Only three of the ten confirmed starters have race day experience and while I tend to stay away from races like this, I’ll be happy to have something small on the resuming Damaged. Damaged has only made one appearance at the races so far but hit the line with intent to finish second at Randwick on that occasion and has trialled well in the lead-up to his return.
1 Unit Damaged
Similarly, only three of twelve confirmed starters in Race 2 have previous experience, but there is nothing that stands out to me here, so I’m happy to stay out.
No Bet
Battleground hasn’t been seen at the races since December, but he is clearly a horse of ability and can break his maiden at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. The Snitzel colt finished second at each of his two competitive starts, including the Listed Gosford Guineas last time out. He’s trialled well and is drawn ideally. There’s only $1.70 about him at publish, but I think that he just wins, and he is my best of the day.
5 Units Battleground
This looks like being one of the better races on Wednesday’s Warwick Farm card and there is a case to be made for several horses in the market, but I am happy to stick with the Matt Smith-trained Corncrake. He was a consistent performer in the UK and has continued to improve with each of his four starts since arriving in Australia, culminating in a lovely win at Kemble Grange a couple of weeks ago. This race doesn’t look to be a whole lot harder and he clearly relishes a mile and a half. He needs only even luck to be in the finish again.
2 Units Corncrake
It is far to say that Camp Rifle didn’t return his best performance here a couple of weeks ago, but he was also pretty luckless in running and I am happy to give him another chance at a price on Wednesday ($15 at publish). The Godolphin-trained gelding improved with racing last time in, and there was a lot to like about the way he hit the line for fourth in decent company at Rosehill when resuming. Kerrin McEvoy retains the ride this week, from a good draw.
1 Unit E/W Camp Rifle
Another quality contest shapes and there is a case to be made for many, but the two that have caught my eye are Segalas and Nictock.
Segalas simply doesn’t know how to run a bad race and resumed this time for a lovely win on the Kenso course at Randwick, before finishing second in BM76 company here last time out. She harbours further improvement and will retains the services of Hugh Bowman.
Nictock clearly needed the run when he finished ninth at Canterbury when resuming from a long spell, but he will enjoy good improvement from that effort and does have a class edge over a lot of these rivals, at his best. Kerrin McEvoy can be positive on him from barrier 2 and he does look over the odds at a big price.
2 Units Segalas
0.5 Units E/W Nictock
This is a wide-open contest and at publish, we’re faced with a little under $5 the field.
Feather will return from a brief let-up and loom as a live each-way chance in something of this quality. The Team Hawkes-trained mare returned four competitive efforts through summer and was last seen recording a lovely win over 1400m on the Kensington course in February. She’s trialled in the lead-up to her return and with even luck from the potentially awkward barrier, can make her presence felt.
1 Unit E/W Feather
This is a drop in grade for the third-up Travancore and I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish. The Clare Cunningham-trained gelding needed the run when resuming at Randwick but finished only a couple of lengths from the winner in the Listed National Sprint at Canberra last time out and will only improve further here. He’s drawn well on the inside of this field and will have a relief in the weights with Louise Day aboard.
1 Unit E/W Travancore