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By Brad Gray

13. Two Aye has come under pressure a long way from home in her first and second up runs. That’s before picking up again through the line. Hence the addition of blinkers for Saturday. They go on for the first time and it looks a key addition to the four-year-old’s gear. If it can negate that flatfoot, they’ll have done the trick. She only has a Goulburn maiden win to her name so far but won that in the manner of a horse destined to go through the grades. That was before running in a Hawkesbury Class 1 that produced four subsequent winners. Drops in weight going into a Class 3 and should be at her top now third up. The Joseph and Jones stable are ticking along nicely at the moment and this looks a wide open Highway Handicap.

Dangers: There was no fluke to the last start Highway win of 7. Magic Pharoah. She got the breaks at the right time but sprinted quickly to win well. Plenty of the key chances here come through that race. She’s beaten them once, no reason to think she won’t again. 4. Final Comment was beaten less than a length in that same Highway, boxing on well at the finish. 2. Mazita raced a touch keen in the middle stages behind Magic Pharoah and did get shuffled back momentarily approaching the straight but he had his chance to finish closer. Brings the best SP profile from that race which sees him warrant respect. 11. Kaihoko has won two from two this time back, by narrow margins admittedly but he appears like he’ll relish the mile now. 1. I’m Good At This comes off a five length romp.

How To Play It: Two Aye WIN

6. Tintookie flashed home first up last campaign in fast time to be beaten a length by Brudenell. She produced a similar run second up, beaten by another wide draw. The four-year-old only won once last preparation but that doesn’t do her campaign justice. She was flying. The Brad Widdup-trained mare has run over 1000m since her debut a couple of years ago but there is enough speed here for her to get her chance to rattle home over the top. Would be even more confident about her chances on a soft track but she has shown that a firmer track is fine. She’s had two trials, the latest impressive at Warwick Farm, trucking to the line. Only has to pick up where she left off to be a big threat in this.

Dangers: Not sure what happened to 1. Tristate last start. He rode the speed but folded up. The leader kept on finding to win well. That was nine week ago now. Maps to find the front here. He tends to race best from that position. 5. Exploring only raced once last preparation and she beat Archo Nacho over 1000m up the Flemington straight. The runner up won two stakes races later that preparation. She finds Nash Rawiller first up on Saturday. 3. Our Kobison has now won three of his five starts as he works through the grades. He only won by a length at Warwick Farm when last seen at the races but that is a race that provided five subsequent winners. The gelding has won a Wyong trial since. 4. Fire missed the start by eight lengths when last seen at the races.

How To Play It: Tintookie WIN

4. Prince Invincible kept finding the line behind surprise winner 10. Lady Shenanigans last start. The set up wasn’t ideal dropping back from 1100m to 1000m second up. Like him back out to 1100m, finding a race where he can settle in the first couple. He is at his most dynamic when settling in the first two, enabling him to use his speed. The six-year-old is yet to win first or second up so tends to take a few runs before finding his best form. We know the Sara Ryan stable is firing on all cylinders at the moment too. The scratching of early favourite Our Kobision blows this Midway wide open and he looks the best placed horse to take advantage of that.

Dangers: 8. Hellova Nature only won narrowly at Kembla Grange first up, making it two wins from three starts, but he was never losing. It was a soft win on the line. Respect the placement of Nathan Doyle coming to town now. Maps to get a soft run throughout. 13. Ces Soirees La charged through the line to win over 900m first up. It was just as impressive on the clock as it was to the eye. It took her a while to get going thereafter at Bathurst. She has knockout claims here at big odds. Suspect there is still more to come from her. 6. London is racing well. Might be better placed at this level on a wet track but only has to hold his form to be thereabouts again.

How To Play It: Prince Invincible WIN

1. Terra Mater got herself into a tricky spot four weeks ago at Randwick yet powered home to overcome it. That was as a confidently-backed even money favourite. All is well that ends well. It was a Midway so don’t want to go overboard in assessing her going forward but she does profile as a mare that’ll skip through the grades at this time of year. That made it two from two this campaign having won just as impressively at Canterbury first up. She did that from outside of the leader. Expect Nash Rawiller, who has been with her in both wins, to be eyeing off a similar spot. Trainer Jarrod Austin has placed her perfectly here third up, tackling the fillies and mares.

Dangers: 3. African Daisy is a mare with a great fresh record (4:2-0-1). She got a long way back first up last campaign, running on into third behind Air To Air. It was at the midweeks but a comparable race to this talent-wise. Following that she ran second to Robusto out to 1500m. She’s had two trials ahead of her return and she has looked as sharp as ever, matching motors with Parisal in the latest of those. Would be even more confident on a wet track. 5. Rocketeer Girl was run down in the final stride by her stablemate Zouphoria at Randwick last start. She cranked up the pressure in the middle stages to get her rivals chasing. Back from 1400m to 1300m looks to suit.

How To Play It: Terra Mater WIN

5. Running By looks well placed here up from Melbourne for training duo Maher and Eustace. The mare was competitive in deep races in her four runs as a three-year-old, including a second in the Bendigo Guineas behind Walz On By, running on from last. The daughter of Impending resumed from a 34 week spell at Sandown first up and ran on into second again behind an all-the-way winner. She clocked the fastest closing splits of the meeting in defeat. That saw her start an odds on favourite at Caulfield last start and although it took her a while to level up, she got the job done in what was a good test late. The leaders went fast early. That should lay a platform for 1500m now, with three weeks between runs. Expecting her to improve again third up.

Dangers: 9. Cadetship caught the eye late first up at Randwick, going back from the wide gate. He was always going to improve off that. Gets straight out to 1500m second up. Like the intent of that set up. Again maps to settle down in the second half of the field. 3. Money From The Sky swaps Canterbury for Randwick which looks significant. Keen to see the imposing five-year-old at Randwick for the first time. It’s never an easy watch with him but the wide gate at least ensures plenty of time for Reece Jones to build through his gears. 8. Anythink Goes had no luck at all through the same Robusto race as Cadetship. He’s the sleeper here. 1. Vegas Outlaw just hung on to beat 7. Tympanist last start but should get on speed favours.

How To Play It: Running By WIN

Would be tipping 4. Matusalem with confidence had he drawn a gate. Had to pump the breaks given where he’s likely to settle though. Thought he was brave over the Randwick mile last start. He was six weeks between runs and posted wide the trip throughout. Despite that, he travelled into the straight like he was still going to fight out the finish. It was too big of an ask and his run ended. As it was entitled to. The three-year-old old colt should be able to turn the tables on his stablemate Buillt from that race, which looks key to winning this. It doesn’t look any harder than the BM72 the pair contested a fortnight ago. Matusalem will just need a peach from Tommy Berry but he’s the right man for the job given the form he is in. At the time of writing, Berry had won six of his past eight rides.

Dangers: 12. Your Not The Boss tackles this on the seven day back up. Mitch Beer has a good record with horses on the quick turnaround. This gelding fought out the finish at Randwick at big odds. Liked his strength through the line, setting him up nicely for the mile now. Draws soft again. 2. Buillt kept chasing behind all the way winner Belleistic Kids. He is holding his form well but doesn’t have the upside of a few others here. James McDonald won on him two starts ago. 3. Eau De Vie sat outside of the leader at Kembla Grange last start and proved too strong. Four weeks between runs but like her out to the mile now. 8. Magnatear tackles this trip for the first time. He disappointed last start but his starting price there suggests he is worth another chance.

How To Play It: Matusalem WIN

3. Battleton was confidently backed first up in BM100 company and wasn’t beaten far behind Waihaha Falls. The Bjorn Baker-trained gelding looked to peak on his run. The five-year-old should get his chance to dart through late from the soft draw second up. That’s how he won last campaign, with Dylan Gibbons in the saddle and over this same track and trip. History could repeat. The blinkers go on for the first time here too. Saturday’s race promises to be truly run with Felix Majestic, Danaustar and Cool Jakey all locking horns in the early stages. That should give Battleton the chance to stalk midfield. At the early odds, want to be in Battleton’s corner, even with the conviction of three wins from 22 starts.

Dangers: 5. Robusto comes into this a last start Randwick winner. That coincided with the blinkers going on for the first time. It was a good win in the context of coming back to 1300m and being five weeks between runs. Tommy Berry got the timing spot on there and he is aboard again. He fits a similar profile to Battleton, set to appreciate a truly run race. 9. Cool Jakey has more upside than most here, having won three of his six starts. He may have been flattered at Warwick Farm last start against inferior opposition and on a heavy track but he was dominant none-the-less. The concern the pressure he might be forced to absorb. Lightly raced import 4. Hellsing has trialled once in Australia and showed a nice turn of foot to win his heat.

How To Play It: Battleton WIN

13. Legio Ten rattled home to win at Rosehill first up. You don’t see too many horses win from last over the Rosehill 1100m. Particularly given the race shape. It wasn’t run to suit. The leaders had a very easy time of it in the early stages before the race turned into a sprint home. He beat Dollar Magic who has since run well again. Legio Ten has now won four from 11. The son of Exosphere is slightly up in grade here but was Listed placed as a three-year-old last campaign. Out to 1200m is fine now second up, as is the prospect of getting onto a drier track. He has been kept fresh since last start with five weeks between runs and a tickover trial. All four of his career runs have come early in his preparation.

Dangers: 6. Dehorned Unicorn gets the blinkers on again now fourth up and looks well set up coming through deeper races than this. He was only two lengths away from Brudenell and subsequent winner Lady Laguna four weeks ago. Prior to that he tackled the Warra won by Insurrection. Has trialled well since last start. 5. Dalaalaat gets another dry track and he beat Contemporary over this track and trip three weeks ago. Up in grade but down in the weights. Jason Collett has ridden him six times for three wins. 11. Ang Pow is 35 weeks between runs but that last race was a narrow third behind Mnementh and Front Page in the Wagga Town Plate. Has trialled well twice. Fourth emergency 18. Time To Boogie ran his rivals ragged first up. 4. With Your Blessing next best.

How To Play It: Legio Ten WIN

Very open race. Want to give 14. Lyrical Gangster another chance. He still does a lot wrong and doesn’t help himself with slow getaways but he comes through the right race for this and only has a couple of lengths to turnaround on stablemate Kapakiri from three weeks ago. He meets him 2.5kg better off. The four-year-old became detached from the pack early on, having to do a power of work in the middle stages to get himself into the race. Despite that he was still the strongest late. The blinkers come off, the winkers go on for the first time. Kerrin McEvoy knows the horse well now which is significant given his quirks. There is enough in the early price to take the punt that he can execute better come Saturday.

Dangers: When it rains it pours for 8. Kapakiri. It took him 13 starts to win his maiden. Now he is chasing four straight. He was met with confident support over this track and trip last start and justified that with a comfortable win. Tommy Berry sticks. 1. Rogue Bear ran third to Kapakiri there and has since run second to So United. He continues to race well without winning. Maps to get his chance again. 9. Enotis only scrambled home at Canterbury first up but he was always going to improve off that. Gets quickly out to 2000m but he too has won three on the bounce, ending last campaign in fine style. Could be a promising stayer in the making. Would be keen 11. Monfelicity on a soft track.

How To Play It: Lyrical Gangster WIN

13. Spring Lee beat herself at Randwick last start. She was too keen in the run. The filly still darted up the inside like the winner but was collared the last 50m. It was a big run in defeat. What didn’t help that was jumping from 1000m to 1200m. Never an easy task second up. The daughter of Zoustar started short odds there on the back of a brilliant win at Kembla Grange first up. It was only a Class 1 but she gapped her rivals despite travelling deep throughout. It was the win of a filly that’ll charge through the grades. Want to give her the chance to bounce back. She’s up in grade here but gets in light. Expect a more conservative ride. Just needs to settle as the speed up front should give her the chance to balance up and get home over the top.

Dangers: A tricky gate to overcome for 7. Shaken. The speedy filly justified the odds on quote at Warwick Farm first up making light work of her four rivals. More depth now and has to do it on a dry track. There are queries but she looks a raw talent. 12. Miss Emma comes here off a maiden win but it was arrogant. Back to 1100m looks okay.

How To Play It: Spring Lee WIN

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