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By Brad Gray

1. Hidden Motive only won a Hawkesbury maiden last start but it was just as impressive on the clock as it was to the eye. He jumped $1.50 and won like his price suggested he would. The Nathan Doyle-trained colt settled outside of the leader and booted clear to win by four lengths, eased down on the line. The two-year-olds had first use of the track at that meeting but his time over the 1100m was by far the quickest of the day, and there were five 1100m races run. Two of them benchmark races. He smashed the clock. Perhaps the penny has dropped. He ran well first up when a narrow second to Aerodrome at Warwick Farm, beating the rest by five lengths, where Zebra Finch was fourth, before boxing on when third to Grand Eagle having to absorb early pressure.

Dangers: Agarwood form looks good form, which Penpel proved at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. 2. Matima bumped into her at Randwick last start. It was a busy go for the minors but he fought on well, and was four weeks between runs on a very testing heavy trac. The time suggested it was as heavy as Randwick has been for some time. 3. Wollzeile chased home a hard fit Stardom at Scone in the Woodlands Stakes first up. That was on the back of a dominant maiden win at Ipswich last preparation. 5. Change My Address showed good ability to win at Warwick Farm on debut, handling the heavy track. Settled outside of the leader, travelled strongly and pulled clear. Carried 54kg after the claim of Molly Bourke. Blue blood colt 7. Central Coast, out of Sunlight, has trialled well on two occasions. Monitor market confidence.

How To Play It: Hidden Motive WIN

1. Jumeirah Beach had excuses at Scone in Midway company three weeks ago. He was shuffled back into an awkward position, when the field bunched. It was a slowly run race dominated by those on top of the speed. Jumeirah Beach’s late splits were fine. Respect that he was sent around a $4.40 favourite. Saturday’s market has been dismissive of his chances. Too dismissive potentially. The form through that Midway reads well now given how Walking Painting, Northern Eyes, Highborn Harry and Let’s Fly have all run since. They were the four horses that beat him home. Prior to last start Jumeirah Beach overcame all sorts of interference to win a Midway at Hawkesbury. In career best form and don’t mind the wide gate given his pattern. Prefer him drawn out than it, especially with Randwick expected to be off fence again.

Dangers: 2. Piraeus pulled up with a slow recovery after failing to attack the line at Doomben last start. He drifted a long way back from the wide gate in the early stages. Came with a rush to win at Eagle Farm prior to that. He is no stranger to running well in Midway company. The 1500m is just about the sweet spot for 11. Danish Prince. He sat outside of the leader at Randwick second up with Flying Embers proving too strong. Comes on from that again third up. Very genuine and makes his own luck on top of the speed. 4. Engine Room has as much raw talent, if not more, than any of his rivals here but he comes off a poor run at Gosford. He covered ground but was beaten a long way. His trial since was okay but he raced keenly in the early stages. 12. How Much Better and 17. Callistemon for the exotics.

How To Play It: Jumeirah Beach EACH WAY

4. Miss Kim Kar may have found the right lane at Randwick last start but she got her dues after racing so well first and second up, beaten by wide gates. The three-year-old Bjorn Baker-trained filly had charged home in two midweek races at Warwick Farm over sprint trips before rushing home to win in this grade two weeks ago. That was her first exposure to a heavy track and if she handled the conditions that meeting, there won’t be too many wet tracks she won’t. It was extremely heavy given the times they were running. Comparative to the other 1400m races at that meeting her times rated well. The daughter of Pierata won out to 1550m at the backend of last campaign so the mile shouldn’t hold too many fears. Dylan Gibbons sticks and she can race closer. She is versatile in terms of where she can settle. Goes up 3kg but this isn’t any harder.

Dangers: 1. Pippie Beach looks big odds given she was a first up winner, clearing out from third. The runner up Furious was subsequently well beaten in Saturday company but he had excuses. Pippie Beach is two from two second up and loves wet tracks. Surprised that double figure odds are being bet. The claim offsets the big weight. 7. Gentileschi just missed at Scone last start in a blanket finish. Was only second up there and she too loves wet tracks. Scone was rated a soft track but it raced closer to a good surface. Some knock back to the mile from 1700m three weeks ago. 6. Piggyback was expected to find 1300m too sharp first up but she charged home to nail Lady Boss on the line. The wetter the better and the mile suits. 2. Shoisha is a smart filly but jumps 1100m to the mile second up.

How To Play It: Miss Kim Kar WIN

1. Bengal won two of his three starts for Luke Pepper, after being transferred from the Chris Waller yard. A change of scenery and country grade did the trick. Jammed in between those two wins was a Rosehill fourth in BM72 company, chasing home Godolphin’s black type performer Polyglot. At the Sapphire Coast before spelling, he ran straight past Sun ‘N’ Sand, who won her next start before ending her campaign by running second in an ATC Oaks behind Treasurethe Moment. The trip was short of her best but there’s depth to the form of Bengal’s recent runs. Don’t love the inside draw for the three-year-old as he’ll need luck at some point in the race but suspect there is something to be read into Luke Pepper’s placement here first up.

Dangers: 4. Vinolass is first up for 67 weeks. She is a lightly raced mare that’s obviously had her issues but has won three of her five starts and jumped a $5 chance in Highway company before spelling. Something was clearly amiss there. Giving some confidence is how well she ran first up last time in, on the back of a 45 week break, and that was in a BM72 at Warwick Farm. She was confidently backed there too. Has trialled well since in Canberra. 12. She Within ended last campaign with two close up seconds in Highways. Her 6.5 length maiden win was on a soft track. Has trialled twice. 8. Carribean King hasn’t won for 146 weeks but back to 1100m after running well over 1200m at Gosford suits. Needs to turn the tables on 9. Ritzsun. 13. Off The Press next best.

How To Play It: Bengal WIN

The gamble is how much we can trust the Randwick form reference from two weeks ago given how heavy the track was but take the run of 14. Elivina on face value from that and she’s a leading player on Saturday. The track is unlikely to be that heavy but it’ll still be rain-affected. The Saxon Warrior filly was sent around a $51 chance yet charged home from last to run fourth. The winner Let’s Fly ran out a six length winner but Elivina split Hurstville Zagreb and Rotagilla. The Kerry Parker-trained galloper is an emergency for the Queensland Oaks but looks unlikely to get a run. This looks a suitable Plan B after what we saw a fortnight ago. She’s still in her first campaign but should relish 2000m and stays on 52kg. Getting the right price to take the punt on her.

Dangers: 1. Hurstville Zagreb presented like the winner two weeks ago but laboured in the ground, like many across the meeting. Third up 2000m suits. Maps awkwardly. 12. Bearings is an improving staying filly for John Sargent. She was balloted out of the Queensland Oaks. That sees her 2200m back to 2000m but perhaps offsetting that is the prospect of a heavy track. Has 5.5 lengths to make up on 5. Rotagilla from two starts ago but has the scope and stamina to do that, with swapping Kensington for Randwick also in her favour. Rotagilla boxed on fairly behind Let’s Fly last start. Respect that he jumped a well backed $5 chance. 3. Duvana didn’t handle the track at al that meeting.

How To Play It: Elivina EACH WAY

7. Blazing Harry has a couple of lengths to turnaround on Oh Diamond Lil from Scone first up but he couldn’t have done much more given how the race played out and where he got to in the run. He fanned widest and ran home in fast time. He’d probably had enough the last 100m. That was as a $6 chance. The market has been quick to dismiss his chances second up. He hasn’t started any longer than $6 in his eight start career. The four-year-old strips fitter and drops 3kg from 62kg to 59kg. We’ve seen Mickey’s Medal and Kadall frank that form line since. The stable hold the son of Harry Angel in high regard and he should handle a wet track. Will need a clever ride from Regan Bayliss but with speed inside and outside he might be able to slide across to find cover in the first half dozen.

Dangers: 6. Oh Diamond Lil was forced to take a trail first up and despite racing a touch keen, sprinted quickly to put the race away. That’s now four wins from her past five starts. Don’t love speed horses drawn low, especially on wet tracks but she has a great racing pattern and is still improving. 4. Thunderlips draws out with Blazing Harry but only has to hold his form to be in the finish again. Swap the runs and you probably swap the results at Randwick two weeks ago. This is an identical race, albeit with a touch more depth hence his price. 12. Flying Thinker ran at that same meeting over 1400m and ran faster time than the colts and geldings, when chasing home Miss Kim Kar. Not sure how to line up Victorian 14. Federer. Draws barrier 1. Sound trials.

How To Play It: Blazing Harry EACH WAY

9. Cool Jakey is a hard fit wet tracker that shouldn’t have too much resistance in attempting to find the front. He drops to 52kg after the claim of Jace McMurray. A luxury weight compared to what has been forced to carry in lesser grade recently. The five-year-old was having his first run over the mile last start when second to Hollywood Hero. He wasn’t able to dictate as he likes to but fought on gamely to run second. That ticks off the distance query given how testing that Randwick track was. The Joe Pride-trained galloper has to turn the tables on Hollywood Hero but that’ll toughen him up for another crack over the mile. The son of Pierro swims, he loves wet tracks and a further dump of rain on Wednesday should ensure another heavy track come Saturday.

Dangers: 12. Hollywood Hero landed good bets winning there on the back of a lovely ride two weeks ago. Draws awkwardly on Saturday. Will need a clever ride from Ash Morgan but perhaps it’ll allow the Sacred Falls gelding to get to the best part of the track, pattern pending. The barrier doesn’t help 5. Phearson either. He has been getting a long way back this time in, before hitting the line. The mile might stretch him but he is racing like he wants further. He is at least settling in the early stages. He was once a keen-going front running type. 6. Grebini should have finished closer in the Scone Cup. Some query drawn barrier 1 and how wet he wants it. 8. Royal Supremacy didn’t have any luck in the Scone Cup and there was money around for the import.

How To Play It: Cool Jakey WIN

4. In Flight comes into this a dominant last start winner at Doomben, relishing the heavy track. She swam through the ground. It was against the fillies and mares but she gets some weight relief in this grade back against the boys. This Joe Pride-trained mare loves wet ground. She’ll get conditions to suit again come the weekend. Prior to that she narrowly missed at Canterbury and Hawkesbury. The daughter of Flying Artie has drawn a touch wide but she’ll be able to drift across to settle in behind the speed. There is enough on paper to see her find cover. Perhaps at this point of the meeting jockeys would prefer to be drawn out as opposed to in. That last start performance, and the promise of another rain-affected surface, makes her the horse to beat.

Dangers: 13. Cigar Flick can be hit and miss but like the set up. She’s a proven fresh mare, should get the speed to suit and also loves wet tracks. Three of her four career wins have been over 1100m. Dangerous with 53kg. She wasn’t asked to do much in her one trial. Her stablemate 12. Kazou resumes off a 42 week break but ended last campaign a winner. 7. The Novelist and 8. Fire Star battled it out for the minors behind Caballus at Scone. The Novelist is negatively impacted by a wet track and drawn low. It won’t bother Fire Star, who handles all going. He covered ground at Scone too. Andrew Adkins appears to have the trick to the quirky gelding.

How To Play It: In Flight WIN

2. Whinchat looked the winner at Scone first up, kicking clear only to be run down in the final stride. It was cruel. That’s a terrific return to the races from the front-running five-year-old given he had been 56 weeks on the sidelines prior. Like that David Pfieffer has given him three weeks between runs to recover from that. The gelding carries an extra 7kg back to BM100 grade but that Luskin Star run says that he has returned where he left off last campaign. There was four lengths back to third. Whinchat has never raced on a heavy track but two of his most impressive victories have come on tracks rated Soft 6. He’d had three trials ahead of his return so the stable sent him to the races with a solid fitness base. Jay Ford rides him well.

Dangers: 9. Shadizi is a talented import returning after a near year long layoff. Note that he was nominated for a Golden Eagle by the stable at one point. He has shown a turn of foot to win his four races in France. Trucked to the line in a recent Randwick trial. He’s a big yard and market watch. Joe Pride has a strong team which includes 11. Headley Grange. He’ll improve on whatever he does but he's a proven fresh horse, has trialled well, handles all ground and still looks to be improving. 5. Pereille had excuses first up, 1. Estadio Mestalla is capable fresh while 14. Dark Glitter just keeps fronting up at big odds.

How To Play It: Whinchat WIN

18. Not That Easy could prove dangerous at huge odds in the last. It’s a wide-open contest and she can run a very fast closing split. Just needs to tack on in the early stages but a middle gate and 52kg gives her the chance to run better than her price suggests. Didn’t win a race in nine runs last campaign but was beaten in two photo finishes. She also clocked a fast finishing second behind Accredited at Warwick Farm. If this was 1000m on a dry track, the leaders are probably off and gone but a wet track and if the winners are coming wider towards the backend of the meeting, the Jason Coyle-trained mare is well set up to cause an upset. Trialled well alongside Cosmonova recently.

Dangers: 1. Tanglewood is the class sprinter here. Didn’t get a lot of room to let down at a critical point at Scone first up. The run wasn’t as bad as it reads on paper. There is less depth to this BM78 and the cut out of the track suits. 8. Queen Of The Mile won’t want a genuine heavy track. Would be surprised if she ran if it was. She’s a very genuine mare that comes to handy quickly and is effective over the short course trips. Maps well and gets in well after the claim. Last start winner 4. Storm The Ramparts loves wet ground. He went straight to the front in an identical race to this two weeks ago and held off the closers. The blinkers went back on there.

How To Play It: Not That Easy EACH WAY

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