Latest News

By Brad Gray

Keen to see 14. Private Legacy out to 1400m. Her pedigree screams further being by The Autumn Sun and out of a mare trainer Greg Hickman knew well in Private Secretary, who placed multiple times in Group company. This filly should have been fighting out the finish at Newcastle on debut if not for being held up at a critical point turning for him. She was unable to build momentum with the winner off and gone by that point. A lack of early speed again proved costly at Warwick Farm last start but liked her work through the line once more. It was tough work making ground given the shifty conditions. Zac Lloyd jumps aboard on Saturday and after the claim Private Legacy gets in with just 52.5kg on her back.

Dangers: What you see is what you’ll get with 1. The Little Pumper. He’ll bounce out from barrier 1 and give a sight. Has a depth of form that none of his rivals can match from his first campaign and resumed with a dominant midweek win at Canterbury. Has trialled well since. 11. Lady Soames ran out a dominant winner himself at Taree at her second start and the time compared favourably across the meeting. The runner up won at Gunnedah thereafter to frank the form. 13. I Am Famous comes through the same race as Private Legacy last start with the half sister to Classique Legend sticking to her task well. 3. Mad Deel came from last to win at Kembla Grange over 1300m last start and is in good hands with the Snowdens. 12. Colours Of Autumn was luckless in that same race.

How To Play It: Private Legacy EACH WAY

6. Oakfield Waratah gapped his rivals in Midway company two starts ago. He may have been flattered by a perfect ride and a lack of pressure on paper, which suited those settling close to the pace, but he won with authority. The lightly-raced four-year-old back that up with a rock solid third at Rosehill. He was no match for Resonator and Gracilistyla but you’d be very confidently backing either of those in this company. He jumped hard in betting there too with the market giving the son of Dissident plenty of respect. Wouldn’t think that the mile would be a problem on his strength at the end of 1500m recently with the cherry on top being that he should get the run of the race from the draw. A deserved favourite.

Dangers: Reluctant to jump off 3. Dimaggio having tipped him last start as he looks perfectly set up out to the mile fourth up from another perfect draw. He lacks the upside of Oakfield Waratah but that doesn’t detract from his winning chances on Saturday. Rory Hutchings appears to have the key to the imposing gelding. 13. Tympanist is equally big in stature. He needs room to wind up, something he hasn’t been afforded this campaign so his form is somewhat hidden. He squeezed through late two weeks ago from barrier 1 to run third to Touristic. 4. Decadent Tale draws horribly but if she gets the chance to blend into the race at the right time, she has obvious claims. 7. Unamerican isn’t without a hope either.

How To Play It: Oakfield Waratah WIN

3. Zaru looks to have returned as well as ever on the strength of his two runs back this time in, both in Highway Handicap company. This’ll be the five-year-old’s 11th Highway. First up over 1100m he got back in the field and rattled home into fourth behind Proverbial, who won again thereafter. Second up Zaru built on that performance to again come from well back to run Acapella Sun to half a length over 1200m. The Joseph Burges-trained gelding finally draws a barrier on Saturday. He isn’t blessed with early speed but it should at least see him settle midfield. From that position, Zaru won’t be easy to hold out. In his previous Highway win he settled just in behind the speed. His conviction of course remains his strike rate with just two wins from 32 starts but he does have a further 17 minor placings. Each way.

Dangers: 13. Melody Again looks a smart filly going places. It’s hard not to like what she has done already in four runs, getting out to the mile last campaign. She failed to handle the heavy track there. Forgive her that. The concern is her likely being buried away on the fence from barrier 1 back in the field. 6. Iron Will was around the mark in three Highway runs at the backend of last campaign and was always respected by the market. The knock is 1200m first up. Worried about the last 100m. No knock on his talent and he trialled well at Moruya ahead of his return. 5. Durnstein comes through a handy race at Gosford with the form being franked a number of times since. Then there’s 2. Wild Irish Rover, 10. Take The Kitty and 12. Rogue Lune. Deep race.

How To Play It: Zaru EACH WAY

7. Louisville bumped into an import going places last start, Aristonous. This lightly-raced four-year-old also has it all in front of him though. Like the way he was clearing out from the rest of the field through the line. That bodes well for getting out beyond the mile for the first time. The son of Teofilo also gets in with just 52kg after the claim of Zac Lloyd. Prior to last start, Louisville won at Warwick Farm while at his first run in Australia he paired off to fight out the finish with Time Quest, who has gone right on with it himself since. The negative regarding the set up on Saturday for Louisville is the barrier. The rail out a long way at Randwick only complicates that further. He’ll need a clever ride from Lloyd to blend into the race at exactly the right time.

Dangers: It’s the same query with fellow backmarker 1. Mahagoni. He is the class runner coming back from BM88 company. He never got into the race second up over 1500m in an on speed dominated race and was a third up winner last campaign. The door is open for 10. Don Pedro to overperform given he’ll bounce out to settle in the first couple, if not lead. Gets the blinkers on, gets out to 1800m and drops 9kg. To counter that is the country and provincial form he offers. 4. Camaguey gets out beyond a mile for the first time. He was brave at the midweeks last start covering ground. The good track was blamed for 5. Special Envoy’s first up failure. He faces similar conditions again on Saturday but his overseas form says that he is better than what he showed there.

How To Play It: Louisville WIN

11. Capitol Queen piques plenty of interest first up. Particularly given the context of her early price. This filly made a big impression when winning a maiden on debut back in January, where Sequestered ran third. It was on a heavy track but impressive none-the-less. That prompted Ciaron Maher and David Eustace to deep end her four weeks later running her in the G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes. She proved no match for the likes of Aft Cabin, Zou Tiger and Osipenko but that aggressive placement hints at the opinion the stable have of this daughter of Capitalist. She’s had just the one trial back ahead of her return where she more than held her own in open company behind Dehorned Unicorn and Lady Of Luxury. Draws barrier 1 and Dylan Gibbons jumps back on having ridden her on debut.

Dangers: 9. Tintookie looks to be humming. The filly has been beaten by the barrier in her two runs back behind Brudenell and then Waverider Buoy. Doesn’t have that excuse third up from a soft draw. Out to 1200m holds no fears either. 12. Dakota Vroom raced out of her grade first up but it didn’t matter. Loved how strong she was through the line. The step out to 1200m looks perfect now. She profiles like a filly that can charge through the grades. 1. Master Showman is tough and very fit. The colt will roll forward and is never easy to get past. 7. Hi Dubai was beaten a nostril last start at Rosehill. The challenge for her is stretching her brilliance to 1200m at Randwick. 6. Ramones has a tricky gate to overcome.

How To Play It: Capitol Queen EACH WAY

7. Vienna Princess should have won last start at Rosehill. She was beaten 1.5 lengths but never got a crack in the straight. Prior to that she put her rivals to the sword at Rosehill, relishing a hot tempo before putting a margin on Either Oar, who has raced well since. The knock on the set up for this filly on Saturday is not only whether she wants the mile now but also the tactical nature of this race on paper. The lack of pressure could see the leaders hard to chase down. Throw in her barrier and she maps to be giving away a couple of lengths head start turning for home. We’ll have a guide on how the track is playing by this point. Still inclined to back this filly’s quality to get her home. Could find herself in black type company over the carnival the way she is trending.

Dangers: 2. Zoushack beat home Vienna Princess two weeks ago but only because she didn’t say daylight. That said, Zoushack is a very fit on pacer that won’t be easy to chase down, even with 60kg on his back. His record over 1400m reads 4:3-0-0. 5. Major Artie doesn’t have the fitness base of Zoushack but he too will race forward, likely settling outside of the leader. Respect his SP profile from last campaign. Has trialled well ahead of his return for his new stable, Richard and Will Freedman. 4. Pizarro jumped $4.80 in a Listed race at Flemington last start. He never got into the race down the straight though. Forgive him that. 9. Cosmic Minerva gets in light but is still doing things wrong. A slow getaway proved costly a couple of weeks ago.

How To Play It: Vienna Princess WIN

1. Overriding can offset the wide gate with a positive ride. The flying filly has shown plenty of versatility in her six start career already, having won from back and forward in the run. Last start at Randwick she jumped as well as any of her rivals but was forced to go back to find cover. It didn’t matter in the end with Koby Jennings coming with a well-timed run to prove too strong late. This is slightly harder again grade-wise but it isn’t any harder on paper. Perhaps even easier, hence her early price. Prior to last start she savaged the line to win impressively at Newcastle with the margin flattering her rivals given the slow tempo. The Nathan Doyle-trained three-year-old is chasing four straight wins and looks perfectly set up out to 1400m now.

Dangers: The market has pinpointed 2. Ottilie as the main threat and it’s hard to argue given the strength of her last start win at Warwick Farm. She was ridden with intent third up and ran her rivals into the ground. Just has to replicate that back on top of the ground but like that Zac Lloyd sticks having got the best out of her a couple of weeks ago. 5. Fearnought has now put together two excellent runs in races that read well for this, behind Vienna Princess and Semana. Her pattern will see her rely on pressure up front. 7. Sirens Star jumped out of the ground herself third up to put Green Shadows away at Warwick Farm. She too has the challenge of building off that on a firmer track. 3. African Daisy was too bad to be true last start. She can bounce back.

How To Play It: Overriding WIN

Catch me if you can on 3. Stonecoat. There is more depth to this BM78 than the one the gelding won first up but he can only improve off that. He is also better suited out to the mile. The three-year-old defied a big late drift and a surge from Excelladus to win his fourth race from just eight starts. There was a lot to like about the way he picked himself up to rally again through the line. He was coming away past the post. He rises 3kg off that. Adam Hyeronimus sticks. At the backend of last campaign the son of Pierro again refused to lose in the Listed Morphettville Guineas. That determination is admirable. Stonecoat is also still trending upwards. Despite having built a brilliant record already, he profiles like there is still more to come.

Dangers: 6. Silent Agenda caught the eye running on late behind Stonecoat first up, disadvantaged by a wide draw. It was a similar story second up when charging late behind Battleton. He should have been fighting out the finish if not for being held up momentarily in the straight. On the quick back up out to the mile and draws low. 7. Gracilistyla continues to tease. Since winning back in March 2022 he has finished top four in eight of his 10 starts. He needs pressure up front. 1. Super Pursuit also requires pressure at the top end to get into the race. Comes back in grade third up out to the mile. 10. Redwood Shadow will appreciate getting back onto a firmer track. Respect any market confidence around 9. Tazaral.

How To Play It: Stonecoat WIN

6. Logan Street Lion has to turn the tables on a couple of his key rivals here but he was nine weeks between runs heading into that run two weeks ago. He is the one with the most improvement to come from that 1500m event and doesn’t have a big margin to turnaround. The five-year-old nearly knocked off Coal Crusher prior to that, back in late April. He presumably had a setback thereafter as we didn’t see him for a few months. Was surprised to see how firm he was in betting two weeks ago. That suggested he wasn’t far off the mark. The market was spot on. His two past runs over 1800m have been among the best in his career. He also maps to get the run of the race tucking in behind Attractable and Mach Schnell who should keep each other busy enough for him to get his chance.

Dangers: There’s no reason to think 7. Mach Schnell’s form will drop off. His two latest runs over this same trip have been terrific, beating Zoumon in the first of those. Will be interesting to see if he crosses Attractable or if Tyler Schiller is happy to sit outside of the lead. 2. Attractable will be a tough nut to crack himself, chasing three straight. Just has to answer the 1800m question on Saturday. 3. Bold Mac blundered at the start three weeks ago before spearing across to settle handy. Forgive him that. Had been going well prior and looks well set up to bounce back. 5. First In Line was terrific first up. The query is whether he wants further now. Inclined to keep 13. Bazooka very safe but the barrier likely sees him settle last.

How To Play It: Logan Street Lions WIN

The market has been quick to forget what the best version of 3. Tristate has to offer. As a three-year-old he ran third to Home Affairs and Paulele over 1100m. He has also come to hand quickly first up in his past two campaigns. He won fresh two campaigns ago, beating Devil’s Throat. Last preparation he ran third behind Shades Of Rose and Maotai. That was over 1200m and he felt the pinch late. Second up he dropped back to 1100m on a firmer track and ran Remarque to a narrow margin. The gamble on Saturday is how he copes with 1000m. However, he draws a lovely gate to trail what should be a fast pace and Jason Collett jumps back on having ridden Tristate four times as a three-year-old. Just the one trial ahead of Tristate’s return where he cruised to the line alongside Ingratiating. The early price is too tempting.

Dangers: 4. Troach is a classy filly and already a Listed winner. She’d be in the breeding barn if Godolphin didn’t think she had more to offer. She has proven to be most dynamic when ridden to lead in the past, which is the query on Saturday given where she has drawn and the speed demons drawn underneath her. Have liked her two trials. 2. Omni Man applied the blowtorch to 8. Passeggiata at exactly the right time at Kensington last start and ran out a decisive victor. That’s now four from four over 1000m. Passeggiata meets Omni Man 3.5kg better off but he will again be eyeballing her turning for home. 5. Rubinocchi deserves her place in the market. She boasts a 1000m record of 5:2-2-0 herself. She is also a very fast mare. Sparks will fly early.

How To Play It: Tristate EACH WAY

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