Top 5 Early Insights @ Royal Randwick

Published: 10 Dec 2015

1 - Beware the Inside Running

The rail goes out 3 metres this weekend at Royal Randwick, but even that may not stop there being an OFF RAILS bias again.

Horses on the inside struggled last week, so keep an eye on the track conditions if you like RULE THE RIVER (Race 1), SWIVET (Race 2), SERENASPHERE (Race 3), SNIPER (Race 4), BRING A SECRET (Race 6) and FRESPANOL (Race 7), they all could get stuck in the worst ground from barrier 1.

Stuck on the inside? - Barrier 1 might not be a blessing for Frespanol

2 - Mac’s Mounts

James McDonald has been flying in recent weeks, making his claim as the best jockey in Sydney by a margin.

You have to take into account how well he is riding when weighing up your bets, he could make the difference for each-way chances LUCKY FISH (Race 6) and IT’S SOMEWHAT (Race 7).

The Bet - $11 LUCKY FISH each-way, click here to bet

Best of the bunch - Sydney is blessed with high class jockeys, including Shinn, McDonald and Bowman

3 - Hawk Ready to Strike

The Xmas Cup over 2400m (Race 5) shapes as a tactical affair on paper, a possible steady tempo and small group of chances means that luck in running could play a part.

SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD gets a great run on the Speed Map behind ZATOPAZ, he’ll be a few lengths in-front of main threat JIAYUGUAN in the run.

The Bet - $4.20 SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD, click here to bet

Races well fresh - Sir John Hawkwood is suited up to 2,400 metres on Saturday

4 - New Trainer, New Form

Saturday’s feature, the Group 2 Villiers Stakes (Race 7), is a very competitive Handicap with lots of chances.

Looking for horses on the way up that can beat the Handicap system is always a good play and outside of favourite HAPPY CLAPPER, two experienced types could be unlikely improvers.

ZANBAGH has delivered two very strong runs for new trainer John Thompson, while Darren Weir has already made an impression on PUCCINI, he was enormous at his only start for the Melbourne stable.

The Bet - $15 ZANBAGH and $13 PUCCINI each-way, click here to bet

Flying form - Zanbagh has hit the line hard twice this campaign for her new trainer

5 - They Meet Again

There’s plenty of tempo in the Razor Sharp (Race 8), THAT’S A GOOD IDEA and ECHO GAL are both drawn wide and should shoot to the front.

If they stride along a good clip they could leave a good trail in behind them, something on-pacers DUBLIN LASS and AUSSIES LOVE SPORT can take advantage of.

Those two actually met at Randwick back on 18th April and AUSSIES LOVE SPORT gets a 4.5kg turnaround for a 0.4 length defeat.

The Bet – $10 AUSSIES LOVE SPORT each-way, click here to bet

Fights hard - Aussies Love Sport can maintain a good run from on-pace

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