6. White Boots

will give a sight here with just 50kg on his back. He is a tough, no-nonsense style of
horse and should get a relatively soft time in front with only Victorian visitor 5. He Ekscels for
company. He needs to turn the tables on 2. So You Win from last start and although the 3kg swing
doesn’t hurt, it’s the odds and the way this race is likely to be run which sees me in White Boots’
corner. Last start he was beaten a length after settling fourth. That was four weeks between runs
too. The four-year-old is deep into a campaign but appears to be thriving. Looking into his form this
preparation he ran second to Supernova (on a Heavy 9 at Rosehill), ran second to Girl Tuesday and
first up ran third to Desert Lord and Kolding. There’s certainly nothing wrong with those references.

Dangers: So You Win is hard to beat but leave me out at $1.55. The Chris Waller-trained gelding was
truckloaded in betting last start at Rosehill and won well. That’s two on the bounce for the four-
year-old so there is no denying he has returned in great order. Possesses a turn of foot so the
prospect of a sit and sprint won’t hurt him too much. On paper, 3. Tip Top has an impossible task in
turning the tables on So You Win and White Boots but he drops down sharply in weight and will be
put into the race here. Wide draws in his last two have seen him give away insurmountable starts. It
was inconclusive as to whether he got 1800m last start, so we’re none the wiser out to 2000m. 4.
Articus also comes out of that same race and is working his way towards another win.
How to play it: White Boots WIN

Race 3 - 12:40PM WINTER RACING HANDICAP (1400 METRES)

We still haven’t seen the best of 1. Phaistos. The three-year-old returned a gelding ahead of this
preparation and it’s had the desired result. He was powerful late in winning at Scone first up over
1100m before staying at the 1100m, and on the tighter Warwick Farm track, which played against
him. Back out to 1200m at Kembla Grange and he trounced his rivals, shouldering 60.5kg. It was
provincial level but he beat Rockin’ Ruga and Exceltic. That Exceltic form ties in well with many of his rivals, including the early race favourite 2. England. Where the upside lies with this horse is now as he gets out in trip. The son of Helmet should relish the 1400m journey, and in time, get over even
further. His siblings are Paximadia and Lycia, with the former winning Group races out to the mile.
Hoping he can settle just off midfield. Hasn’t seen anything worse than a Soft 5.

Dangers: 5. Bare Naked Lady hasn’t won this preparation but she finds herself in outstanding form.
In three of her five runs back she has been beaten half a length or less. The latest of those was at
Warwick Farm behind Jack’s Bar, where she beat Embracer home. Prior to that she was nosed out by
Notation, with that mare subsequently winning again. Three back she wasn’t far away in the Scone
Guineas behind Wild Planet and Military Zone. 11. My Demetra has come a long way since her first
preparation! She deserves a crack in town now. Well found in the market, though. 2. England has to
be in the mix again, despite a query over the depth of his form lines. Just missed in a three-way go at
Rosehill last start and is ready for 1400m now. 8. Think Free dashed quickly to win at Newcastle after a seven-week freshen. Talented filly but hasn’t looked comfortable in two attempts on heavy
ground.
How to play it: Phaistos WIN

Race 4 - 1:15PM HYLAND EOFY SALE HANDICAP (1800 METRES)

Time to really let rip on 8. Toryjoy! Would love to see the tactics to be catch me if you can. The mare backs up for the third week in a row so she’s rock hard fit and the regular racing appears to have knocked the freshness out of her which caused her to throw her head around. She finally found a race last start where she could roll to the front and adopt her customary on speed position. That saw her bounce back to form, when collared by co-leader Commander at Randwick over the mile. The heavy track was no issue for her there. She tackles the same grade but significantly, drops back to her own sex. Shouldn’t have too much trouble holding the front again this week. Other than
emergency 17. La Chica Bella, also accepted for a later race, none of her other rivals are likely to
push the button to eyeball her.

Dangers: 3. Semper Fidelis is a hard mare to get a read on. If she can reproduce the run two starts
back when second to So You Win at Rosehill over 1800m, the same assignment she tackles here,
she’d be the horse to beat. Since then she knocked up over the Randwick mile on a heavy track
against the boys. The market didn’t like her that day so will be worth monitoring for any confidence
this time out. The drop back to the mile certainly didn’t suit her but still expected more. Might pay
to be forgiving. 7. Itz Lily appreciated the drop in grade last start to record a tough win over
Statuesquely. Boasts an impressive career record and won’t be far away again. 4. Ivy’s Court was
much better than it reads last start and can improve sharply third up at bolters odds, just as she did
to win last campaign.
How to play it: Toryjoy WIN

Race 5 - 1:50PM STAYER'S CUP (3200 METRES)

We saw Fanciful Toff successfully land a hit and run mission for the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace
stable a couple of weeks ago and tipping them to do the same with 5. Azuro. The five-year-old was
set a task in the Andrew Ramsden last start when allowed to slide forward well before turning for
home. He was exposed but still found a kick only to tire late. Prior to that he didn’t have much luck
in the Warrnambool Cup. At the back end of last campaign he ran third to subsequent Sydney Cup
winner Shraaoh at Flemington over 2800m on a heavy track before running 0.4L second to Yogi over
two miles in the Sandown Cup. That ties the form in neatly to the key Sydney lead-up, the Winter
Cup won by 1. Destiny’s Kiss. His general style is to get back but hoping he can use the middle draw
so settle just off midfield.

Dangers: 2. High Bridge has won five times beyond 3000m, all when trained in the UK and four of
those over the hurdles. Ever since the blinkers went on he has been building towards another win
and this looks his race. Doesn’t look well weighted having carried 53.5kg in the Winter Cup,
however. 9. Terwilliker dodged a Wednesday race in favour of this. The Pierro gelding has never
raced better despite failing to reel in Fanciful Toff at Randwick last start over 2400m. Fitness is
certainly no issue, nor is the wet track. Only has to hold his form to be thereabouts again. 4.
Doukhan drops 5.5kg from last start (meeting Terwilliker a whopping 10kg better off!) and was eight weeks between runs. A wet track and two miles will see him competitive. Just lacks that killer punch to put one of these away.
How to play it: Azuro WIN

Race 6 - 2:25PM TAB REWARDS HANDICAP (1200 METRES)

1. Drachenfels will need the seas to part at the right time but the five-year-old is flying in what is his second campaign for Bjorn Baker. His Hawkesbury trial prior to kicking off his preparation suggested he had come back in great order and his luckless first up effort confirmed as much. Last start he rattled home behind Albumin and despite Jason Collett having to take hold late with a wall of horses in front of him approaching the line, Drachenfels’ last 600m was 33.45 (Punters Intelligence), three lengths quicker than the next best, which was talented filly Sylvia’s Mother. His last 200m (11.22) was also clearly superior to the next best. Should be able to use the inside draw to punch up and at least have a few pairs settle behind him. The wet track is okay and the speed looks genuine enough, pending tactics on 13. Isorich, for him to get his chance.

Dangers: 5. Oxford Tycoon is ready to win now third up. As you’d expect, he improved from first to
second up, giving Passage Of Time something to chase down, albeit with a 7.5kg weight advantage. If he makes the same improvement third up, he’ll take pegging back. Yet to prove himself on wet
ground. 9. Traumatised finds himself back in Sydney after holding his form in Queensland over the
carnival. Didn’t have the best of luck up there either. Can be tardy away but handles wet ground and
strikes a winnable race here. Can win at odds. 14. River Bird was ridden with cover last start and got
the desired result. Has to reproduce that against more seasoned horses now.
How to play it: Drachenfels WIN and Traumatised WIN

Race 7 - 3:05PM CIVIC STAKES (1350 METRES)

5. Seaway

has been freshened since a couple of failures but he was an explosive winner first up last
time in on a soft 7 at Rosehill over 1500m. This is 1350m but that shouldn’t be too much of a hurdle
for him to overcome. That was his first run as a gelding and the win of a horse destined for group
races. The four-year-old backed that up next start, controlling the race from outside of the lead and
never looking like losing. He was disappointing third up with Kerrin McEvoy blaming the heavy

track. I’m not so convinced that was the reason. Then fourth up he was equally plain. Suspect something had gone amiss. Eight weeks later here he is again. We didn’t get any guide off his very quiet trial. There is very little speed engaged in this race outside of 1. Deploy so with Seaway a naturally fast gate horse, expect Robbie Dolan to settle in the first couple. That looks a big advantage given the way this race looks set to be run.

Dangers: 9. New Universe’s last two runs have been good as he has ever produced. His get-back style means he teases more than he wins. Two back at Randwick he ripped home in 32.64s for his last 600m. They don’t go much quicker! That was behind Renewal and 8. Organza. Last start he ran on hard behind Star Of The Seas in inferior ground, closer to the fence. The obstacles being the step
back to 1350m and the lack of speed hurts given he maps to settle last from the wide draw. Organza,
also accepted for Queensland, has been stiff not to win a race this campaign. Looks better suited on
top of the ground, however. 4. Firsthand gets the blinkers on for the first time. He didn’t fire a shot
at Flemington last start so needs to improve.
How to play it: Seaway WIN and New Universe WIN

Race 8 - 3:45PM EVEREST CARNIVAL HOSPITALITY HANDICAP (1100m)

6. Brook Magic doesn’t get the headlines of a couple of her rivals here, but even so, still struggling to work out the disparity in the market between her, 1. Bon Amis and 4. Heart Conquered. The Deprive formline through the June Stakes is the one that leaps off the page. Bon Amis ran second beating Brook Magic by 0.5L with Heart Conquered back in fifth beaten 1.9L. In the latter’s defence he was posted throughout but Brook Magic beat him fair and square the start prior to that over 1000m. Brook Magic meets Bon Amis 4.5kg better off and Heart Conquered 3kg better. Now, weight swings are not the be all and end all for me but that’s hefty, especially on a wet track. There is a lot of speed in this race, much of it drawn wide, so would love to see Robbie Dolan ride Brook Magic with a sit like they did first up. We know she loves the wet so no issues there. At the odds, happy to side with her.

Dangers: Bon Amis rises sharply in weights as mentioned but he is a very talented sprinter. In seven
runs over 1100m he hasn’t missed a top two, winning four of them. In eight runs at Rosehill he has
won four of them and run second in a further three. He’ll just flop out in behind the speed from the
inside draw and won’t spend a penny in the run. He’ll just need a few breaks go his way to find
space. Perhaps Plan A for Heart Conquered is to ride him with a sit too here? His best run this
campaign was when he settled fourth and let down with Deprive two runs back. The other runner I
want to respect is 3. Tonsor for trainer Matt Smith. He didn’t look comfortable down the Flemington straight last start. Yet to race on a heavy track but loves soft ground.
How to play it: Brook Magic EACH WAY

Race 9 - 4:25PM ROSEHILL BOWLING CLUB HANDICAP (1500 METRES)

11. Nicochet has run second to Kapajack his two runs back but he’s not here this time! With
Kapajack an odds-on favourite last start, Nicochet jumped the same odds as he has been posted for
this assignment. That seems generous. Out to 1500m third up is a perfect progression for the five-
year-old for it is third up in the past when he has found winning form. One of those was his maiden
win on a bottomless heavy 10 track at Goulburn, so we know he gets through the ground. He has run
top three in his past five starts without winning but won’t get a better chance than this. Should be
able to stalk what looks to be good speed on paper and get the opportunity to finish powerfully. All
being equal, this looks his race to lose.

Dangers: 4. Destiny’s Own ran third behind Kapajack and Nicochet last start, when he was ridden
quietly, but hit the line deceptively well. Punters Intelligence reveals a last 600m of 34.19s,
comfortably the quickest in the race. I’d expect similar tactics here given the speed. Can he give
Niccochet a start and run him down? Won’t want to be three or four lengths like last start. 15. No
Escape handles the wet and on the strength of his last start fourth behind Quackerjack, can get into
the money at odds. 10. Clevanicc is another at double-figure odds to throw into exotics. As for the
other favourites, 5. Love Shack Baby and 7. Pumpkin Pie have claims. Respect the scope of 3. Gayatri but she looks very short in betting.
How to play it: Nicochet WIN and 11,4 QUINELLA