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By Brad Gray

1. Shalstar is yet to race on any surface other than a good track but willing to take the gamble that she’ll handle it. The lightly-raced four-year-old has won three of her four starts which sees her the highest rated runner in the field. That’s on the back of a midweek win at Kensington Randwick where she beat Sneaky Paige. That was in June with Sneaky Paige winning three races since and also finishing runner up to the flying Shades Of Rose. Shalstar, meanwhile, was tipped straight out. The daughter of Shalaa looked sharp winning a recent Scone barrier trial in the fastest time of the 900m heats that morning. Tyler Schiller takes 1.5kg off the 59kg she’s been lumped with. The other factor in her favour is that she is a genuine 1000m horse. A specialist distance.

Dangers: 4. Prince Nicconi has to cope with a drop back from 1200m to 1000m but his second to Opal Ridge last start reads well for this. Tim Clark sticks and he’s sure to be positive again from the inside draw. If the leaders overdo it 5. Proverbial profiles to take advantage. She’s an underrated mare and already has a Highway win to her name, over 1100m back in June. Hugh Bowman rides and she handles all tracks. 19. Hurn Court is another one here that’ll relish a truly run 1000m and he has run well himself in Highway company recently. 16. Custo disposed of his five rivals at Muswellbrook last start as he was expected to at $1.60. 8. Casino Lord is getting hard to catch but he is capable at this level.

How To Play It: Shalstar WIN

It’s hard to deny the claims of 6. Mahagoni given he ran Waterford to a nose last start at Rosehill. A repeat of that wins this. The market has cottoned on to that fact already, however. Particularly with the booking of James McDonald. The import has produced a couple of eye catching efforts in his four Australian runs for David Payne and now needs to start converting those into wins. The four-year-old raced in Midway company last preparation, both on heavy tracks. The better of those two efforts was when he was ridden conservatively. Imagine those are the tactics employed here too. Let him balance up and hit the line like he did a fortnight ago in a deep BM78, with the third placed Kalino also running well since. Over to you Mahagoni.

Dangers: 15. Herb stretches out to the mile for the first time but loved his last 100m behind Noble Solider three weeks ago in Midway company. A wet track holds no fears for him either. He was sent around a well backed $7 chance there. 10. Onemore Sapphire is five weeks between runs but he too produced a fantastic effort in Midway company last start. He couldn’t angle into the clear in the straight before savaging the line. The mile is his pet trip and he won second up last campaign. 4. Navajo Peak was 1300m to 1800m last start but it mattered little. He gapped his rivals. Kerrin McEvoy sticks and suspect he’s positive from the outset to overcome the wide draw. 1. Zou De Moon is racing as well as ever while 14. Loving Cilla is a player if the track isn’t too wet.

How To Play It: Mahagoni WIN

Forgive a good horse one bad run. That’s the punting supposition we’re having to subscribe to in making a case for 7. Grace And Harmony to bounce back. The five-year-old was terribly plain at Rosehill three weeks ago with no excuses to be found in the stewards report. Her first up run when flashing to the line late in an unsuitably run race is more indicative of her talent. The mare won a Listed race in Queensland earlier in her career on a genuine soft track so that covers any concerns regarding Saturday’s track rating. She was 40 weeks on the sidelines upon resuming to perhaps that just flattened her second up. Out to the mile now third up and with James McDonald doing the steering, happy to give her the benefit of the doubt in a very winnable race.

Dangers: Can’t find a lot of speed on paper so that opens the door for 3. Turn On the Charm to run better than his odds suggest. He began awkwardly last start and found himself further back in the run than normal. Could own this race from in front with Tim Clark sticking. 4. Giannis was brave under 63kg in the Murwillumbah Cup last start. 8. Caboche kept finding the line behind Waterford last start and has trialled well since. Might be looking for a touch further than the mile now though. 9. Bazooka gets in very light in this company.

How To Play It: Grace And Harmony WIN

Can’t resist the price about 1. War Eternal. Thought he did enough first up at Randwick in the context of being forced to carry 61.5kg on a heavy 10. Then throw into the mix that he never found the coveted rails at that particular meeting. He’s never won below 1400m either. Dylan Gibbons claims 3kg this time to offset the big weight. Second up in this same grade last preparation he towelled up his rivals that included the two placegetters Tamerlane and Dajraan. He was then tested in Group company thereafter which included a fourth in the G1 Randwick Guineas. Liked the way he trialled alongside Zaaki ahead of his return too, suggesting that he'd returned well. The son of Pierro has proven himself in all conditions in the past so whatever Randwick throws up, he’ll handle it.

Dangers: All indications are that 13. Arnold is better than benchmark company. The four-year-old backed up his emphatic maiden win at Kembla Grange with an equally dominant midweek win. He’s jumped an odds on favourite in both victories. The slightest of knocks is staying at 1400m. 8. Ita is such a genuine mare and her second up record reads 3:1-2-0. She made a stack of late ground through the same race as War Eternal last start. 7. Finepoint has handled wet tracks in the past and will be charging late. She’s still got upside and loved the way she trucked to the line in a recent Warwick Farm trial. On the topic of eye catching trials, 14. Sindacato produced his own ahead of his return.

How To Play It: War Eternal EACH WAY

7. O’President won his most recent trial by 13 lengths. What can we read into that? He is ready to go fresh over 1400m. The four-year-old steps out for Bjorn Baker for the first time on Saturday and everything looks to have fallen perfectly into place. It could prove to be a canny pickup and one that pays immediate dividends. The son of Fastnet Rock is a brilliant wet tracker, he gets in with 53kg but with 5. Cross Talk opting out of the Cameron Handicap at Newcastle for this, O’President may not get control in front. But it’s easy to forget that he is only nine starts into his career so there is still upside to come. The last time we saw him at the races he went down narrowly to Rustic Steel in The Coast where Old Flame finished third.

Dangers: 8. Ranch Hand’s return at Moonee Valley was inconclusive, having been forced back to last from the wide draw and he never fully got clear. He was only two lengths off Anamoe second up last preparation out to 1400m and his soft track form is excellent. We’ve only seen 1. Top Ranked twice in Australia and he took ground off Lost And Running in one of those and tackled the G1 Chipping Norton in the other. Give away plenty of weight to his rivals and it was hard to get a read on his two trials. 9. Lackeen typically reacts well to racing on the fresh side so like the month between runs and he looked sharp in winning a tick over trial since. 2. Purple Sector wouldn’t have to improve much on his first up showing to gets into the finish again.

How To Play It: O’President WIN

5. Zougotcha beat In Secret and North Star Lass first up in the Silver Shadow Stakes. Those form lines speak for themselves now. The former now being the Golden Rose favourite after beating up the boys in the Run To The Rose. It’s hard to argue that Zougotcha isn’t a justified favourite. Chris Waller opted to dodge the Furious Stakes with her, keeping her fresh tackling this four weeks between runs. Perhaps dodging the heavy 10 surface that day will prove to be a blessing. She has trialled since and looked sharp at Rosehill over 900m. The map is also in her favour, with James McDonald, who jumps on now second up, parking somewhere in the first dozen. We know that the prospect of a wet track holds no fears as she beat Zou Tiger on a very heavy Canterbury surface on debut.

Dangers: 1. North Star Lass may have been flattered by the way Randwick played two weeks ago but she looks set to relish 1400m. She was headed by 4. Willinga Beast but fought back on the line, clocking the fastest last 200m split in the race in the process. That, of course, sees Willinga Beast in the mix again. She can only run well given her form lines. Look for 2. Wolverine to be working home strongly with an eye on the mile in the Flight Stakes while the same can be said for 6. Seven Veils. It’s hard to ignore how well 12. Renaissance Woman trialled.

How To Play It: Zougotcha WIN

3. Anamoe parked in behind the speed in the G1 Winx Stakes first up and was never losing from there. He has been freshened up since with a tickover trial at Warwick Farm bridging the gap.

Dangers: The track rating is significant when assessing the rest of the field’s chances. The wetter the better for 10. Hinged. She did more than enough in the Winx Stakes and maps beautifully here. The blinkers go on for the first time. The drier the better for her stablemate 9. Fangirl. Nobody missed her return in that same race behind Anamoe. 4. Converge will also need a dry track to turnaround his form. Does have the scalp of Anamoe over this track and trip in the Randwick Guineas just six months ago. 5. Profondo is desperate for a dry track himself and needs the mile now. 6. Duais probably should have won the Chipping Norton second up last preparation over the Randwick mile.

How To Play It: Anamoe WIN

2. Eduardo has the run under his belt compared to his old sparring partner Nature Strip and has had the better of him over 1000m and 1100m recently. The wetter the better for Eduardo too. A wet track turns the last 200m into a dog fight as opposed to a scenario where Nature Strip is off and gone half way down the straight. Eduardo was brilliant when winning the Concorde Stakes first up flagging that he isn’t slowing down yet, despite now being a nine-year-old. He has still only had 28 starts, however. The formidable duo of Eduardo and Nash Rawiller is on hold for this week with Nash on the sidelines but Brenton Avdulla is a perfect replacement. ‘Eddie’ needs a jockey to stand over him and ride him ugly. Break the hearts of his rivals with sustained speed. Dare them to eyeball him.

Dangers: 1. Nature Strip typically has two runs going into his ‘grand finals’ so the fact that he heads straight into The TAB Everest after Saturday hints that he is a touch more forward than he has been first up in the past. Tactics will be fascinating with Nature Strip drawn barrier 2. Can James McDonald punch up to prevent Eduardo from crossing him? This is the acid test for 4. Mazu but he couldn’t ask for a better set up. He’ll be right at home on a wet track over 1100m tagging a hot speed. There will be a stack of improvement to come from 6. Classique Legend but still expecting the brilliant grey to show something first up. Would be much more confident about 8. Lost And Running getting into the money over 1200m while 3. Masked Crusader has trialled particularly well this time back.

How To Play It: Eduardo WIN

9. Benaud has found himself in the worst part of the track in his two runs back this preparation but has still produced two brilliant efforts. The first of those was a closing sixth in the Winx Stakes behind Anamoe before he backed that up with a courageous fourth behind Knights Order out to the mile in the Chelmsford Stakes where it was a huge advantage to find the fence in run. The four-year-old grey is trending beautifully as he heads towards the Metrop fourth up but the John O’Shea-trained gelding is perfectly placed here to collect this on the way through getting out to 2000m. Just hope that he still has enough speed in his legs after last start’s gutsy effort on a heavy 10 track. That’s the only gamble. Has enough tactically speed to settle midfield, which looks significant given the lack of tempo on paper.

Dangers: That lack of another obvious leader outside of 1. Knights Order makes him dangerous again. Sure, he might’ve been flattered by the way the Randwick track played but he’s never won below 2000m prior to first up so there was merit to his win. Catch me if you can. 12. Surefire was no hope from where he found himself in the Chelmsford last start yet he never shirked the task. He faces another problematic barrier on Saturday, however. 5. No Compromise looks ready to fire now third up while 11. Angel Of Truth can run well at odds.

How To Play It: Benaud WIN

Can’t find too many genuine wet trackers in this race so there’s obvious appeal with 3. Never Talk at big odds. It’s hugely track dependent but if we do get the forecasted rain, she won’t start the odds she has opened in first markets. The five-year-old mare races well fresh too. First up last preparation she ran third in a field of five behind Rule Of Law and Emanate but she clocked the fastest closing splits of the meeting. That saw her start favourite in a Group Three mares race. Like the way she has trialled on two occasions this time back while the claim of Dylan Gibbons sees her well in at this BM88 level given she raced in better company all through the autumn. The pattern of the meeting will be well established come the last and if they are running on late in the day, confidence levels will be boosted even further.

Dangers: 17. Cavalier Charles has a brilliant first up record (4:3-1-0) and gave Shelby Sixtysix a touch up fresh last preparation. Gets in light and maps well. There’s a query on him if the track gets into the heavy range. 13. Devil’s Throat sat outside of the leader in midweek company first up, absorbing pressure, before finding plenty when asked to quicken. Would prefer a soft track for him too, as opposed to heavy. 5. Maotai settled out the back last start before running on late into second behind Shades of Rose, who has won again since. Look for 4. Kinloch late while 8. Battleton warrants respect. 2. Dajraan and 7. Zoushack are both more comfortable over 1400m but can run well.

How To Play It: Never Talk EACH WAY

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