Tom Haylock’s Randwick tips

Back at Randwick and we’re back on to very wet tracks. No sign of this drying out with showers forecast throughout the day. No surprise if they are heading to the outside!

Best Value: Race 5 #2 Philipsburg

Quaddie:Leg 1: 2

Leg 2: 1,5,9,12,14

Leg 3: 1,3

Leg 4: 4,5,9

Race 1 – 11:15AM ELITE SAND & SOIL HANDICAP (1200 METRES)

TRUE CRIME brings the best form into this and looks the horse to beat here. Berry jumps on, the horse is fit third up here and gets through the wet as highlighted by his last run here a fortnight ago. He’s the only horse to bring Saturday city form into this and should be favourite. STONECOAT is a fit on pacer for Waterhouse Bott and gets Brenton Avdulla on. He beat older horses last start and is in the mix. CONTEMPORARY is the most experienced horse in this field and is off a Kensington win. SPIRITCHASER is a horse of interest first-up with a light weight.

2. TRUE CRIME3. STONECOAT9. SPIRITCHASER

Race 2 – 11:50AM TAB HIGHWAY (1600 METRES)

What do we do with the perennial non winner LORD DESANIMAUX? Convinced he’s still trying and his last run a fortnight ago when down the outside suggests as much. He continues to find the line, will strip fitter and will be in the mix again. He brings decent form and the 1600m second up does suit him. If he’d won a few more times he’d be a likeable prospect here. Blinkers on. RUNNING BEAR comes through the same race and meets him 2.5kg better at the weights for beating him home. ZADIG hasn’t been seen fro 6 weeks but was flying earlier in June, last seen winning a Highway well. He has won on heavy but was beaten by RUNNING BEAR when they met in May on a Heavy 9. Good racing pattern may help him.

11. RUNNING BEAR8. LORD DESANIMAUX3. ZADIG10. BRAINZES

Race 3 – 12:25PM MIDWAY HANDICAP (1600 METRES)

So many of these come through the Midway on July 9. MONFELICITY meets CRUEL SUMMER a half kilogram worse for beating him by 0.1 length but MONFELICITY may have improvement second up now too. BUBA beaten by 1.7 lengths but gets a nice weight swing on both. All that said, I’m happy to be against that form and lean to ELUSIVE JEWEL who drops back from a Listed race. She was good at Randwick prior to that and is right in the mix.

3. ELUSIVE JEWEL8. MOFELICITY4. CRUEL SUMMER6. BUBA

Race 4 – 1:00PM ASX REFINITIV CHARITY JULY SPRINT (1100 METRES)

Tricky little race this. EASY SINGLE a little unlucky at a crucial time last start. He brings decent form and a fitness edge on a few key rivals. Pike on and a huge weight drop are two big factors. One horse that loves the wet is ENCHANTED HEART. With that in mind, it’s no surprise she failed at Eagle Farm on the concrete. Refer to her first-up run for a better guide I’d suggest. Collett on suits. ROCKETING BY is a horse stacked with ability and the fact he’s been gelded since we last saw him adds a huge amount of interest here. Not convinced he’s at his best in the wet, particular first-up on a Heavy 10 but he’s a huge watch here. PRIME CANDIDATE is the highest rated horse in the race but he’s never won on a Heavy and James McDonald has meant he’s come up very short.

5. EASY SINGLE3. ENCHANTED HEART2. ROCKETING BY1. PRIME CANDIDATE

Race 5 – 1:35PM QUAYCLEAN HANDICAP (2400 METRES)

Looks like last week was just a trial for PHILIPSBURG heading into this. On the back up here, up to 2400m. He’s yet to race beyond the 2000m but if he’s ever going to get the trip it will be now, deep into his campaign on the quick back up. MARAKOPA racing well and rock hard fit. THE MILKYBAR KID is flying, coming here on the back of three consecutive wins and on all different surfaces. Hard not to know whether he handled the Heavy 10 last start in the field of two but it was one of the slowest final 600s I can remember watching. He’s on a quickish back up and rises to 2400m for the first time which is a query. A few little queries that means I can’t get him to as short as even money like the market where he opened. OUR CANDIDATE is a strong stayer. He got his deserved win last start but was beaten home by YGGDRASIL and OCEANIC FLASH at Rosehill two back. He meets those two better at the weights.

5. PHILIPSBURG6. MARAKOPA8. THE MILKYBAR KID3. OCEANIC FLASH

Race 6 – 2:10PM TPG HANDICAP (1500 METRES)

Hard to go past KALINO here on the back of a dominant win last time. We were with him there and he can win again. Schofield for Bowman on, a good barrier, peak fitness and a major player. An absolute bog track is the query. Never again for AND WE DANCED? She looks to be a pack chaser and scared to go past other horses, not sticking her neck out to get the job done. She was plain last time but was 6 weeks between runs there. 1500m, fitter. When we jump off, she’ll get us. PER INAWAY in the mix now fourth up. She continues to race well and the claim is a handy one. ARNAQUEUR is talented. He was fantastic in the Group 3 Spring Stakes and the Packer Plate and can run well over this distance off a freshen. Wet track the query however, as he failed last time on the Heavy 9.

3. KALINO1. PER INAWAY11. FLYING STEP

Race 7 – 2:45PM ATC THANK YOU STABLE STAFF HANDICAP (1300 METRES)

Small field for this BM88 over 1300m. WAIHAHA FALLS was dominant here a fortnight ago and will be winning again bar something unforeseen. This looks a perfect progression. POETIC CHARMER is 4kg better off and will strip fitter.

2. WAIHAHA FALLS1. POETIC CHARMER3. TITANIUM POWER

Race 8 – 3:25PM ATC FOUNDATION WINTER CHALLENGE (1500 METRES)

The Listed Winter Challenge over 1500m. Interesting race with the Cox Plate fancy GOLD TRIP set for a local debut. What happened in the Spring was quite bizarre and hope he’s over any possible issues he’s had. Glue on Shoes first time? Big watch to see how he goes here. His trial suggested he’d definitely need the run. A few months ago JOJO WAS A MAN was paying $15 at Canterbury and now he lines up against a Cox Plate fancy as favourite. Racing is a funny game. He has the better timing about him, with the fitness edge and a wet track that he loves. He also gets map favours.

12. JOJO WAS A MAN14. SNIPPY FOX1. GOLD TRIP9. OSCAR ZULU

Race 9 – 4:05PM CITY TATTERSALLS GROUP HANDICAP (1200 METRES)

Is this is a Midway? CONSCRIPT on top for me. He’s won 4 of his last 7 and still has plenty of upside. He led last start and dominated from the front. Can work forward again, draws well and loves it wet. Hard to beat. Wary NERONE who is here for the wet track. He’s a very good wet track horse and comes off three very good runs. FARETTI couldn’t win at Swan Hill last start and now turns up at Randwick 6 week later off a synthetic trial win. He looks the leader. MONTE DITTO out of three consecutive Midways.

1. CONSCRIPT3. NERONE9. JAI LEI8. MONTE DITTO

Race 10 – 4:40PM PRECISE AIR HANDICAP (1200 METRES)

Another average race but it is winter on a Heavy track. Leaning to SUNRISE RUBY here from 11 which may suit. The mare will strip fitter here second up, loves the wet and gets a nice weight swing on LADY BROOK who has to be respected also. Outside of these two, I can make a case for all runners. Wide home in the quaddies or just the two.

9. SUNRISE RUBY4. LADY BROOK5. LADY BANFF1. RUPERTAAR