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By Ray Hickson

Tips and race by race preview by Ray Hickson for Wednesday’s meeting at Warwick Farm. The track is rated Heavy 8 but possible small improvement.

I know after watching his trial from last week that I wrote 4. Sparkly Star can win at the provincials first-up but given this maiden could easily be run at the provincials I’m happy to suggest he can win this. I didn’t envisage the very skinny price though. Back this prep as a gelding, Sparkly Star has looked the goods in winning his two trials and it really comes down to how he handles the conditions on the day given his only soft track run was on a 7 and he ran third in a handy enough maiden. Entitled to go close on his trials.

Danger: 1. Highjacker was scratched from Canterbury last week for this and any improvement in the track condition would be in his favour. He was beaten out of sight on a heavy 9 on debut at the Farm when on the wrong part of the track but he clearly didn’t handle it. Two trials have been nice and he’s to be kept safe. 7. Sweet Scandal has taken a while to make it to the races and comes off a trial win at Rosehill on June 8 where it’s fair to say she got the job done without being super impressive. She’s probably 50-50 to handle the conditions, her dam does have a heavy 8 placing in her form but she’s by Sepoy who had around 10% strike rate when it comes to wet tracks. 6. Music was only getting warm in the last 100m as she moved into third place when resuming at Goulburn in a much improved effort on her only other start. I can see her running into a placing again.

How to play it: Sparkly Star WIN ($1.95 TAB Fixed Odds).

Sparkly Star makes it two from two this prep winning his Rosehill trial on June 8

A few handy ones could emerge from this two-year-old event. 1. Bubbles’n’troubles has really caught the eye in her two recent trials and if it weren’t such a deep looking maiden I’d be declaring her extremely hard to beat with some confidence. She led when winning the first then last Monday was kept under a hold and only allowed to work home on and through the line. I don’t mind the wide barrier and she seemed to be okay in the ground in the latest trial. Good chance.

Dangers: 12. Reelem In Ruby is another to impress in her recent trials, winning on a heavy track at Randwick over 735m then a handy fourth behind Bubbles’n’troubles at Rosehill. In an average race she’d probably be a good thing to win on debut and, again, she’s a strong hope. 7. Helga worked home nicely late in her second trial this time in over the 1050m though I suspect improvement in the track will be needed for her to start. She was pulled out of a race recently due to the heavy ground and her dam was a bit iffy in the wet too. 14. Tawaret, like the aforementioned fillies, debuts on the back of two trials and there’s been merit in both, particularly the latest last Monday. I can see her running well, it just depends on whether barrier one is a plus or minus for her.

How to play it: Bubbles’n’troubles E/W ($6.00 TAB Fixed Odds), save Reelem In Ruby ($3.30).

Watch for Bubbles’n’troubles working home through the line at Rosehill on June 8

I thought 1. Tswalu was well placed at Monday’s meeting but she was scratched, probably due to the early track rating, and turns up here in an even more suitable race aside from the soft to heavy track query. She simply hasn’t been exposed to one on race day so we just don’t know. Her form last prep was excellent, overlooking her last start failure in Group 2 company, and I liked her second trial. She’s well in looking at the weight spread and if she handles the ground has to take beating.

Dangers: 8. Mad Fox is rated 16 points lower than Tswalu and has come up favourite. After scratching the head a bit about that fact I decided her proven wet track ability probably outweighs a class query after having every possible chance first-up at Kembla Grange as a $2 favourite. I don’t think she can beat Tswalu if that horse handles the ground but if she doesn’t then it’s game on7. El Dorado Mine hasn’t been exposed to a wet track since joining Clare Cunningham and all those attempts were in Victora. He has a close fourth at Sandown on a heavy 8 over 1200m to his name and he did hit the line nicely in a recent trial. Keep him safe. 3. Magicus has been in the wilderness for a while but showed a glimpse of form here a couple of weeks ago behind Soothing. That was on a soft 6 and he worked home well without threatening. Less depth in this one and he’s a likely improver.

How to play it: Tswalu WIN ($3.90 TAB Fixed Odds).

Tswalu works home well behind Irithea in a Rosehill trial on May 25

This looks a race up for grabs and while trial form can be hit and miss I thought the win of 1. Feelin The Love at Newcastle on May 23 was irresistible. Her best form is probably 1400m-mile and she stretched out to 1900m last time in but the soft to heavy ground brings her right into this race for mine. Claim is a plus and if she runs up to that trial, where she cantered in, she’ll be in the finish somewhere.

Dangers: 6. Impasse is a lightly raced gelding who showed a bit of promise in his first preparation. Beaten favourite on debut before winning easily at 1500m second-up. Settled handy and not asked for a lot in his trial and given he has more upside than a lot of these he’s worthy of plenty of respect. 2. Connoisseur hasn’t had a lot of wet track experience and it’s hard to get a line on him from his two trials but he’s shown enough to suggest if all is well and he handles the track he could be in the money. Of the others 5. More Moet didn't come up at all last time in and while he's better known over more ground look for a sign he's back in business with some good work late.

How to play it: Feelin The Love WIN ($3.20 TAB Fixed Odds).

Feelin The Love is super impressive winning her trial at Newcastle on May 23

2. Chalmers won a very strong form race at Newcastle a month ago then handled the step up to Saturday grade by running a solid second to the in-form Gresham at Rosehill, producing the fastest last 200m of 11.53 and second fastest last 600m of 34.33 (Punters Intel). Back a notch in grade and he has won at a mile and placed three times on wet tracks so he ticks a heap of boxes for this. If he holds his current form he’ll be very hard to beat.

Dangers: 4. Cormac had to work hard to win a questionable form race here last month but stepped up in class and handled it well bumping into the in-form Sweet Melody over this course on a soft 6. Where he gets to from the barrier is a query but he has to be a threat. 7. Rakhish is the unknown quantity in this race coming off a tough maiden win at Wyong where he was there to be beaten on the turn but fought them all off. Had a tickover trial since and the mile should suit him being by Savabeel. Wouldn’t surprise if he measured up. 3. Surjin was stuck wide when finishing midfield in the same race as Cormac here two weeks ago and he could be worth another chance from a better barrier which might see him find a more prominent spot. Jury still out on the wet ground but last start was his only attempt to date and he had excuses.

How to play it: Chalmers E/W ($4.40 TAB Fixed Odds).

Chalmers finishes the race off strongly at Rosehill on June 2

Low confidence in this race. 5. Only Tiger has measured up in this company this time in and he posted a confidence boosting Wyong win when back in class last week. Importantly that was on a heavy track so it could provide the edge he hasn’t had previously in this grade. If that's the case then he's a good chance to go back-to-back.

Dangers: 2. Mornington has come up favourite for some reason but I suppose something has to. He was there to win last start on this track and tried hard but had every chance. He can be in the finish but I’ve yet to see any real will to win from him. 1. Follow Suit beat Mornington as he dove at them late to post an upset win second-up as a $26 chance. I’m not sure I want to rush in for him to repeat the dose with 5kg more but he did get the job done and is still open to some improvement. 8. Firebird Flyer performed fairly last week at Canterbury but I was wary of her ordinary second-up record. With that out of the way she has a chance to improve into the finish somewhere.

How to play it: Only Tiger E/W ($4.20 TAB Fixed Odds).

Only Tiger relishes the heavy ground to win at Wyong last week

I have little doubt that potentially the best horse racing all day today is 7. Seahampton. Obviously she has only had the two starts and is resuming after having bone chips removed but she’s shown all sorts of talent in the limited times we’ve seen her race. She started $8 on debut in a race won by Ace High over Unforgotten then went to the paddock. She emerged with a dominant maiden win at Newcastle and several winner have come from that race. She closed her trial off ominously a couple of weeks ago and I can see her swamping these.

Dangers: 4. Oria has some Saturday form that has to be respected coming back in grade and she didn’t shirk the task when a close third at Randwick third-up. Prior to that she was close up behind Dawn Dawn and while not exposed to a wet track as yet the breed generally handle it. If race fitness counts she’s the threat. 6. Sepoy Acheva only has the one run last time in and it was a nice one as she closed off strongly to run fourth to Lisdoonvarna here back in March. She handles the wet and while the strike rate is becoming a worry she’s capable of running into the placings. 1. Levee Bank has a flat spot in her races but when she does put her mind on it she has a big finish. That was on display at Rosehill last Saturday week in the race won by Princess Posh. She’s okay in the wet and I couldn’t leave her out of the chances.

How to play it: Seahampton WIN ($3.00 TAB Fixed Odds).

Watch Seahampton loom in behind them late in her trial at Rosehill on May 25

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting