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By Brad Gray

Tips and race by race preview by Brad Gray for Saturday’s meeting at Rosehill Gardens.

The rail is out 3m with the track rated in the Soft 6 range as of Friday morning but that's set to improve again with fine weather forecast through until Saturday. The first race on the card is set to jump at 1:15pm.

2. Krameric has had the benefit of a start and from what we saw of him in his first racing preparation, including his trials, he needed it. You could see he was loaded with ability but didn’t know what he was doing. That one start was in the Breeders’ Plate where he dashed home his final 600m in the second quickest of the race (33.09s) to run third behind Dubious and Covert Ops. He has tuned up with one trial and like what we saw from the Rubick colt. He looked as professional as we’ve ever seen from him, bouncing out quickly, travelling kindly and going to the line under a hold. Hugh Bowman has been with the two-year-old all along and maintains his association.

Dangers: Chris Waller looks to have a strong hand here and I won’t be discounting the chances of 5. Accession on debut. Like the way this Brazen Beau colt found the line in his one trial. Drawn 1, he’ll be covered up, find the rail and with any luck, be hitting the line. 6. Nuclear Summit looked smart in his trial too, and Gary Moore has always rated the youngster very highly, but is certainly well found in the market. Strasbourg who trialled alongside last week’s revelation Tassort, has been scratched to run in the Max Lees Classic at Newcastle on Sunday.

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

Krameric’s third in the Breeders’ Plate

8. Skyray took a while to knock of his maiden but he has now won three of his past four for Clarry Conners including an impressive first up victory at Hawkesbury. The three-year-old travelled into the race sweetly before putting his rivals away. Punters Intel reveals son of Smart Missile slipped home his last 600m in 32.67s. He deserves another shot in town now. James McDonald steers and he should be able to tuck in behind what still looks okay speed despite Rare Episode scratched having run at Canterbury on Friday night.

Dangers: 6. Oria is such an honest mare as evident from her finishing positions last campaign when never worse than fourth in seven runs. She won first up at Hawkesbury too. Hard to get a line on her from the trials where ridden very quietly. 1. Easy Eddie will come on from the run and is right up in the weights but don’t discount him. 5. Regimen is some hope but looks well under the odds as the early favourite.

How to play it: Skyray WIN ($6 TAB Fixed Odds)

Charlayne’s second over the Rosehill 1100m last preperation

This week's TAB Highway Handicap has been savaged by scratchings including original top selection Nicconita. That leaves 5. Noble Boy as the pick of them. The lightly-raced four-year-old has only won an Albury maiden and a Goulburn class 1 on paper but has done it in great style. The Bon Hoffa gelding for Queanbeyan trainer Todd Blowes couldn’t have been any more impressive. The shrinking field ensures he won't be too far away and he'll get his chance to remain undefeated.

Dangers: Danny Williams has mastered the types of horses to target these races with and has found another up-and-comer here in 1. Coup De Main. The original query was the wide draw having drawn 17 in the capacity field but he comes right in now with so many scratchings. That said 15. Sheza Dancza and 16. Lady Tycoon will still ensure that he won't get all of the favours. Hugh Bowman rides. 8. Irish Songs got his maiden out of the way first up at skinny odds and his third to Thinkin' Big last preparation, albeit on a heavy track, looks strong now!

How to play it:  Noble Boy WIN ($3 TAB Fixed Odds)

One of Nicconita’s Highway second placings

3. Our Century found a home with Kim Waugh last preparation and the eight-year-old certainly seems to be enjoying the Wyong lifestyle. Waugh stepped him out over 1900m first up a fortnight ago and Our Century got the cash. Second up last campaign was his best run, when crushing his rivals in the Lord Mayor's despite making several runs throughout the race. He then flopped third up out to 2400m. He might be one of those imports that does his best work on the fresh side so you want to cash in early in the campaign. The sting out of the track holds no fears either as his only wet track run a second on a Heavy 10 behind Big Duke when owned by Lloyd Williams. Concede that 6. Savacool will be hard to beat in this as the even money favourite but don't ignore Our Century.

Dangers: Savacool is flying at the moment and is the horse in this field with clearly the most upside. Her win at Flemington last start was that of a very smart mare. Prior to that she rattled home behind Sky Boy with the barrier cruelling her chances on that occasion. She is rock bottom odd coming up against some seasoned stayers but there’s no denying her claims. Expect her to get out from even money closer to jump. Would be surprised if the winner didn’t come from Savacool or Our Century.

How to play it: Our Century WIN ($4.60 TAB Fixed Odds) and SAVE Savacool ($1.95)

A reminder of what Our Century did second up last preparation

3. Solo Mission looks ready to win now fourth up out to 2400m. Liked the way this five-year-old worked to the line over 2000m behind Sky Boy last start suggesting he wants this trip now. The import was tested over the two and half miles under the care of Waller last preparation but paddled in the heavy conditions to finish a distant third behind Plymouth Road. His two runs prior to his last start effort also had merit when third on the Kenso track over 1800m before again working home from back behind Sky Boy. There is no Sky Boy here this time and in a very open staying event, he’s worth an each way ticket.

Dangers: 1. Tamarack has won two of his past three and his latest was by a dominant margin. That was only a field of four but 5. The Bandit did frank the form by winning himself at his next outing. The five-year-old lumped 59kg to victory three runs back which offers some confidence he’ll be able to figure again but now with 60kg. 5. Goodwood Zodiac went warp speed in front last start and knocked up badly. Not surprisingly! He can bounce back at big odds. How often do you see a horse that has struggled to win for so long finally break through and then go back-to-back? Here’s looking at you, The Bandit.

How to play it: Solo Mission WIN ($6 TAB Fixed Odds)

Solo Mission working home well last start

10. Monsieur Sisu is racing a long, long way out of his grade here but it’s not the strongest edition of the Festival Stakes you’ll ever see. The four-year-old gelding has only had eight starts and this is just his second race preparation. On what we’ve seen to date though he has come back a much better animal, and still has upside. First up he was ridden very aggressively and was entitled to finish further back than what he did before staying at 1300m was against him at Rosehill last time out. Still, he was only beaten 0.4L at the finish. He’ll go straight to the front from barrier 1 with Jason Collett steering and should be able to stack these up.

Dangers: What you see is what you get with 4. Pecans. She has won five of her nine starts for Joe Pride, adding to her win column first up in the Ladies Day Cup at Hawkesbury. She is in winning form, which can’t be said for any other runner here. 8. My Nordic Hero hammered the line behind Firsthand over 1400m first up with Punters Intel revealing he slipped home his last 600m in 32.81s. It was a slowly run race so he was entitled to sprint home but it ranked quickest in the race. Was that a stayer running well fresh, as we often see, or is Chris Waller now training him as a middle distance horse? Either way, his return was too good to ignore here.

How to play it: Monsieur Sisu EACH WAY ($23 TAB Fixed Odds)

Monsieur Sisu wasn’t far away last start despite staying at 1300m

I'm certainly conscious of the fact that 2. Invincible Star is deep into a preparation but the stable are setting their sights on the Magic Millions so Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott must be confident there's still petrol in the tank. She is a speedster that has had her share of column space over the spring having been withdrawn from The Everest after a poor showing in the G2 Premiere Stakes. She tackled the Manikato Stakes instead and should've finished third, having been chopped out. She didn't fire a shot down the straight in the G1 VRC Classic but she drops back enormously in grade here to a Listed 1100m event where 6. Marsupial is the favourite. There are no doubt a couple of holes you can punch in here form but at $4.20 TAB Fixed Odds, happy to roll the dice.

Dangers: 6. Marsupial got 7.5kg off Tactical Advantage last start, which saw him prevail. Still, the enigmatic four-year-old won well at the finish. We know he is a horse that can run a powerful late closing split when he is on song, but we also know that he can be a bit of a tease. As his four wins from 17 starts suggests. Chance, definitely. Could I take $2.90? Definitely not. 3. Spending To Win was ridden for speed at Sandown last start and folded. He can bounce back ridden more conservatively here. 1. Deploy is a fascinating runner. Gerald Ryan said a top four finish would be satisfying pointing out the 1100m will likely be too sharp, but he is too classy to dismiss especially with Ryan being such a good first up conditioner.

How to play it: Invincible Star WIN ($4 TAB Fixed Odds)

It was only September when Invincible Star ran second in the G2 Shorts

This race is tailor made for 10. Mapmaker. The map suggests on pace runners have an advantage. The seven-year-old is never far away, particularly on his home deck of Rosehill (11:2-3-4), and from the cosy draw should be right there for Adam Hyeronimus. Blue Tycoon coming out only strengthens his claims. Mapmaker was beaten 0.3L by Schubert when he kicked clear and looked the winner before finishing fifth in a driving finish again at Rosehill behind Sweet Deal and Newsfan, beaten just 0.8L. It’s been a long preparation for this galloper with a couple of freshen ups keeping him ticking over but he is one of those horses that thrives on racing. Can’t see him missing a hole so the $8 is very attractive.

Dangers: 8. Revenire is bursting to win a race. After two second to kick off his preparation he was sent south for the carnival but nothing went right for him down the straight. He was out the back and in restricted room, never got the chance to get warm. He still found the line when clear despite the 62kg. The query with him, and it’s a big one, is seeing out the 1300m. I can’t have him over the extra trip. 9. Catesby beat a luckless Sexy Eyes first up before being transferred to Greg McFarlane at Gosford but he held his form for his new trainer, running a close up third behind Sweet Deal and Newsfan. He’ll give a big sight with no weight on his back.

How to play it: Mapmaker EACH WAY ($6 TAB Fixed Odds)

Mapmaker last start at Rosehill over this same trip

This is a deep race but there’s not a great deal of speed engaged which plays into the hands of 2. Gaulois. The four-year-old chased home Dyslexic and Coruscate first up in a race where those two dominated from the front. They crawled in front running 32.65s (Punters Intel) for the first 500m, which turned the race into nothing more than a 400m dash home. Gaulois dashed sharply between the 400-200m when asked to quicken, clocking 10.57s, the quickest in the race before being unable to match the final 200m splits of the quinella, with this sectional split ranking third. Given Gaulois still recorded a very fast last 200m of 10.86s, it might seem strange to say he peaked on his run but that was the case. Gauloius’ final 600m was the quickest at 32.83s. Hugh Bowman will know full well his advantage lies in settling much closer than his key rivals.

Dangers: 5. Sexy Eyes will be out the back here from the draw but we’ve seen from her in the past that she can be slipped some leather early to slide into the race. That’ll be critical here. She only fell in to beat stablemate Velocita last start at Winx odds but there was a sizeable gap to third. I could be wrong but that run gave me the inkling that 1500m is as far as she wants at this stage of her career. 4. Tip Top has got a long way back in slowly run races his past two. Expect him to be closer this time.

How to play it: Gaulois WIN ($4 TAB Fixed Odds)

Gaulois chasing home Dyslexic and Coruscate first up

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