The time-honoured Group 1 Randwick Guineas takes centre stage this Saturday at Royal Randwick. With $1,000,000 up for grabs, and ten quality races on the program, a healthy local crowd is expected in the eastern suburbs. At Flemington, the Group 1 All-Star Mile and Newmarket Handicap are the headline acts on a ‘Super Saturday’ of racing. Can the people’s horse Mr Brightside turn the tables on the progressive Another Wil?
Royal Randwick race 7
#1 Broadsiding
Broadsiding has the world at his feet. The Too Darn Hot colt was breathtaking fresh in the Hobartville Stakes, and he meets a familiar line-up on Saturday. The step out in distance is advantageous, and his second-up record must be respected. The inside draw should give his key rivals sleepless nights leading into the event, and the James McDonald factor should never be underestimated. Hard to toss!
Swiftfalcon caught the eyes of punters first-up behind a world-class colt. The Exceedance gelding is undefeated at the mile, and he traditionally performs well at this stage of his campaign. The middle gate will allow the big boy to sit closer in the run, and if Tyler Schiller presses the go button at the right time, he will play a key role in the concluding stages. His racing pattern and style will always requires an element of good fortune.
Suggested Bet: Broadsiding @ $1.70
Royal Randwick Race 8
#8 Encap
Encap is over the odds! The consistent four-year-old is resuming after a brilliant spring campaign, and his recent barrier trials were first-class. His first-up record is sound, and 1300m is arguably his best distance. The perfect inside draw will allow the Capitalist gelding a soft trip in transit, and if he sees clear air as they come over the famous Randwick Rise, he can cause the biggest boil-over since Polly left the kettle on.
Sunshine In Paris resumes with an air of expectation. The Invader mare won a stunning edition of the Group 1 Champions Sprint during the spring, and her first-up record speaks volumes. The form around her is elite, and her best performance here could be fences and panels better than her rivals. The carpark draw is her biggest obstacle.
Suggested Bet: Encap @ $71.00
#1 Duke De Sessa
Duke De Sessa is a class act. The Caulfield Cup winner was a brilliant first-up victor over an unsuitable distance. The longer trip second-up is advantageous, and I suspect the Lope De Vega gelding will take significant benefit from his fresh heroics. He looks well placed in this company, and I suspect the long Randwick home straight will suit his racing pattern and style. The grandstand weight is the primary concern.
Our Anchorage is building an attractive picket fence next to his name. The progressive Galileo gelding has been climbing through his grades successfully over the recent months, and I suspect he has the fitness edge on the majority of his rivals. His record at the trip is outrageous, and he looks the likely leader on paper with a clean break. The class rise is the biggest deterrent.
Suggested Bet: Duke De Sessa @ $5.00
Flemington Race 7
#4 Another Wil
Another Wil was a brilliant first-up Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes winner. The progressive five-year-old stalked the speed throughout and grabbed the evergreen and ultra-consistent Mr Brightside in the shadows. His record at the mile must be respected, and he loves Flemington more than Phar Lap and Bart Cummings. The perfect inside draw will ensure a soft trip in-transit, and a recent jump out should give his key rivals sleepless nights leading into the Saturday’s feature event. He is a second-up specialist, and he looks incredibly hard to toss!
Mr Brightside claimed the Group 1 Futurity Stakes second-up in a busy finish. He surfed a hot tempo throughout and was braver than Mel Gibson at the pointy end of the contest. The rising eight-year-old held on for grim life and recorded his tenth victory at the elite level in the process. The step out in trip is ideal at this stage of his preparation, and his toughness and versatility are what make him a champion. From the middle gate he will roll forward and make his own luck, and if you have a live ticket with his name on it, you will have a smile on your face as they pass the clocktower. The killer is a great ambassador for our sport, and he will play a key role in the finish.
Suggested Bet: Another Wil @ $3.00
Flemington Race 8
#1 Treasurethe Moment
Treasurethe Moment is a jet. The VRC Oaks winner resumed with a dominant victory over an unsuitable trip, and she is building an enviable career record early doors. Her class and versatility alone should win this second-up assignment in a canter, and I suspect she will play a key role in our two cups and a plate during the spring. She loves Flemington more than Makybe Diva, and she meets the usual suspects on Saturday. Push the chips in!
Captured By Love was ok without threatening at her latest outing. The Written Tycoon filly will strip fitter after her Australian debut, and her Group 1 New Zealand form reads incredibly well for this event. The step out in trip is advantageous, and she should be rock hard-fit after a lengthy and fruitful campaign. Barrier one brings her into all winning calculations, and I suspect she will make her presence felt during the final furlong. Bold showing expected.
Suggested Bet: Treasurethe Moment @ $1.80
fLEMINGTON Race 9
#6 Rey Magnerio
Rey Magnerio is ready to run the race of his life. The Magnus gelding performed superbly in the Group 1 Oakleigh plate, and he finds his pet conditions third-up from a spell on Saturday. The consistent five-year-old simply doesn’t know how to run a bad race, and if he can camp one pair off the speed throughout, he will put himself into a winning position as they run for the doctor. He represents sensational each-way value, and I suspect this event has been the camps’ long-range target. In Rey, we trust!
It’sourtime is a track and distance specialist. The Time For War gelding is ultra-consistent, and he gets his chance to taste Group 1 glory on Saturday. 54kg is a luxury, and the key appointment of Craig Williams speaks volumes. He is rock-hard fit after a lengthy campaign, and if he is presented with his run at the right time, he can loom to win. He tends to find one or two better at the pointy end of a contest.
Suggested Bet: Rey Magnerio @ $9.00
