given the short run to the first turn. It’s a race that has been dominated by low draws in recent years. That’s no coincidence. Ace High won from barrier 9 back in 2017 but he led.

Dangers: Anthony and Sam Freedman have had eyes for the Spring Champion Stakes since the beginning of the spring with 2. Henlein. He has worked home sweetly in two runs back. First up in the Ming Dynasty where Lady Shenandoah and Mayfair fought out the finish before doing his best work late at Moonee Valley over the mile. He maps to be out the back with Swiftfalcon. 5. Tenbury Wells doesn’t have the same concern. He should stalk the speed from the inside draw. He won eased down at Kembla Grange last start and has the benefit of a 2000m run already under his belt. 3. El Castello is chasing three straight this time back having fended off any would-be challengers in Midway company last start. He maps well too. 4. Duvana went to Goulburn to break his maiden and did it emphatically as a $1.50 favourite. It was a track gallop.

How To Play It: Swiftfalcon WIN

11. Spirit Of Wealth comes off a midweek Warwick Farm victory while Coleman brings Group One weight for age form into this contest. It’s a big ask for the Michael Freedman-trained filly but she is completely untapped. The margin flattered her rivals two weeks ago with Tommy Berry peeping over his shoulder in the straight. He did the same at Newcastle on debut. The grey daughter of Capitalist is still raw, wanting to lay out late but she looks destined to measure up to this level. Just hope it isn’t a preperation too soon as far as her prospects on Saturday go. What she does have in her favour, other than natural improvement, is her racing style. Maps to lead given where she has drawn. Lean her way, albeit with some trepidation given the CV of a few of her rivals.

Dangers: 1. Coleman kept chasing in the Moir Stakes first up over 1000m before holding his ground in the Manikato Stakes second up. Suspect he’ll be glad to see the back of Moonee Valley given he likes to balance up and attack the line. Beautifully placed here ahead of a Coolmore Stud Stakes target. It was a slowly run race and he sizzled home in fast time to score narrowly. It was a better win than the margin suggests. His two best performances have been on soft tracks, however. 2. Switzerland is hard to assess. The Golden Slipper runner had excuses in the Run To The Rose first up and has trialled well since.

How To Play It: Spirit Of Wealth WIN

2. Anode has raced on a good track three times in his eight start career. The results have been a narrow second in the Run To The Rose behind Traffic Warden, an even closer second to Linebacker in the Baillieu as a two-year-old when he gave the winner 3kg and his Randwick debut which he won by three and a half lengths. Long story short. He is a dead-set dry tracker. That’s just one of the reasons to be forgiving of his last start performance in the Golden Rose. It was a soft track. He never got the chance to find a rhythm either. After jumping best to lead he handed up to Storm Boy, dropping out to be well beaten. He is exceptionally well placed under the conditions of this race and if he runs to his best, he wins. Simple as that.

Dangers: 5. Snack Bar fought out the finish with Lady Shenandoah and Mayfair in the Ming Dyasty. The Godolphin gelding has come back well as a gelding and is trending to improve again third up. First up her ran on behind Autumn Glow and Wanaruah. He tackles this four weeks between runs but has trialled nicely since. The map is awkward. 10. Deconstruction needs to lift on what he has done to date but he has always given the impression that he’d excel out to 1400m. Score him up if Spirit Of Wealth runs well in the Roman Consul prior. 9. Mayne will roll forward and he too is an improving type. There’s depth to the form lines of 3. King Of Roseau.

How To Play It: Anode WIN

6. Golden Path jumped a $5 chance in the Kingston Town Stakes, running third behind Eliyass. The winner subsequently ran third in the G1 Turnbull Stakes and is one of the Caulfield Cup favourites. Ceolwulf ran second and was an arrogant winner of the Epsom while Land Legend and Zardozi, who finished fifth and sixth, duked it out to run the quinella in the Metrop. It’s a hot race. Golden Path has been a revelation for Mick Price and Mick Kent Jnr since stepping out to the middle distance range. The stable resisted the urge to tackle the Metrop with this being a goal all along. He has hardly put a foot wrong in his past four starts. Has got speed to take up a spot just in behind the first couple and Chad Schofield knows the five-year-old back to front.

Dangers: 1. Pericles rode a fast early speed in the Underwood and boxed on bravely to run third despite the four length margin. Tends to race well deep into campaigns, striking this fourth up now. Maps perfectly. Well placed under the weight for age conditions. 2. Royal Patronage is on the quick back up after sticking on in the Epsom with 56kg. Had to work early to offset the wide draw. That left him vulnerable late. Out to 1900m suits now. 4. Kovalica didn’t have much luck in the Epsom yet was only beaten two lengths. Frustrating horse in that he hasn’t won for 71 weeks but his recent form suggests that he has come back as well as ever. His Queensland Derby won was on the seven day back up. That won’t bother him.

How To Play It: Golden Path WIN

10. Gringotts went three from three last campaign as he charged through the grades. The five-year-old has won seven of his 14 starts yet is still improving. He returned with a luckless second in the Bill Ritchie Stakes three weeks ago. He was held up in the straight before flashing late. The bob of the heads didn’t go his way. That suggests that the Ciaron Maher-trained gelding has come on again since last preparation. The stable resisted the urge to run him in the Epsom, where he would have been hard to beat, instead running here before his Big Dance target. There is no hiding in this deep field but with even luck, he looks well placed to atone for last start. Tommy Berry stays aboard and he maps to get the right run.

Dangers: The same can’t be said for 14. Territory Express. He’ll come into barrier 17 after scratchings. He’ll have a lot to do late but he possesses a brilliant turn of foot and he too could have further improvement. It was a breakout preparation for the gelding last time in. Proven fresh and the 1400m to mile appears his best distance range. 16. Makarena had on speed favours in the Golden Pendant but she won comfortably, beating a deep field of mares. The tie back surgery looks to have done the job. 9. Encap is also a last start winner, taking out the Theo Marks. Freshened since then. 18. Waterford can run a race first up and like the way he has attacked the line in his trials. Nash Rawiller threw everything at 3. Here To Shock to get him home on the Cameron.

How To Play It: Gringotts WIN

3. Olentia has had bone chips removed since she last raced and has only had one trial ahead of her return. However, she is dynamite fresh and should be unbeaten first up. She was luckless last time in when second to Semana in the Triscay. The five-year-old was held together in that one trial at Warwick Farm, beaten a length. The daughter of Zoustar can be a touch hit and miss but leaning into her proven first up record even allowing for the fact that this is the longest spell she has had in her 14 start career. Tommy Berry rode in her three of her four starts last campaign and the soft gate ensures she’ll do no early work. If she produces anything near her best, it’d beat these. Market moves will be telling.

Dangers: 8. Ballroom Bella has trialled well and does her best work on top of the ground so will appreciate a good track first up. Resumes over 1200m for the first time. 9. Blanc De Blanc steps up in grade third up but she has run into two progressive four-year-olds in Briasa and Ostraka. Back to fillies and mares company and out to 1200m suits. Should run well but the market has identified that. It has the main chances well covered.

How To Play It: Olentia WIN

10. Pharari should have won over the Rosehill 1100m two weeks ago as an even money favourite. This is no harder. With even luck she can atone. The four-year-old put her rivals to the sword at Sandown two starts ago, leading all the way at $1.50. Last start a slow getaway proved costly. She recovered to settle midfield but was pinned away on the fence from the low draw. Having to change paths several times in the straight, she was denied the chance to run home over the top of her rivals. Everything that could have gone wrong, did. Yet she was still only beaten a length. She clocked the fastest last 200m split of the meeting in defeat. Again, she has drawn low so all eye on the start.

Dangers: 5. Dollar Magic remains an underrated mare. She landed good bets to win first up last campaign at Scone. The runner up was flying at the time Jedibeel went on with it afterwards. Boasts a brilliant overall record. 6. Tristate finished fourth in a busy finish over this same track and trip a month ago. That was after taking a sit. He can mix his form but respect the depth of the two recent races he comes through. This race promises to be truly run which will suit last start winner 11. Cavallo Rampante. She fought out the finish with Peace Treaty through the same race as the luckless Pharari.

How To Play It: Pharari WIN

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