Impulsive returned to the races with a smart win at Newcastle and she should take a fair amount of improvement from that performance. Chris Waller scratched her from a race at Randwick on Wednesday to save her for this contest and she does look to have gone to another level this campaign. She does possess a nice turn-of-foot and she is good value to make it two wins on the trot.
1 Unit Impulsive
This is a fairly strong edition of the Highway Handicap. Highway Sixtysix returned to the races with a close third last start and she showed his usual turn-of-foot in the concluding stages of the race. She doesn’t need to get that far back this weekend, despite the wide barrier draw, and with even luck in running she will prove tough to beat.
This is a fascinating rate to assess as the 64 kilograms allocated to Don’t Give A Damn means that there is a genuine spread in the weights. There is no doubt that Don’t Give A Damn is the class horse in this field and he has an excellent record, but the weight is enormous and you never know how a horse will handle that.
The horse that appeals at double-figure odds is Mapmaker. He scored a tough win at Rosehill Gardens two starts ago and last start he finished a gallant third behind Paret last start. Adam Hyeronimus will ride him aggressively to get him across from the wide barrier draw and there is no fitter horse in this field. There is no way that he should be $12.
1 Unit Mapmaker
It is no surprise that The Autumn Sun has opened as a dominant favourite in Stan Fox Stakes betting. He recorded three wins from as many starts as a two-year-old, which culminated in a win in the JJ Atkins at Group 1 level – and he always gave the impression that he would be even better as a three-year-old. His two barrier trials ahead of his return to the races were outstanding and he really does look like a potential star in the making. There is no doubt that he will take benefit from this run, but class will take him a long way and he maps to get a dream run with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle. It is impossible to bet against him – even at the short price.
5 Units The Autumn Sun
Trapeze Artist will make his return to the races in the Theo Marks Stakes and the triple Group 1 winner does represent genuine value at his current price. He stamped himself as one of the best sprinters in the country with his wins in the T.J. Smith Stakes and the All Aged Stakes and he generally does race well fresh. The Everest is his obvious target, but trainer Gerald Ryan always has his horses fairly forward for their return to the races.
This is puzzling placement from Chris Waller with D’argento. There was plenty of merit in his first-up run in the Winx Stakes, but it was the performance of a horse that was probably looking for a mile. Trapeze Artist should prove too sharp for him over 1300 metres.
3 Units Trapeze Artist
This is a strong edition of The Run To The Rose and it is a fascinating betting race. Graff stamped himself as a serious colt with his dominant win in the San Domenico Stakes and a repeat of that performance would make him very tough to beat. The wide barrier draw is not ideal and he will need some luck in running, but he does have an electric turn-of-foot and he can finish over the top of his rivals. In saying that, $2.60 does seem to be about his right price.
The horse that appeals at double-figure odds is Lean Mean Machine. Lean Mean Machine did plenty wrong as a two-year-old, but he was still able to beat Zousain to win the Sires’ Produce before he flopped in the J.J. Atkins. His trials have only been fair, but there is a bit of x-factor about the Zoustar colt.
There is plenty of hype surrounding Zousain and he has trialled very nicely ahead of his return to the races. I’ve got no knock on the horse and he does look like a serious talent.
1 Unit Lean Mean Machine
This is an excellent edition of the Sheraco Stakes and this field is packed full of quality. Champagne Cuddles stamped herself as a genuine Group 1 performer with her third place finishes in the Kingsford-Smith Cup and the Stradbroke Handicap during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival and she is a mare that does run well fresh. Her recent trial at Gosford was very sharp and she should get a lovely run just behind the speed with James McDonald in the saddle. She is well-placed to make a winning return to the races.
3 Units Champagne Cuddles
Soothing could hardly have been more impressive when she returned to the races with a dominant five lengths win at Royal Randwick and she is a mare that still has an enormous amount of upside. I like the fact that trainer James Cummings has given her a barrier trial between race starts and a repeat of that effort would make her very tough to beat. It is no surprise that she will start this contest as a dominant favourite.
The main danger is She Knows. She was an enormous run when she was caught wide last start in the Lindt Handicap and she just kept on finding the line. She will get back again with Hugh Bowman in the saddle, but she is a consistent mare that very rarely produces a poor performance.
4 Units Soothing
1 Unit Single Bullet
This is a tough way to finish the day for punters and it is one of the trickiest betting races of the day. This is not a race that I want to get too heavily involved in, but I am interested in seeing how Joshua Reynolds performs in his Australian racing debut. His trials haven’t been that bad and he did win some decent races in the United Kingdom. There is no doubt that he will be better over further, but he is capable of running a sneaky race at very big odds.
¼ Unit Joshua Reynolds