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By Ray Hickson

ROYAL RANDWICK – BEST BET: Race 2 # 1 – BUNDEENA

Already a winner over the Randwick 1100m in Midway company, and from the outside gate, this lightly raced five-year-old looks nicely placed in the same grade to be a real force first-up. He’s trialled officially once and unofficially on another occasion and with the 3kg claim for Ben Osmond is well in at the weights. He just looks to be clearly the best horse in the race, his form last time in was so honest and he has the sort of racing style that could see him offset the barrier quickly. Granted he will need the breaks to go his way but he should take plenty of beating.

Ciaron Maher (Pic: Bradley Photos).

ROYAL RANDWICK – BEST VALUE: Race 5 # 3 – MISS YOU ELLA

This Ciaron Maher trained mare hasn’t yet won in Australia, all three victories have come at Gulfstream Park in the USA, but she has shown at times she does have a win in her. She was first-up for just under three months when finishing an unlucky fifth behind Perfect Thought back on December 14, she landed third on the fence and didn’t get a shot at them at any stage in the run home. Beaten about 1-3/4 lengths. The form out of that race has been okay so far. She comes back to fillies and mares grade, stays at 1400m, and it's a wide open race so the chance is there for her to put her best foot forward. Each-way chance.

ROYAL RANDWICK – SECTIONAL STAR: Race 10 # 2 – WEST OF AFRICA

It was hard to miss this gelding’s performance first-up behind a couple of smart ones in Accredited and Yorkshire. He turned last and charged down the middle of the track into a close third over the 1300m. Punter’s Intelligence showed his last 600m to be 33.18 which was easily the fastest of the race. That time had him in the top 10 of the meeting with those above him all coming out of a strong 1100m sprint won by Iowna Merc. His last 200m of 11.48 was about a length faster than his rivals and the step to 1500m looks ideal for him second-up. He just needs to back up that performance.

KEMBLA GRANGE – PROVINCIAL PICK: Race 6 # 14 – SWELTER

Chris Waller trained filly who races in the Winx colours and she made a promising return when running into second placing at Hawkesbury three weeks ago in a 1300m maiden. It was her first glimpse of form having been unplaced on wet tracks in her two previous starts back in July and based on the way she attacked the line you’d think the rise to a mile would be in her favour. She was a $17 chance in that race first-up so does have to repeat the effort at least and if she can improve off it then she has a good case to go one better.

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