Race 1

Very average race for the fillies to kick off the card and SAVANNA AMOUR won’t be long out of the winners circle. She was out four and five wide the entire trip on debut at the Sunshine Coast with no cover, but kept coming in the straight only was only beaten a neck or so on the line. That hitout will do her the world of good, she has drawn well and the extra trip should suit. Great bet each way at the $7.00. REWARD FOR RICHES has won both starts to date, the latter when she took out Savanna Amour’s race at the Sunshine Coast. She has drawn poorly here but with some luck in running will be thereabouts at the finish. SNOW FIELDS has come up favourite in an open race and has drawn to get the gun run in behind the leaders. Didn’t do a great deal in the Lancaster Stakes first-up but just prior to the break she was only beaten a couple of lengths by Love Spy at the Sunshine Coast from a hopeless draw. She is a likely improver with genuine claims.

Race 2

This is another open affair with betting starting at $5.50, and DECONSTRUCTED represents great value at $13. He was in and out over the autumn, running into a lot of bad luck and costing punters a packet at the same time, but he is a strong type who does go well fresh. Finished third Kudero two runs back, he loves it wet and he has drawn well. Query resuming at 1400m but he likes the trip and Liam Birchley will have him ready to win. PUNTA NORTE ran another cracker on fresh legs two weeks ago at Doomben beating a good Bm85 field on the soft track. Disappointed second-up last campaign but has plenty going for him here and he also looks a bit over the mark at $11. BEST CASE was unplaced at all seven starts last campaign but he ran some very good races nonetheless, including finishing within two lengths of the winner in both the Show County and The Cameron at Group Three level. He’s had a couple of trials and could show up at his debut for Steven O’Dea.

Race 3

HOPFGARTEN hit his straps last time with a dominant two and a half length win over Pajaro and company in the Wayne Wilson here. He’s up to 60.5kg tomorrow but there’s no doubting this is easier and at $2.60 he’s a great banker for the rest of the day. BECKHAM gets a whopping 6.5kg off the favourite but will need every one of them to beat him home. Great effort from a bad gate in the Eye Liner to beat all but Ninth Legion on the soft track and he has drawn much better tomorrow. He is a definite query up to 1500m but should get a breather midrace and could give them something to catch. AMOVATIO rarely runs a bad race, but he rarely wins one either. Hit the line strongly in the Wayne Wilson but gets no favours at the weights and he’s won one of 15 on wet ground. The Waller/Bowman combo will carry him a long way.

Race 4

TELEPATHIC missed the start badly first-up in the Dane Ripper and was overly inspiring in the run home but you can expect a big improvement here off that run. Runner-up in the Millie Fox and ran a good race in the Coolmore Classic prior to the spell and from the good draw she will go much better tomorrow. I’m a bit disappointed with $2.50 but she will go very close. PAJARO has to give the top pick 3.5kg here but his recent form has been outstanding and he is a genuine danger. Runner-up in the Lord Mayor’s Cup at WFA before chasing home Hopfgarten lst time over a mile. Should get this trip on his ear and these two look to have the race between them. If something upsets the apple cart it could be LORDAG but hasn’t been himself at his last two. Three runs back he ran very well in a strong Members’ Handicap, and he goes well in the wet. Bound to be giving them a big start but will be rattling home.

Race 5

HARDLINE caught the eye when resuming in the Lightning at Doomben, finishing hard to go down by just a length on the line and gets out to a better trip here. Drawn awkwardly but he can sit back with cover and be saved up for the straight. Beat Londehero three runs back doing just that and he looks about right at $3.70. MADOTTI is a very honest filly who has drawn perfectly tomorrow and looms as the main danger. Won the Vo Rogue in convincing style two runs back and at her only start on soft ground she finished off nicely behind Shadow Lawn and Big Tree. She’ll be in it for a long way. MIRI MIRI covered a ton of extra ground in the run at the Sunshine Coast when resuming in a class three there two weeks back. Knocked up in the straight but she showed up against good three-year-olds when last in work and should go better here. One for the value punters around $23.

Race 6

JUNOOB always wins a race each campaign and he’ll just about get away with the Tatt’s Cup tomorrow. He’s had four runs back this campaign and battled on strongly last time in a much tougher Brisbane Cup behind Benzini and Sir John Hawkwood. Doesn’t mind the sting out of the track and in the small field he won’t have to rely on luck to get clear running. Very happy with the $4.20. BENZINI beat him home last time in the Brisbane Cup and beat him across the line in the Premier’s Cup as well, but he has been up for a while and I can’t see any improvement in him at this stage. He also meets Junoob worse at the weights, but whatever the result there shouldn’t be much between them on the line. TUCANCHOO can throw a spanner into the works, coming into this with a hat-trick under his belt after winning a Bm84 at Randwick last time under 58kg. Unbeaten in wet ground and although this is much stronger he looks a genuine up and comer.

Race 7

CHARNLEY RIVER is probably the best maiden up here at the moment, having drawn the carpark in the J.J. Atkins last start and running out of his skin to beat all but Sacred Elixir over the Group One mile. Back to 1400m here and there are very few dangers. Good bet at $3.70. ROYAL TITHE hasn’t had the best of fortunes at her last two starting with ordinary draws but has fared much better here and goes well with the sting out of the ground. Won the Ken Russell Memorial three runs ago and will improve against these tomorrow. BRULEE didn’t disgrace herself at Scone at stakes level before a close-up run behind Henry The Createth in Sydney. Extra trip suits and the winner really should come from these three.

Race 8

Turn to page 6 to see my thoughts on the Group One feature with Ray Hickson. I’ve gone off the favourite and am banking on DANISH TWIST to keep her picking fence going. If you’re looking for a speccy bet, JESSY BELLE looks appealing at $23, and BEATNIKS is a knockout hope at $67.

Race 9

Today’s roughie is BLACKBOARD SPECIAL, a very promising sprinter who was off the scene for 67 weeks and will be a big improver on his first-up run. Cleaned out the pipes at Grafton two weeks ago lumping 64.5kg and flashed home from the tail into third spot on the line. Obviously gets through the ground okay and he has run some very good races in his short career. I can’t remember the last time a horse dropped 10.5kg into a non-claiming race but there he is, drawn perfectly and $16 fixed odds. MOGADOR hasn’t lived up to early hype, but he did run a strong race at Doomben last start, taking plenty of ground off the unbeaten Kamacite at the end of 1200m. From the inside draw he is a strong hope. INTO THE RED likes it wet and didn’t have much luck in the Lightning last time under 59kg. Gets some weight relief here and did beat them fair and square in the Bribie the run prior.

Race 10

I’m sticking solid with SOLD FOR SONG here after following her at all four runs this campaign for no result. Put in another huge run last start when she came from last on the bend to run home into third spot in the Queensland Guineas. Loves the edge off the track and won’t have any problems winding it back to 1400m tomorrow. Get on at the $4.40 and let her do the rest. TSARITSA won the Guineas with a strong performance from off the speed to bring up her hat-trick, but he does face a weight turnaround to Sold For Song tomorrow. Impossible to knock her credentials, but at $2.00 she doesn’t look a whole lot of value. PERFECT DARE has never seen a wet track but if it comes up a soft-5 and he handles it he could give it a shake tomorrow. Not far from the action last time in the Guineas finishing less than two lengths from Tsaritsa and should be getting a good start on the two high profile fillies on the bend. Include in your multiples.