From Chris Waller
Horse: Louisville
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, Chandon Garden Spritz Hcp) Very unlucky not to have won last start, simple as that. Wide draw here, but the race looks to suit and a mile should be right up his alley. Very hard to beat. Louisville will start from the outside barrier in the field of eight and will be ridden by Tommy Berry.
Horse: Afterlight
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Schweppes Hcp) Afterlight scratched from last weekend due to a wide gate and the mare has drawn barrier 1 on Saturday. (She’s been a) model of consistency this prep, she’s won three races, including her last two (back-to-back wins at Warwick Farm and Canterbury). It’s tough for her, especially Randwick for an on-pace horse like her, but she showed last start that she can sit off them and win as well. You can’t beat winning form with mares.
From Bjorn Baker
Horse: Dreamflight
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Petaluma Hcp) In his first six local starts the gelding didn’t feature anywhere in the finish but turned it all around two weeks ago with a second placing behind Kapakiri over the Randwick 2000m. We’ve changed things up with him and it was a phenomenal run last time. If he runs up to that he’s a definitely hope, prior to that we didn’t have much hope. It’s the million dollar question, can he do it again. If he can he’s going to be very competitive. I’d probably prefer 2400m at this stage but we haven’t done a lot with him in the couple of weeks.
Horse: Rupertaar
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Schweppes Hcp) I hope Rupertaar can reproduce her recent impressive trial when she returns in the Schweppes Handicap. She’s never been straightforward, she has one or two feet issues that curtailed her last preparation. Her trial was excellent, she’s got very good ability if she puts it together. She looks to get a good run from a good gate (4), she’ll be able to put herself there without too much pressure and on her day she’s very good.
Horse: Lady Of Luxury
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, TAB Hcp) She’s got a good gate so she’ll do no work and she might be able to be a touch closer. On her day she’s a classy mare and we hope she can run well and get back up to the Magic Millions.
Horse: Shalailed
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 10, Toyota Forklifts Hcp) Shalailed is a new horse to the stable and the gelding has won both barrier trials for the new stable. There’s probably a question of genuineness but he’s trialled well and we’re happy with how he is going. It’s never easy kicking off in Saturday grade but hopefully he has luck in the run and hits the line. If he does we’ll be happy. On ability I think he’s competitive but he’s going to have to do everything right.
From Ross McConville
Horse: Runwiththetide
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 3, Midway Hcp) Runwiththetide drops in grade in search of a win in the Midway Handicap and he’s a horse that still has upside. He showed a lot of fight when run down by Fairway Star at Randwick three weeks ago at his first try at the distance and only rises 1kg for what is effectively a class drop into Midway grade. We’ve got high hopes for him but he’s just had a few niggling things we’ve had to work on and get around. He will be very competitive but he’s still learning the trade. He’s a Headwater and normally they don’t like to go past 1200m but he’s given us an inkling that he will get a bit of distance.
Horse: Either Oar
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Schweppes Hcp) Either Oar has managed just two placings from six first-up attempts but she will carry the blinkers in a first-up assignment for the first time in the Schweppes Handicap. We just wanted to sharpen her up a bit. She normally takes a run or two to come good but we’ve given her three trials so this preparation she’s more forward than she has been in her previous preps. She’s come up really well, she’s not showing any signs of age catching up with her. The trials we’ve given her have just been excellent. I would prefer an inside gate but hopes (Zac) Lloyd can get the right run. When you draw the outside you just leave it up to the jockey and see what he does. If she can bounce and roll to the lead that would really suit us but there are a couple of others there that could challenge her. Give her an inside gate and she’s definitely there.
From Matthew Smith
Horse: Flambeur
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Petaluma Hcp) Flambeur who runs out of his class in the Petaluma Handicap after he had to miss a run due to a deteriorating Warwick Farm track last week. His last win came in the Stony Creek Cup back in March but aside from a close up finish second-up he hasn’t really fired in four runs back. He’s had a bit of schooling between runs, but he’s just got to get in the right grade
Horse: Miracle Spin
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, Chandon Garden Spritz Hcp) It seems to me that he’s good in that 1600m-1800m range. He won’t go beyond 2000m, I’d like to leave him around a mile. He has a good turn of foot, if we can just get him to jump a bit better which he did the other day. With the blinkers on now he might be able to race a bit closer. You’ve got to be midfield or forward of midfield and the problem is he doesn’t seem to do that often enough. it was a tough first-up run on a track a little firmer than he prefers but the gelding has bounced through it well and it was a case of just finding it a bit short. He put four really good runs in so if we can place him right hopefully he can put it all together. He should be competitive on Saturday, he should be right in that race.
Horse: Floating
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, Chandon Garden Spritz Hcp) Floating won the Nowra Cup last start. He’ll need some of the sting to stay out of Randwick after the rain earlier in the week to be at his most competitive but he’s come through the win well. He had the right conditions, a track that suited him, and it was good to get him back that’s for sure. I just wanted to get him back into winning form and get into a Saturday race and see where we are at. We’ll try to place him well and get some prizemoney for his owners, that’s the most important thing. He’s always shown he can measure up in town but he needs a wet track.
From Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou
Horse: Commanding Artist
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 1, Precise Air Hcp) Commanding Artist is still a work in progress. He’s trialled twice, holding his ground to run 2nd over 900m at Rosehill in the latest, and it’s surprising that he’s made it to the races so soon. He’s a nice big horse, he’ll probably be better when he gets a bit older. I don’t think there’ll be a taller two-year-old in the race. I’ve got a lot of time for him. Whether he’s going to make a two-year-old I’m not too sure, he’s a genuine city class horse it’s just whether it’s this time in or next time in.
Horse: Deficit
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Petaluma Hcp) He just needs firm ground underneath him. He’s getting back to 2000m and he’s drawn a gate (3), at least stepping up in distance he might be able to take a more forward position and give himself a chance with only 55kg on his back.
Horse: Grebeni
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, Drinkwise Maroubra Mile) After Saturday he’ll only have had five runs this prep and in the autumn the plan was to give him four runs. He’ll go second-up into the Hawkesbury Cup, third-up into the Scone Cup then we might try him over more ground somewhere. Perhaps give him one run up in Queensland and spell him for the winter like we did last year. He’s a handy horse, no star, and if we just keep placing him right he’ll keep his form. Grebeni earned his Big Dance eligibility for 2024 with a win in the Goulburn Cup (1400m) in early November and his hard fought last start win put the brakes on plans to step him out in distance for now. I thought midrace he got a bit keen and wanted to get running. I spoke to Kerrin (McEvoy) about it and he reckons there’s no need to stretch him out further yet. He’s been out to 1800m twice and won both times. Except for the Summer Cup there wasn’t really a race for him so I thought we’ll keep him back at a mile this time and give him a break and worry about it in the late autumn and into the winter. McEvoy again partners Grebeni and he’ll be asked to carry an extra 3kg on his win two weeks ago. He’s at the top of his game, Kerrin knows what he’s capable of.
Horse: Union Army
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 10, Toyota Forklifts Hcp) He was terrific first-up, I wish he drew nine first-up and not one. He makes it hard for himself because of his pattern of racing. But at least from that gate (9) he’s not going to get hemmed up amongst them and will have room to move. We haven’t done too much with him since because it was a hard enough run first-up.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 1 – Sacred Fort
Sydney Race 2 – Gallant Star
Sydney Race 5 – Naval College
