From John O’Shea
Horse: Kirwan’ Lane
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, The Ingham) This time around, his efforts have been sound without placing, and he is six weeks between runs after being scratched from The Gong due to a wide gate. However, the gelding has been kept up to the mark with two barrier trials. He’s a horse that needs soft draws and he gets that Saturday (gate 2). He gets to follow Attractable, which will be a really good horse to follow, and he’s in good form. His run the other day, it was a pretty leaderish track, and I thought he ran very well. He came to the centre, which doesn’t suit him, whereas this week he gets to drop down on the rail and get a suck up into the race, which is a much better scenario for him.
Horse: Dark Destroyer
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, The Ingham) Dark Destroyer will be having just his second start for the stable. He was good first-up in an unsuitable race and he has made a massive step forward this week. Albeit his best form is on rain-affected ground, I still think that he’s a quality animal that is going to get a good run in the race and we couldn’t be happier with him at home.
Horse: Lion’s Roar
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, The Ingham) Lion’s Roar jumped from barrier 20 when second to Spangler in the Little Dance and has drawn much better in gate 5 on Saturday. A Group 1 winner of the Randwick Guineas at three, Lion’s Roar carried 56kg in The Ingham 12 months ago after being unplaced in two lead-up runs. He drops to 53.5kg on Saturday and arrives off a slashing Melbourne Cup Day 2nd. I think (his form) is significantly better and he is weighted significantly better. I thought to myself, maybe it’s a harder race, but they beat home Atishu last year, so the race last year had more merit to it than I first thought. He looks to map beautifully in a fast-run race, and we couldn’t be happier with him.
Horse: Waihaha Falls
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Razor Sharp Hcp) Waihaha Falls resumed with a solid 5th over the same course and distance on Melbourne Cup Day. It (Razor Sharp Handicap) has been on our radar for a while. He would have preferred a little toe (in the ground) but he’s a horse that loves being three or four weeks between runs and he gets that on Saturday. He gets a good gate (barrier three) and he’s taken a really big step forward from his first-up run. It’s a nice race for him.
From Lyle Chandler
Horse: Rapbidash
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 3, Coolmore Highway) Rapbidash is attempting four successive wins at Royal Randwick on Saturday. She’s only lightly raced, so early days, but I’ve never trained one with her turn of foot. It’s been patience, she was immature, we brought her into work twice and turned her out again. But this time in she’s developed into a lovely big strong mare, a dream to train and she has been dominant.
From Michael Freedman
Horse: Communist
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, The Ingham) Communist’s campaign has been peppered by bad barriers and bad luck. Communist had been struggling for form before I put the blinkers on two starts ago in the Golden Eagle and the gelding showed grit to be beaten less than three lengths by Obamburumai despite enduring a tough run. Last start (in The Gong) on that heavy track that was very chopped up near the rail where no one wanted to be, he was forced to race there and just simply didn’t really let down in that ground. His run before that was glimpses of his best form in the Golden Eagle and it was a bit frustrating because he obviously just didn’t get conditions to suit in The Gong. We figured, for the sake of giving him one more try, back at a mile at Randwick, hopefully on a firm track and we’ll just see if we can get him to put his best foot forward.
Horse: Insurrection
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Razor Sharp Hcp) Saturday’s Listed assignment looks to have attracted a marginally stronger field, but the big question mark for Insurrection is the journey. A three-time winner over 1100 metres, the four-year-old is yet to taste success in five starts over further. The big difference is stretching him out to 1200 metres, which is somewhat new territory for him because he has been mainly restricted to those shorter course, 1000, 1100-metre races. But he’s a pretty mature sprinter these days and while he may have been a little bit suspect early days when he was wanting to do things a bit too aggressively, he is a bit more mentally mature now. It’s definitely worth trying him again because I think if we can stretch him to 1200, going forward it opens a lot more options for him.
From John Sargent
Horse: Tokyo Lady
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Inglis Nursery) A recent barrier trial winner at Warwick Farm, I’ve been happy with Tokyo Lady’s progress. Not yet (in the same mould as former stablemate Four Moves Ahead), but hopefully she will be. She’s a Tassort filly, she won a trial nicely at Warwick Farm last week. She is a natural two-year-old. She’s not very big, but we’ll run her and she should do well.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 5 – Deep Joy
Sydney Race 7 – Vilana
Sydney Race 8 – Insurrection
