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By Ray Hickson

ROYAL RANDWICK – BEST BET: Race 4 # 9 – POINT AND SHOOT

Trainer Bjorn Baker (Pic: Bradley Photos).

There’s an element of trust involved given he can be slowly out at times but doubt Bjorn Baker can find a more winnable race for him than this one, populated by plenty of out of form or outclassed horses and the query on the top weight off a two year break. Point And Shoot backs up from the Silver Eagle last week where he was slow out and made a long run around them from before the turn and he kept coming just behind the placings chasing Linebacker. Don’t think a slow tempo would bother him either as he’s shown a turn of foot. Ready for the mile and has to be a big winning chance.

ROYAL RANDWICK – VALUE BET: Race 10 # 5 – GENERAL SALUTE

Small query at the 1500m but he couldn’t be coming into this race in better form without actually winning. Chased home Autumn Glow in the Theo Marks and you have to wonder where he would have finished in the Alan Brown had he not had to wait for Headley Grange to go before making his run. Attacked the line to claim a placing in that race. The key will be finding the right back to follow from a wide gate but it’s a pretty good starting point and he should get his chance to slot in, as he did last start. If he gets last call he’ll be right there in the finish.

ROYAL RANDWICK – SECTIONAL STAR: Race 8 # 1 – ATTICA

The Dulcify was hardly a strongly run race over the mile so the win by Attica had a bit more merit than it looks to the eye. And it looked impressive. He settled last and obviously had to produce a big sprint to reel them in when they’re not exactly humming. Punter’s Intelligence showed Attica ran 34.88 for his last 600m which was about four lengths faster than anything else in that race. He’s reacted well to the blinkers, has a nice turn of foot and shapes as though 2000m will suit. Of course he’ll need his share of luck from that gate.

KEMBLA GRANGE – PROVINCIAL PICK: Race 6 # 4 – FERNWEH

A win isn’t too far away for this Joe Pride gelding who has been right in the market in two runs back in city maidens and coming back to provincial level is a tick. Fair to say he was disappointing first-up at Canterbury but he showed a lot more fight when leading and being touched out by Peace Bird before Nitro swamped both of them on the line. That looks pretty handy form. He’s softly enough drawn compared to those two runs and he looks well suited.

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