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By Brad Gray

5. Jumeirah Beach carries an extra 2.5kg from last start at Hawkesbury but the win had so much merit than the narrow margin suggests. The six-year-old was awkwardly positioned approaching the turn and after becoming unbalanced having attemped to angle into the clear, he surged late to score an unlikely victory. It was only in January that a warning was placed on the gelding for being uncompetitive. Fast forward a few months and he is chasing three wins in a row. Despite the weight swing his rivals receive, it’s hard to make a case that’ll be enough for them to turn the tables. The conditions won’t bother him either. He’s proved himself just as effective on wet ground recently. The step out to 1700m shouldn’t be an excuse either.

Dangers: 8. Highborn Harry was plain at the midweeks last start but it was in a BM78 and in race that didn’t change much throughout. His two runs prior were eye catching, one of which was in Midway company when charging home into third over 1500m. Ran second to Flying Bandit in an 1800m Midway back in November. 2. Camaguey has five lengths to make up on Jumeirah Beach but was only first up and he improved sharply second up over 1800m last campaign in BM94 company, running a narrow third. He’ll settle much closer over this trip. 1. Northern Eyes looked the winner when second to Jumeirah Beach two weeks ago. Continues to trend the right way this time in. Some query 1700m. 6. General Soho has won three from four at Scone. 12. Perfect Justice gets right down in the weights.

How To Play It: Jumeirah Beach WIN

Want to be forgiving of 9. Win The Day’s performance at Warwick Farm last start. The mare began well but was allowed to slide back through the field looking for cover. She never travelled thereafter, run off her feet over 1300m in BM72 company. Her run prior when second to Ballinderry Sal as a $7 chance in Highway Handicap company was brave. The four-year-old was posted three deep the trip yet stuck it out to still be in the finish. It’s been a busy second preparation for the daughter of Hellbent but she’ll handle whatever the Scone track throws up on Saturday and the timing looks right to try her over the mile. Her recent Canberra win over Canadian Ruler also reads well now too.

Dangers: 12. Pharoahzano closed off well when second to Canadian Ruler at Hawkesbury last start. The progression out to 1600m looks perfect now and he is racing at home for Cam Crockett. Only has to repeat his last start performance to be in the finish again. It’s not going to be an easy watch for 10. Due Calzini, it never is with his pattern, but if there’s a positive to the wide draw it’s that he’ll get plenty of time to wind up. Something he appears to need. 5. Fiorsum Fred tackles the mile first up. This would have been a target race for local trainer Scott Singleton. Perhaps he didn’t want to run prior at the risk of winning and becoming ineligible. 1. Tainui has an exceptional record. Just don’t know how he’ll cope back to the mile. Would be keener 4. Rouge Moulin on a dry track.

How To Play It: Win The Day WIN

2. Akaysha looked to get her chance at Randwick last start but she stalked a truly run 1100m, which set up for Grand Eagle to sweep home from last. Hidden Motive boxed away in third, two lengths back. There was more merit to the run than meets the eye. On debut the Capitalist filly showed a great turn of foot to win at Kembla Grange. Beadman ran home into second while Stardom was two lengths away back in third. Those form lines look very strong now. Tom Sherry rode her there and he jumps back aboard. He has been tasked with overcoming a wide draw but would prefer her out there than drawn in. This track was rated soft 12 months ago and the majority of winners came from off speed, down the middle.

Dangers: Convinced, rightly or wrongly and we’ll only know in time, that 15. Sylph is as talented as any two-year-old here. She just doesn’t know what she is doing. Racing manners have proved costly in two runs. She’ll jump from the widest gate but she has no tactical speed so it probably doesn’t change much. Ran home in fast time in a fast race behind Agarwood last start. The winner looks very smart. In the defence of 6. Stardom, we saw an improved version at start number two when she bolted in at Wagga out to 1200m. She quickened well from in front. 14. Odaka could be the sleeper at odds. Didn’t get a lot of luck on debut at Randwick back in January and has trialled well since. 3. Miss Freelove fits in somewhere while 12. Vingt Neuf Noir could also run well at odds.

How To Play It: Akaysha WIN

6. Invader Zim did enough first up behind stablemate Step Aside at Randwick over 1200m. He was forced back to last and had to circle widest. There has been no subsequent winners from that race but plenty of good runs, including seconds from King Of Roseau and Furious. Invader Zim’s past two wins have come second up. Her perhaps should have won second up last campaign too when shuffled back in the run at Wyong. It was no fault of his own. Saturday’s set up looks perfect. Stepping out to 1300m on what should be a soft track with rain around throughout the week leading into Saturday. He also meets his two main threats with a run under his belt. Chris Waller has also put the blinkers on for the first time.

Dangers: The stable think highly of 1. Blazing Harry and rightly so given what he has shown in glimpses in his seven starts to date. He jumped four rating points after running second to The Inflictor at Eagle Farm in his last start before spelling. That sees him lumped with 62kg in this grade. Has found the line in two trials. 5. Oh Diamond Lil is a free-running style of mare that has gapped her rivals in two trial wins. She refused to allow Kerrin McEvoy to go any slower on her. Has been vulnerable first up in the past but she was in career-best form at the backend of last campaign. 10. Allapercanto comes in a few barriers after scratchings. It’ll still be no easy task to figure in the finish but she trucked to the line in a recent Rosehill trial. She was flying last preparation without much going right.

How To Play It: Invader Zim EACH WAY

19. Gentileschi is playing at home for co-trainers Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich. The stable target this meeting. The four-year-old mare was an arrogant winner first up at Muswellbrook. That was over 1450m on a heavy track with 60kg on her back. She was too good for those. This distance looks perfect now second up out to 1700m. As does the prospect of her getting her toe into the ground again. Tackles BM78 company now but this isn’t beyond her. She was also nominated for the Scone Cup and Dark Jewel. That might hint how well she is going. Her two previous wins at Scone were in much weaker grade but she was dominant on both occasions. Drops to 54kg and can stalk midfield.

Dangers: 9. Kind Words made an early move last start to put pressure on the favourite Know Thyself. The move backfired leaving Kind Words with nothing at the finish. Expect a more conservative ride on Saturday. Would love this to be 2000m and not 1700m but this mare looks to be going particularly well. The way she attacked the line second up in the Provincial Midway Championships Final suggested that another win is close. 2. Miracle Spin holds his form through preparations once he is fit enough and he showed last start when third to Les Vampires, the subsequent Gosford Cup winner, that he’s trending towards another peak performance. 14. Good Banter, like Kind Words, doesn’t win out of turn but she was excellent first up behind Know Thyself. Also wish this was 2000m for 5. Quantum Cat.

How To Play It: Gentileschi WIN

7. Dollar Magic won this same race 12 months ago. She hasn’t won a race since but has placed in four of her subsequent six starts. Can only see her running well again here tackling the race first up, just as she did last year when landing good late bets. There is little doubt that this is a target race again. The six-year-old carried 56.5kg there. The clever claim of stable apprentice Mitch Stapleford sees her carry 56kg on Saturday. The middle draw suits allowing her to blend into the race at the right time. She can race well from anywhere in the field and she handles all ground. The daughter of Shamus Award won a recent trial by five lengths. From what we saw there, Singleton looks to have this mare exactly where he wants her. Be surprised if she’s not in the top three.

Dangers: 3. Tanglewood chased home Far Too Easy and Front Page in the Kosciuszko last start before spelling. He remains an underrated sprinter despite winning four of his 12 starts. Looks to have trialled as well as ever and races well fresh. 15. Left Field’s racing pattern makes her a frustrating mare to catch. We know she possesses a booming finish. Her trials are always exceptional and its been no different this time back. At this meeting last year she resumed in the Denises Joy charging home from last behind Commemorative and Spring Lee. 4. Miss Icelandic was given the perfect ride to edge past 16. Passeggiata at Randwick first up. Maps well to hold that form. 6. Zealously had excuses in that same race but doesn’t want any rain.

How To Play It: Dollar Magic EACH WAY

6. Soft Love remains undefeated for Mornington-based trainer Matt Laurie, who has been lethal with his runners in NSW lately. The Pierata filly found herself in a horrible spot at Caulfield last start yet came away at the finish to put a margin on Thames. Her last 200m split was the third quickest of the meeting. She has been given a six week freshen since then with a tickover trial at Rosehill keeping her up to the mark. The niggle is barrier 1. How the track plays will have some bearing on her chances. She hasn’t shown much tactical speed in three runs to date but barriers haven’t done her any favours. Her regular rider Harry Coffey will just need the breaks to fall his way at some point in the straight.

Dangers: 8. Gerringong’s form is all at Canterbury at this early point in her career. Two dominant wins around that track booked her a spot in the Sunlight where she ran midfield behind Private Harry and Lady Of Camelot. She’s still untapped. Has trialled well. 2. Shohisha’s Light Fingers run before spelling got better by the week over the autumn. The four fillies that beat her home were Lady Shenandoah, Lady Of Camelot, Lilac and Lazzura! Should be sharp enough fresh for 1100m despite her wins coming over 1200 and 1300m. 12. Thames meets Soft Love 2.5kg better for their Caulfield clash where she came off a clear second best. Still runs well here as a place chance. Her stablemate 5. Photograph impressed on a heavy track last start. Monitor track conditions for her.

How To Play It: Soft Love WIN

11. Caballus resumes as a gelding. The four-year-old also gets the blinkers off and tongue tie off. On top of that he has had tie-forward surgery since he last raced. Want to give the son of I Am Invincible the chance to rediscover his best form. He hit the ground running in his first campaign for Bjorn Baker winning an Eskimo Prince at just his second outing for the new yard, beating Makarena and Encap. That prompted the stable to raise the bar over the spring with runs in the Moir, Manikato and Sydney Stakes. He lacked confidence when dropped back in grade in two runs thereafter. The bar has been lowered for his return on Saturday, tackling Listed company. Has attacked the line in two trials. Don’t love barrier 1 but it should see him park closer.

Dangers: 6. Pisanello should get the speed to suit. He needs to be left alone in the early stages so will be giving away big head start but he can produce a fast close when everything falls in to place, as evidenced by his Canterbury win last start. Kept fresh since with a tickover trial. Not sure how 7. Grand Impact will react to 1100m but he ended last campaign in terrific form and his recent Randwick trial win suggests he’s come back just as well. Wagga Town Plate winner 3. Compelling Truth commands respect, as does first upper 2. I Am Unstoppable.

How To Play It: Caballus WIN

9. Written In Code went down at Hawkesbury last start but punters shouldn’t be too harsh on her performance. The mare is flying and still clocked fast closing splits in what was a leader dominated race. The first three to the turn ran the trifecta. Don’t think she loves heavy tracks either. The five-year-old was dynamic on firmer footing in two wins prior to that. We’re talking benchmark form but she put her rivals away second up which saw her jump $4.80 in Group Three company two weeks ago. The mare strikes this fourth up out to 1400m and should love the big Scone straight to wind up. A soft track would be fine. Wouldn’t want it any wetter, which it shouldn’t be. It’s a compressed weight scale and she looks well placed to win again.

Dangers: 1. Vibrant Sun sits alone at the top of the weights with 60kg. That’s courtesy of her Group One win in the Australasian Oaks at Morphettville as a three-year-old. A win that also saw her jump 25 rating points. That poses problems as far as placement but she looks to be humming given how she has trialled. Her most recent Rosehill second was an outstanding piece of work to the eye, backed up on the clock. The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained mares 12. Countyourblessings and 17. Captain Amelia are going better than the form guide suggests. Both look knockout hopes. Would respect any market confidence around for talented import 5. Kitty Rose given the depth of her Group form overseas. 14. Imposant is racing well.

How To Play It: Written In Code WIN

16. Gallant Star was beaten by a superior wet tracker at Hawkesbury last start when second to Cool Jakey. He was only beaten narrowly and held off third comfortably. The five-year-old has started no longer than $2.90 in his most recent four starts. The price is right to back him on Saturday. The reason he is longer odds is there is more depth to this Listed level field. There doesn’t look to be any budding Group One sprinters among them though. The likes of Clearly Innocent and Artlee have used to the Country Championships as a lead in to win this race in the past. Gets some weight relief in on the 53kg minimum and will appreciate getting back onto a firmer track. Soft is fine but heavy dulls his finish. Expecting a slightly more conservative ride too, given the speed engaged.

Dangers: 8. Phearson isn’t doing himself any favours with slow getaways. It’s put him out of play in two runs back yet he has still run well. Could have been fighting out the finish had he begun on terms. He’s on the quick turnaround having charged late behind Barber in the Takeover Target last Saturday. 11. Whinchat resumes after a 61 weeks break but has had three trials. He is a control freak. He is six from six in races he has led, and zero from six in the races that he hasn’t. 3. Givemethebeatboys has been freshened since running well in the Hall Mark last start behind Mazu. There wasn’t a lot between him and Phearson. His subsequent trial should see him hold that form now. 7. Chrysaor won first up last campaign, albeit on a heavy track over 1400m, before embarking upon an ambitious spring campaign.

How To Play It: Gallant Star WIN

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