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By Nick Berney

ROYAL RANDWICK – BEST BET: Race 4 # 5 – INKARUNA

She’s an improving filly set for this and profiles to go to a new level. The two-year-old was a smart winner on debut and then had excuses in the high-rating Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) last start, but her effort was full of merit. She was run to suit but drifted back from an awkward draw and couldn’t build momentum at a critical stage where the eventual winner could. Further, once clear, she showed a sharp turn of foot, running one of the meeting's quickest 400m-200m splits and maintained a strong finishing speed to the line to finish third behind subsequent Golden Slipper (1200m) placegetter Tempted and winner Marhoona. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained runner can settle much closer here with a tactical map advantage over her key rivals, and her recent trial suggests that she is ready to peak.

ROYAL RANDWICK – NEXT BEST: Race 1 # 4 – MICHELANGELO

He’s racing much better than the form guide reads, and expecting him to relish the Randwick Mile fourth-up with a solid platform. The colt was unsuited to the tight-turning track on debut and then had the pace/bias against second-up at Newcastle. He was well-backed late in the trade last start at Rosehill 11 days ago but had multiple factors against him. Further, he had the race shape against him, was checked/blocked at critical stages, and ran a solid final 200m split. He can settle much closer, and he finally strikes a dry track.

ROYAL RANDWICK – VALUE BET: Race 7 # 4 – CIRCLE OF FIRE

He’s primed to peak here with a solid platform; this has been his target race all preparation. The five-year-old has been ticking over well in slowly run races throughout the campaign, and he finally strikes a race with an anticipated genuine tempo. His sectional profile suggests he’s ready to reproduce his career-peak figure, which won last year’s Sydney Cup (3200m). The Ciaron Maher-trained runner has drawn awkwardly, but that has been factored too much into his price, and he drops to 55g. Over the odds.

Via Sistina (Pic: Bradley Photos)

ROYAL RANDWICK – QUEEN ELIZABETH: Race 8 # 12 – VIA SISTINA

The star mare has been building towards this race all campaign, and expecting her to step significantly from a ratings perspective. She has been in moderately run races all campaign but has been producing high-rating last sections and is another runner ready to peak with a genuine anticipated race shape. She follows a similar pattern to her last campaign, where she bolted in to win the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) fourth up by eight lengths and in record time. Isolating her 2000m form, she brings multiple dominant ratings and has a tactical map advantage over her key rivals.

All the fields, form and replays for Royal Randwick