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By Brad Gray

Tips and race by race preview by Brad Gray for Randwick on Saturday.

The rail is out 3m and the track is currently in the soft range.

There is speed everywhere you look here! 8. Catwalk was confidently supported when stepping out at Gosford on debut for Chris Waller ($2.70 into $2.25) and probably would’ve won if things played out in her favour. The Foxwedge filly lobbed into the box seat but had her momentum halted having to switch off heels and come down the middle of the track. It took her a few strides to pick up but when she did, no horse hit the line harder. Punters Intelligence reveals a last 200m of 11.24s. The winner Soul Soldier had previously run third in a hot Kembla maiden featuring the likes of Vaporizing, California Salto and Minted. Prior to Catwalk’s debut she trialled brilliantly alongside stablemate Rotator. She’ll be sure to appreciate the more genuine tempo that this race looks guaranteed to offer.

Dangers: 1. Roman Wolf raced on the same day as Catwalk at Gosford and ran two lengths quicker overall time. That was largely on the back of a faster early speed but he made all of the running. 3. Lanigera resumes a gelding and first up last campaign he ran third to Loving Gaby in a Group Three at Caulfield. He wasn’t asked to do much in a Randwick trial but looked strong. 7. Yitai Synergy was an all the way winner at Kembla last start against the older horses and the race stacked up well against the Soul Soldier race mentioned above. All three of those are natural speed horses so something has to give. 2. Covert Ops at least has options from barrier 1.

How to play it: Catwalk EACH WAY ($9.50 TAB Fixed Odds)

Catwalk on debut at Gosford

5. Statuesquely is a filly making giant leaps at the moment. There is no hiding now stepping up to Saturday company at Randwick but she has the scope to keep progressing. The three-year-old was no match for Regent Street on debut at Newcastle over 1400m but since then she won at Kembla before holding off Bergen out to the mile at Warwick Farm. It was a beautifully judged ride from Adam Hyeronimus to keep her rolling into the straight and that winning break proved the difference in the finish. The margin was only narrow but she was there to be beaten and there was plenty to like about the way she found when the second horse went to level up. She refused to lose. Christian Reith is the man tasked with the job this time. She is certainly well found in the market but is well placed to bring up three straight.

Dangers: 12. Watch The Cat took ground off Loveisili at Hawkesbury last start and that horse franked the form, winning on Wednesday. With the benefit of hindsight even his fourth at Newcastle before that had merit with the winner Miss Moana running second in the SA Oaks and the second placed Terwilliker since bolting up at Gosford. Prior to that it was the G3 Frank Packer Plate and before that a narrow second to On The White Turf. It all reads well for this! 2. Itz Lily had her chance in the Doomben Roses after enjoying a perfect trail but ran well to hold fourth. Re Edit and Scarlett Dream finished behind her and she drops from a Group Two back to a BM74. Fits into this nicely albeit with a slight query over coming back to 1800m. 4. Frenzied sat outside of a hot speed at Randwick and was entitled to finish towards the rear. He is better than that.

How to play it: Statuesquely WIN ($3.40 TAB Fixed Odds) and Watch The Cat WIN ($13)

Statuesquely pulling out plenty at Warwick Farm

Had 8. Mr Wong pegged as more a miler type but the three-year-old changed my opinion of him with the way he won over 1000m at Muswellbrook first up. He returned a gelding there. In his first campaign he found the sprint trip too sharp on debut before winning out to 1450m. It was his third up effort that really put him on the radar as a smart horse in the making though, when he chased home Frankely Awesome at Scone out to the mile. He raced greenly there too. Seeing is believing so willing to take him on trust that the 1100m will be okay second up and he won’t want further already. Whatever he does here he’ll be better again out in trip but at the price, willing to gamble that he can give his rivals a start before picking them up late. The speed up front should give him his chance to do that.

Dangers: 3. Irish Songs should have won a Highway first up two weeks ago when held up before flashing late behind Lifesaver and Madame Pauline (scratched here). He’ll get a cosy run from the soft draw, and with even luck this time, get his chance to atone. 15. Pisa My Heart has snuck into the field, which doesn't help 6. Ibini up front but expect him to give a sight on the back of a dominant Mudgee win.

How to play it: Mr Wong EACH WAY ($6.50 TAB Fixed Odds)

Mr Wong spacing his rivals first up

8. Ombudsman was trapped wide the trip last start at Randwick and despite that he looked to get a second wind late, right across the line. This four-year-old had been ticking over perfectly prior to that, it was just a matter of waiting for him to find a 2400m race. And here it is. Two back he ran third behind smart three-year-old stablemates Nobu, favourite for the Queensland Derby, and Duchess Of Lennox. Ombudsman has only won two from his 19 starts but his latest victory was in this very race last year. He tackled the Randwick 2400m on a soft track and put his rivals away quite comfortably in the end. He’ll carry 3kg more than he did 12 months ago but happy to play to see if history will repeat itself.

Dangers: 12. Terwilliker was in a class of his own at Gosford last start. Has it finally all clicked for the four-year-old? Perhaps, but he is racing a long way out of his grade here, and although he will carry just 49kg after the claim of Brock Ryan, looks too well found as the early race favourite. 7. Tunero should be at the peak of his powers and was a winner fourth up last time in. Also has a Randwick 2400m win under his belt. Can only run well here back from Queensland. 10. California Longbow has won three from five this campaign for the Snowden yard and still has scope to improve again. 2. Free Fly Too packed up in a fast run race at Rosehill last week. He could bounce back.

How to play it: Ombudsman WIN ($4.80 TAB Fixed Odds)

Ombudsman two runs back on the Kensington track

11. Jen Rules is worth another chance. The best she has finished in four runs over 1400m is midfield so it’s fair to say it’s just a touch beyond her at the moment. Take those runs out and all of a sudden you’ve got a filly with a record of 5:2-2-1. First up at Hawkesbury this campaign she ran second to Multaja over 1100m. The sting out of the ground won’t hurt her either with both of her wins to date coming on soft and heavy going. Last start she presented like she was going to fight out the finish but faded the last 150m to run seventh. The quinella there in Strome and Reelem In Ruby have since gone on to frank the form. This is the same grade of race and we’re getting double figure odds instead of the $6 offered up about her last time out. Should collect each way.

Dangers: 6. Call Me Royal is one dimensional but her best attribute is how genuine she is. With two runs under her belt now she should be at her top. Certainly short enough in the market and 3. Miss Exfactor has the blinkers on for the first time and Chris Williams claiming. They are two flags that the Pride stable want her put into the race. 4. Taniko was beaten by the barrier first up with Punters Intelligence revealing she ran the fastest closing splits in the race. The draw has done her no favours again but she does possess the turn of foot to overcome it. Was taken by the latest trial from 10. Connemara. Maps nicely too. Keep her safe. 8. I Am Queen is hard to line up but certainly respect her. You won’t find many better seventeenths than the one 9. Koonunga ran last start!

How to play it: Jen Rules EACH WAY ($11 TAB Fixed Odds)

Jen Rules peaking on her run over 1400m at Rosehill last start

This is a very suitable first up assignment for 1. Smartedge. In his last two fresh runs he has bumped into a flying Cradle Mountain. There are certainly no runners in that class here. On paper, his first up record doesn’t really do him justice. In his other two fresh runs he was beaten on debut by a rather handy grey named D’argento while he won at Kembla in the other. There is no denying the four-year-old can be a tease but he is beautifully placed here having skipped last week due to a sticky barrier. Second up last campaign he went down narrowly to Irithea while at his fourth run in he ran second to Seaway (on a soft track). That all stacks up well for this BM78. The closer is how well the son of Smart Missile trialled at Hawkesbury, hitting the line sweetly under a hold.

Dangers: 2. Southern Lad isn’t ideally drawn in barrier 1 given his get back nature but he is closing in on another win. Will need the right breaks given he maps to settle towards the rear on the fence but if he pinches runs and sees daylight at the right time, few here have the turn of foot he possesses. The cut out of the ground enhances his claims too. 3. Ronstar is fit, honest and makes his own luck. An 8L defeat to the unbeaten Zoustyle last start reads okay for this.

How to play it: Smartedge WIN ($3.60 TAB Fixed Odds)

Smartedge’s Hawkesbury trial – May 20

Nobody missed the first up win of 9. Deprive. The four-year-old relished the hot speed set by Pinch River with Rachel King darting back to the fence to reel off a last 600m of 32.76s (Punters Intelligence). That was a whopping five lengths superior to the next best in the race. His last 200m alone, where he clocked 10.98s, was responsible for three lengths of that dominance. The Denman gelding jumped in ratings on the back of that win but in a Listed race still finds himself with 53kg. Despite having already won five from eight, there are still a few grades Deprive can work through before reaching his level. Where that is, we don’t know but it is certainly higher than a winter sprint feature. He won well at Randwick on a Soft 6 last campaign but failed on a heavy track at Warwick Farm so a little wary. Hoping he can settle a pair or two closer here from the middle draw.

Dangers: 10. Heart Conquered was excellent himself behind Deprive, ticking the 1100m box. Like the way the Hawkes-trained sprinter cruised into the race having taken a sit. The only option from the draw this week looks to be driving forward to lead or sit outside of 12. Noble Joey. On Noble Joey, his run behind Deprive and Heart Conquered was outstanding. He trailed the hot speed and was the only survivor. He can mix his form but the cut out of the ground and an easier time in front bodes well for him to be thereabouts again. 7. She Knows was luckless in that same race. Can be hit and miss as well but will be in the money if she runs to her best. 3. I Thought So has been on the sidelines for a while but looks to be humming on the strength of his trials. All three of his wins have been on soft and heavy tracks. The 1100m and barrier 1 gives 4. Bon Amis his chance but this is his stiffest test. This is a very deep race with 11. Brook Magic also worthy of at least a mention.

How to play it: Deprive WIN ($2.10 TAB Fixed Odds)

Deprive launching home first up

It feels like 5. Star Of The Seas has been campaigning since the fall of Rome! Remarkably though, the hardy four-year-old continues to go forward and not backwards. His last start win, which was his seventh of the preparation, saw him rocket home in 33s flat (Punters Intelligence) to steal an unlikely victory away from Dagny. Star Of The Seas jumped from 9 of 11 there and was ridden cold but looking at the map here, having drawn 9 of 14, there looks to be a spot forward of midfield if Jay Ford is positive from the outset. There isn’t a lot of speed engaged so he won’t want to be spotting the leaders the same start. The wet track is no issue, he drops slightly in weight and given the way he powered home over 1500m last time out, the mile shouldn’t stop him. Thought he’d be shorter in the market given the form he finds himself in.

Dangers: 16. Berdibek is racing out of his grade here but he did that first up and his run was eye catching. He jumped $81 and ran midfield but only the enigmatic 8. New Universe had faster closing splits. The grey gelding was nosed out by Tip Top (scratched here) out to the mile second up last preparation and suspect he has returned in even better order. If he can hold some kind of spot from barrier 2, he’s a player at odds. 11. Zourkhan has been freshened since failing at Hawkesbury. He is a different horse on wet tracks as shown by his first up run behind Star Of The Seas. Probably wants a genuine heavy track to be a winning chance but he should get on pace favours, as will 10. Gresham, and will bounce back. Can we put 7. Take It Intern’s Scone Cup flop down to the soft track? Appears to need to firm decks.

How to play it: Star Of The Seas WIN ($3.40 TAB Fixed Odds) and Berdibek PLACE ($5 TAB)

Here's a case for a $26 shot at @royalrandwick on Saturday.@BradJGray highlights the first up effort of a grey gelding using the weekly Punters Intelligence Spotlight @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/e9xTkk8Myz

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) June 6, 2019

Like everything about how this race set up for 2. Quackerjack and confident he’ll send us out on a winning note. The three-year-old is giving away weight to his older rivals but has returned in great order this time in having been gelded. Out to the mile on a soft track is tailor made for him. Last start he was stalked by the airborne Kolding at Randwick and although comfortably beaten in the end, it was run in record time and Quackerjack was a month between runs there. Prior to that he ran third behind Military Zone and Trope in the G3 Hakesbury Guineas despite covering ground in a fast-run race where the leader Kylease finished last. With no 8. Pandemonium, he'll control the race. The Newnham stable is flying and this horse maintains his lucrative association with Josh Parr.

Dangers: 9. High Power comes out of the same race as Quackerjack and should have finished much closer. The four-year-old wasn’t quick into stride but the inside draw was wasted drifting back to the rear. Then at the top of the straight he couldn’t find clear running. Despite that he recorded the fastest last 600m in the race (33.68s), half a length quicker than Kolding. He was a second up winner last campaign, albeit at Newcastle, but he’ll run better than his odds suggest here. 11. Semper Fidelis is ready to win but back to the mile, when she profiles like she wants 2000m, is against.

How to play it: Quackerjack WIN ($2.20 TAB Fixed Odds) and High Power PLACE ($4.20 TAB)

"The prospect of a wet track only enhances his claims."

There is plenty of confidence around this gelding and @BradJGray has him as the clear standout bet of the day at @royalrandwick @tabcomaumedia pic.twitter.com/x3Z4XjuJV6

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) June 7, 2019

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