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By Ray Hickson

Tips and race by race preview by Ray Hickson for Saturday’s nine race meeting at Royal Randwick. We’re looking at another good track with the rail in the tricky 8m position.

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A number of well bred first starters, most of which have trialled nicely enough at worst, make for a tough start and it’d be wise to keep an eye on the betting and which horses handle the parade best. 4. Ruling Symbol is a flashy looking colt out of former smart mare Gamble Me and he was a different horse when the blinkers went on in his third official trial at Newcastle recently. He travelled sweetly and cruised home in 32.57 hard held winning by over five lengths. What was behind him may be questionable but he has the draw to be wherever he wants and certainly if he runs up to the trial he’ll be hard to beat.

Danger: Speaking of running up to trials, 3. Patron Black produced a real eye-catcher in his only trial back on December 29. In a five horse field he was bailed up behind a wall of four in front and had to stop and come across heels before unleashing a very sharp sprint to win comfortably. How that translates to race day we’ll know soon but it’s a promising start. 8. Estijaab set Emirates Park back $1.7 million as a yearling so there’s a bit riding on her. Both trials have been sound and she’s shown enough pace in them to suggest she might head forward from the draw. Must keep her safe. 10. Premier Rose was a $625,000 yearling and she’s shaped up quite well in her two trials, racing wide on both occasions. Asked to stretch out a bit in the second and she’s another that could easily show up.

How to play it: Ruling Symbol WIN ($3.30 TAB Fixed Odds).

Did Ruling Symbol impress you with his easy trial win at Newcastle on January 5?

If ever there was a market and yard watch race it’s this one. Easily the most interesting race on the program with three very promising colts resuming against three in-form and race fit horses. I think there’s enough early pace to allow 3. D’Argento to land in the one-one and if that is the scenario then he’ll be very hard to keep out. He’s won two from two by small margins but still convincingly and he’s been asked to find the line in both his trials. Starting at 1300m looks ideal and he just might be the best horse in the race going forward. Goes on top and the market closer to the race will tell you whether to be on or to wait. You can read Chris Waller’s comments here.

Dangers: 5. Paret showed plenty of promise in his first preparation, starting with a debut win at Canterbury. Lost the compass a bit second-up and probably should have won then not suited down the straight back to 1000m at Flemington. He’s trialled well publicly once and reportedly went to Canterbury on Monday for a gallop there. He’ll be hitting the line strongly. 7. Shumookh is the likely leader and she’s straight to Saturday company after a dominant all the way win on debut at Canterbury. If she handles the class rise she’s a genuine chance. Co-trainer Adrian Bott’s comments can be found here. 4. Wooshka has had a couple of confidence boosting wins and the form through her easy last start victory has held up at midweek level. She should also be on the pace and can give a sight.

How to play it: D’Argento WIN ($2.40 TAB Fixed Odds) if stays under $3.00.

The grey D’Argento hits the line strongly late in his trial at Warwick Farm on Monday

Danny Williams has a very strong hand in the Highway with his two runners and I’m going with the maiden galloper 10. Acquittal to break through now he’s finally up to the 1400m. He’s performed well in all three starts but this time in has simply found the sprint trips too short for him and has been charging when it’s all over. There should be more than enough speed in this field to allow every horse to have their chance and on a fair surface he’s going to take beating.

Dangers: 1. Kopi Luwak hadn’t raced for over two years when he proved a class above his rivals taking out a Moruya maiden on January 8. He conceded a big start off a wide gate but from the to of the straight always looked the winner and he was soft on the line. Interesting to see where he lands from gate three and is the logical threat to his stablemate. 4. Bel Diablo was a beaten favourite twice before getting the job done at $1.70 at Gilgandra last start. He’s proven up to Highway level previously with a close fourth at Rosehill in November and can race on the speed up a bit further I trip. Sure to run well. 3. Remittance will need a bit of luck from the wide barrier but he ran well in the same race as Acquittal last start and is an each-way chance.

How to play it: Acquittal WIN ($3.70 TAB Fixed Odds); Quinella with Kopi Luwak.

Check out Acquittal’s fast finishing third at Randwick on December 30

Scratchings have massacred this race from a confidence point of view. 4. Cellarman was never, ever, a winning chance here two weeks ago when stepping away only fairly and settling at the back in a race controlled by the leader. If that happens again then he won’t be winning this either but if he can break cleanly and Hugh Bowman can position him a bit closer then he will have the chance to bounce back.

Dangers: 5. Medaille is not really one of my horses but I concede she does map to get every chance to win this. She sat handy and just failed to catch Positive Problems in the same race as Cellarman last start, she looks like landing second in the run and is right in it. 2. New Universe is fast approaching No Man’s Land given his racing style. I’m not convinced he’s a miler and he’s finding it harder to win at 1400m on good tracks lately. Unless there’s a tactics change (usually announced by midday Saturday so keep an eye on @RNSWStewards) to offset the outside gate he’ll be running on without threatening again. 3. Get On The Grange probably won't be suited by a slowly run race but his first-up effort was encouraging and he has a handy record at the mile. Would still surprise if he won but he's clearly come back well.

How to play it: Cellarman and Medaille Quinella.

Cellarman's last start at Randwick where he was outsprinted, with Medaille running second

If everything is in order in the Theatre Of The Horse then I’d expect 3. Hidden Pearl to give them something to run down. It’s her first run for Mark Mason and she has an imposing record at 1000m and first-up and seven of her eight wins have come when she’s led. I can see no other tactic other than to burn to the front from the outside. She’s had a tune up in a Tamworth trial, beating reasonable country horses pointlessly, and if she’s solid in betting she can run them off their feet. Her last win? Beat Viddora in a Listed race at Eagle Farm 13 months ago.

Dangers: 6. Memes had an amazing winter campaign with five wins from eight starts and now she’s come through the grades quickly it’ll be interesting to see how she handles open company first-up. Her two trials have been sound without the blinkers and she’s a what you see is what you get type, I don’t know if she’ll hold Hidden Pearl out early but she could slipstream. I have one small reservation about her stride in the trials but the no blinkers may explain that, though I won’t know until after the race. Jockey Rachel King's comments can be found here. 1. Boss Lane could easily spoil the party as he can do in any race at Randwick. He was disappointing behind Music Magnate first-up but this is a very different task, he can stalk and it’d be wise to keep him in mind. 2. Palazzo Pubblico would be aided by some kind of battle for the lead between the two favourites because she’ll be conceding a start. It was an even effort second-up and her 1000m record is not strong but if things fall her way she’s good enough to win.

How to play it: Hidden Pearl WIN ($3.30 TAB Fixed Odds).

Hidden Pearl’s all the way trial win at Tamworth

Chris Waller has five runners here, after the predictable scratching of Mortar Platoon , and that makes it tough to say the least. I’m going around his horses here and with a good ride from Tim Clark there’s no reason why 9. High Opinion can’t be in the finish here. I was keen on him last time at Canterbury but perhaps went one run too soon as he was third-up from almost a year’s break. Ran 11.88 for his last 200m (Punters Intel) last start at the end of 1900m. At peak now and drops 5.5kg. Surely a very good each-way chance.

Dangers: Take your pick from the Waller brigade. 5. Xebec ran right up to his excellent second-up run behind Sedanzer to be a little stiff not to go close three weeks ago in the 1800m where CWR trained the first 4 home. He’s looked a bit one dimensional so not sure where he’ll land in the run but he’s getting close to a win. 6. Zourkhan started favourite in that 1800m event in question and performed fairly enough to run fourth. He was second-up there so capable of bouncing off that though where he winds up from the wide gate is more of a concern. 1. Carzoff seemed to have his chance at Warwick Farm just before Christmas, there’s a school of thought he was in the worst ground but I’m not so sure, and kept ticking over with a quiet trial. Capable of winning and should get all the favours from gate five.

How to play it: High Opinion E/W ($7.00 TAB Fixed Odds).

High Opinion closes in late running third at Canterbury – January 5

I mentioned speed maps before and they are relevant again in this event with only two possible on pacers and I’d be surprised if Hugh Bowman doesn’t take the race by the scruff of the neck early on 5. Flow and assume control. He’s bursting for a win after three runs back in races with more depth – second to Redouble, fourth to Invinzabeel and Voilier and third to Brave Song. Back to 1400m suits him and this looks like his race to lose.

Dangers: 4. Level Eight had his chance to win over this course a couple of weeks ago and was worried out of it by Malaise. Tactics on him will be interesting here with the blinkers coming off, that doesn’t suggest he’s going to charge across and look to eye-ball Flow up front. Logical threat regardless. 7. Quick Defence enjoyed a very consistent preparation last time in and it starting with a placing over 1400m at Hawkesbury. He may not get a race run to suit here but it’d be no surprise to see him running into a placing. 10. El Venetian is the only other possible leader than I can see from the outside barrier with the 7kg less than Flow. It’s whether he’s good enough, he’s scrambled home in two recent runs at Corowa and Canberra so he’s going to need to come up a notch or two.

How to play it: Flow WIN ($2.20 TAB Fixed Odds).

Flow’s last start third at Randwick behind Brave Song

I see no reason why 9. Viceroy can’t turn the tables on Fortensky for their meeting here two weeks ago in a similar sort of race. He has a perfect chance to follow Noble Joey across and onto the pace and have something else do all the work. Last start he might have pressed the button 50m too soon as he looked the winner for a few strides as he sprinted to the lead. Is a very good chance to go one better.

Dangers: 5. Fortensky is the logical danger and the reason for taking a small stance against him is he could be looking for 1400m. He was scratched from a race over that trip on this program and it’s odd that Hugh Bowman isn’t riding him here – perhaps the original intention was the 1400m race. That could be reading too much into it. He’ll have his chance again from the inside gate. 8. Insensata was a bit unlucky not to win first-up last time in so her fresh record could look a bit better than it does on paper. She’s performed very well in her past couple of campaigns and if there’s one charging over the top of them late it’ll more than likely be this mare. Must be included in the main chances. 4. Top Striker often has a hard luck story to tell and where he lands in the run is likely to dictate what luck he has this time around. Ignore last prep which started with a luckless sixth to Calanda and if he can find his best he’s one that can add value to exotics.

How to play it: Viceroy E/W ($7.50 TAB Fixed Odds); Quinella with Fortensky.

Fortensky and Viceroy fight out the finish at Randwick on January 6

My two favourite gear changes are gelding and blinkers first time. The first of those will never apply to 7. Queen Misty, obviously, but the second is what’s encouraged me to give her one more chance. She only has to find a half length or so to break through after an 860 day stint away from the winner’s stall. Those long droughts have been breaking with a bit of regularity of late so perhaps it’s her turn. She loomed up to win at Randwick last start and her last 600m sectional was the best of the race (Punters Intel, 35.05), she’s comfortable at a mile and has every possible chance for mine.

Dangers: 1. Pioneering could be back in business if her fast finishing second back on Boxing Day is a pointer. Given a soft trial since and is capable of taking up a position from an inside alley at the mile. If she is back in form she’s right in the finish, no doubt. 5. Siren’s Fury was a popular winner over 1400m, beating Queen Misty, last start and steps to the mile for the first time since last autumn. She’s yet to really prove herself at the trip but she’s in form, drawn well and if she’s going to run it she has her chance here. Trainer Jason Coyle’s comments on all his runners can be found here. 4. Live To Dream is racing a bit hot and cold this time in. She beat Pioneering and Queen Misty over this course two starts back then led back to 1400m and was overrun. No doubt she’ll lead from the wide gate, it’s just a matter of how much you trust her. If you’re throwing a few in the quaddie she has to go in for sure.

How to play it: Queen Misty E/W ($8.00 TAB Fixed Odds).

Queen Misty runs second to Siren’s Fury at Randwick on January 6

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