A nine-race card has been set at Morphettville this Saturday to help complement the AFL’s annual Gather Round in South Australia.
While all eyes will also be on Day 2 of The Championships at Randwick, racing fans will be treated to some black-type with the G3 Irwin Stakes and Auraria Stakes making up part of the program.
Another fine day is on the cards with the track rated a Good 4, and there’s no shortage of value to be found in my race-by-race preview with each-way plays in races 3, 4, 5 and 8.
Scroll down below for our top Morphettville selections and best bets!
Race 1 - 12:47pm
The Fotobase Group Handicap (2500 METRES)
Lots to love about AMIZETTA’S (2) recent win at Sandown a couple of weeks ago.
Caught three-wide in the early stages, the Dundeel mare pushed forward and kept finding all the way through the line, rattling off an impressive win of more than two lengths ahead of a smart horse in his own right.
Considering she saw out the trip in her stride, the rise to 2500m poses no issue with similar tactics expected from the low gate.
1 Unit Amizetta (2)
Race 2 - 1:22pm
Sportsbet Without Fear Stakes (1050 METRES)
MEISHO (2) should have a stack of support on return for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.
This filly by Tagaloa ran some nice races without winning during her maiden prep, notably finishing runner-up to recent Stakes winner Shining Smile on the Heath track at Caulfield.
Her most recent jump out a couple of weeks ago really caught the eye when she quickened smartly to run down the leader right on the line.
From an inside gate with Todd Pannell in good form, that same turn of foot would see her hard to beat.
1 Unit Meisho (2)
Race 3 - 1:57pm
Grand Syndicates/Bain Racing New Alliance Handicap (Heat 7 of Festival State Sprint Series) (1100 METRES)
DECLARED (11) will give himself every chance up on the speed and in all likelihood take serious catching.
David Jolly’s gelding gave a nice sight over a touch further on the Parks track a fortnight ago, whipping them into the turn before being gunned down by the fast-finishing Star Sirius, who smoked the line down the outside.
In saying that, I thought this son of Churchill showed some nice fight to close the gap over the final 50m, so the step back in distance does make him a serious threat with Kayla Crowther dropping 3kg.
1 Unit Each-Way Declared (11)
Race 4 - 2:32pm
Thomas Farms Handicap (Heat 7 of Adelaide in Autumn Series) (1600 METRES)
SPIRIT OF CAMELOT (10) should be winning here if all goes to plan.
She was a little too far back and took a while to wind up second-up over 1500m, but I thought her late run was impressive when closing the gap behind Sparkup to finish just over half a length off.
She comes here with a much better gate at her disposal and some good fitness on her side, not to mention the 2kg drop in weight with Todd Pannell sticking.
After a sharp rise from 1200m-1500m last time out, she should be much better for the run and just needs to settle handy to be a serious threat.
2 Units Spirit Of Camelot (10)
Race 5 - 3:07pm
Listed Redelva Stakes (1100 METRES)
KUROYANAGI (8) has gone up a nice price for a filly returning to her home base fresh from a lengthy spell.
This daughter of Written Tycoon clung on for a narrow win at Caulfield last October ahead of Chewing Gum, and was afforded no luck whatsoever out to 1400m in the Vanity Stakes three weeks later where she was always wide.
She hasn’t had a trial or a jump out leading in, but the inside gate and a strong first-up record (2:1-1-0) suggest she could threaten with only 54kg on her back.
1 Unit Each-Way Kuroyanagi (8)
Race 6 - 3:47pm
City of Adelaide Handicap (1529 METRES)
VERDAD (7) has drawn an awful gate but I still think he can give this a real shake with a stack of fitness on his side.
Robbie Griffiths’ gelding was enormous on debut when running third at Flemington in behind Is It Me, form that has stacked up nicely with that same horse going on win the Shaftesbury more recently.
The son of Justify improved third-up to win at Headquarters out to the mile, and you can probably forgive his latest effort at The Valley where the soft track and the front-running tactics were against him.
Zac Spain takes over carrying 54kg, meaning the pair should be able to make use of their early speed to get across and lead.
1 Unit Each-Way Verdad (7)
Race 7 - 4:27pm
R N Irwin Stakes (1100 METRES)
AVIATRESS (9) was well-backed first-up in the Matrice Stakes and did not disappoint when racing away to win by 1.7 lengths in the end.
A daughter to Smart Missile, she did it fairly easy in the end after finding the centre of the track out of the turn, shifting through her gears to win with a bit left in the tank thanks to a solid ride from Jake Toeoek.
Whether the drop back to 1100m is what she’s looking for remains a small query, but she maps to get the perfect run in behind the speed again and launch late.
2 Units Aviatress (9)
Race 8 - 5:02pm
Auraria Stakes (1800 METRES)
HURRY CURRY (7) has drawn awkwardly but still warrants enormous respect with a third to Treasurethe Moment in last year’s Victorian Oaks at Flemington.
Danny O’Brien’s filly was given a good break before resuming in the G3 Alexandra Stakes at The Valley two weeks ago, a race that was never run to suit considering she was wide and held up badly around the 400m mark in the go for home.
The daughter of Ocean Park showed she’s a big improver second-up when she won her maiden by a clear margin at Bairnsdale, so if she gets luck in running and finds cover around midfield, she could be in this for a long way.
1 Unit Each-Way Hurry Curry (7)
Race 9 - 5:40pm
Port Adelaide Guineas (1800 METRES)
ATHANATOS (1) hasn’t put a foot wrong this time in work for Phillip Stokes, rewarding connections with a solid two-length win at Flemington a couple of weeks ago when he took out the VOBIS Gold Reef race at short odds.
He’s drawn awkwardly here ahead of his first look at 1800m but is rock-hard fit for four runs back with superior form lines to his name.
1 Unit Athanatos (1)