2. Rag Queen came from an impossible position to win at Canterbury on debut before overachieving in the Inglis Millenium,relative to her starting price. Once she balanced up and had the chance to build through her gears,nothing finished stronger late when third behind Fully Lit and Rue De Royale. The David Payne-trained filly still has to learn her craft but she can only improve into her second campaign. In her trial since last preparation she zipped home. Just hoping she can hold some kind of position from barrier 2.7. Swiftfalcon wasn’t wanted in betting on debut. That was at Rosehill when drifting out to $61 late. He ran well despite that in a race that has already produced two winners,one of those being1. Pisces. Swiftfalcon gets his chance to turn the tables with the benefit of a run under his belt and the winkers going on.
How to play it: Rag Queen to win.
Konasana is the top pick in race 5.Getty
RACE 2 – 11.35AM MIDWAY HCP (1400m)
5. Resistible failed to handle the heavy track at Randwick last start. Forgive her that. Like the way she won at Wyong first up,despite covering ground. Thought she was brave in defeat when fourth in the Four Pillars last preparation too,riding a fast speed. Her record of three wins from 16 starts arguably doesn’t do her talent justice. She has been freshened since we last saw her,five weeks between runs. A tick-over trial kept her up to the mark. There doesn’t look to be a lot of pressure on paper which should give Chad Schofield the chance to roll across and potentially dictate.1. Navy Blood is hard to beat,the early market tells you as much. He has been priced on the strength of a first-up heavy track win though. Have to be wary as to whether he can replicate that dominance on a better surface.
How to play it: Resistible E/W.
RACE 3 – 12.10PM TAB HIGHWAY HCP (1200m)
17. Ensign Parker has his first crack at a Highway but the timing looks perfect for the three-year-old. The Larry Fairhall-trained gelding went down narrowly at Muswellbrook last start when forced to the middle of the track. Back in third two lengths away was Sonofdec,who dominated a Scone Midway last Saturday. Prior to that Ensign Parker put three lengths on his Class 1 rivals at Newcastle. Going back to his maiden win in his first racing campaign,he beat Gentileschi. There’s depth to his form.1. Tanglewood faces a task from the gate and with 61kg but he is the class runner. Won’t be long before he races his way out of Highways. The lightly raced four-year-old toughed it out in heavy conditions last start and was only second up after a 35-week spell so should improve. Gets blinkers first time.
How to play it: Ensign Parker E/W
RACE 4 – 12.45PM PF CIVIL HCP (2400m)
1. Desperado should be able to park a couple of pairs closer from barrier 1. At least closer than last start at Newcastle where he settled down in the second half of the field before being flushed wide in the straight when the field packed. The six-year-old loomed as the winner but didn’t look at home in the heavy conditions. That was the ex-Kiwi’s first exposure to heavy ground. Not many handled it that meeting. The start prior to that the gelding ran second to winning machine Sea What I See. He looks like he’ll relish getting out to 2400m.4. Quantum Cat has caught the eye in two runs in Australia,first up over the mile before backing that up out to 2000m at Caulfield. Has two wins over 2500m in the UK. Drawn awkwardly but he can sustain a long run.9. Funambulist loves wet ground so he won’t want the track to dry out too much.
How to play it: Desperado towin.
RACE 5 – 1.20PM ST GEORGE LEAGUES CLUB HCP (1400m)
4. Konasana produced a career best over this track and trip two starts ago in the G3 James HB Carr Stakes. She gapped stablemate Scarlet Oak,which won just as impressively at her subsequent start. Konasana was perhaps flattered by the heavy track but the dominance of the win can’t be undersold. The filly then tackled the Hawkesbury Guineas. Forget she ever ran there. She was wedged away in a packing field without much speed up front. Just as she was starting to move through her gears she was stopped in her tracks and was eased out of the finish.3. Avebury has to be taken on trust. She was plain first up,pulling up slightly lame. However,she has a pattern of improving sharply second up. Maps to get the right run and is better suited at 1400m.11. Captain Amelia,also trained by John O’Shea,made good late ground behind Pippie Beach last start.
How to play it: Konasana to win.
RACE 6 – 1.55PM WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT HCP (1800m)
13. Piggyback tasted defeat for the first time behind Scarlet Oak at Newcastle last start but her reputation was only enhanced. Once the daughter of Trapeze Artist angled into the clear,she attacked the line like she’d relish getting out to 1800m. Piggyback’s dam won out to 2500m. We’ll learn even more about where this Ciaron Maher-trained filly fits in but she’s all upside on what we have seen so far.10. Bestower is also a filly on the way up. The Kris Lees-trained galloper asserted her dominance late at Taree before being met with good support at the midweeks last start. She should have won if not for being strung up in the run behind Naval Commission. Keen to see4. Agita again given what he did over 1800m at Hawkesbury last start against older horses.
How to play it: Piggyback to win.
RACE 7 – 2.30PM TAYLOR CONSTRUCTION HCP (1000m)
There is speed drawn right across the track over 1000m so looking for a stalker. Landed on
3. Testator Silens given where he has drawn. Just hoping he shows enough early speed to keep in touch early. The six-year-old had four runs for Joe Pride last campaign and looked a rejuvenated horse. The gelding is two from two over 1000m but those two wins came much earlier in his career. In fact,they were his first two ever starts. Don’t read too much into his barrier trials. He doesn’t show much. It was the same prior to resuming last time in. Stablemate15. Wild Botanica looks dangerous given her soft draw. She should get a similar run and 1000m is perfect. Looked sharp in her one trial.7. Mogo Magic hasn’t been sighted since failing in the Kosciuszko as a $7 chance. Back to benchmarks and flies fresh and great record over 1000m. No official trials.
How to play it: Testator Silens E/W.
RACE 8 – 3.05PM FUJITSU AIRSTAGE HCP (1600m)
A win is close for5. Iknowastar. He ran second to Gringotts first up at Rosehill then second to Waterford four weeks later. Those two have gone right on with it since. Gringotts has won twice while Waterford was luckless in the Scone Cup,missing in a photo finish. Last start Iknowastar just bumped into two better wet trackers. That was at Newcastle on a heavy track. A drying surface should give him the chance to turn the tables on1. Williamsburg. Iknowastar has shown in his past two campaigns that he holds his form deep into campaigns and continues to improve with runs. That’s no surprise given his free-rolling style.14. Ruby Flyer made a late surge at Rosehill last start but couldn’t reel in Highlights. It was a sprint home. Forgive the blanket finish for the minors. Unusual Legacy and Rhythm Of Love,fourth and fifth,have both won their subsequent starts.
How to play it: Iknowastar towin.
RACE 9 – 3.45PM PF CIVIL EQUIPMENT HCP (2000m)
5. Pesto doesn’t win out of turn nowadays,with just one victory from his past 19 starts,but he looks perfectly set up. The eight-year-old caught the eye behind Waterford and Iknowastar first up over 1500m in a high-rating race at Rosehill. He is straight out to 2000m second up and draws soft. The barrier should see him park up much closer.7. Speycaster is chasing three straight wins as he works through the grades. He is a stayer in terrific form. Ploughed through the heavy conditions at Newcastle two weeks ago. Ideally he’d be getting out to 2400m now as opposed to coming back slightly in trip to 2000m. That’s the only knock. It got tight up the fence for6. Golden Path in The Coast last start. He should have finished closer. Shouldn’t have that same concern here swapping barrier 1 for barrier 12. Keen to see him out to 2000m for the first time.
How to play it: Pesto to win.
RACE 10 – 4.25PM SUPPORTERHUB HCP (1400m)
8.Silent Impact will spear forward to offset the barrier. He stuck on bravely at Rosehill first up over 1300m. That was despite being 79 weeks between runs. Just hope he doesn’t flatten off second up after that run. Has been given four weeks to freshen up since.3. War Eternal needs to break a 117-week drought. It’s been a long time between wins,but he has raced well over the Randwick 1400m in the past and improves with a run under his belt.10. Starman is 123 weeks between wins. He has placed in five of his past six. Patience is wearing thin,but he will be thereabouts again.16. Nails Murphy and17. Kokoro come through a Kensington midweeker and have claims in a wide open close to the meeting.
How to play it: Silent Impact to win.
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