Randwick race-by-race preview & best bets | Saturday 26/2/2022

Race 1: Class 2 Highway Handicap (1000m)

As is usually the case, the first race of the afternoon is a Highway Handicap, this time for Class 2 gallopers over 1000m. Simon Casey saddles up Miss Kingston, a consistent four-year-old mare who has won twice and placed four times from 12 career starts. The daughter of Pride Of Dubai has never placed over 1000m, but she is a winner over 900m and 1100m, so there is no reason why the 1000m journey won’t suit her. She is also a winner on a Heavy 8 track in the past. Barrier four will allow Kathy O’Hara to take up a midfield role and have her charging home out wide on the track. The $19 odds at appeal.

• 9

  MISS KINGSTON

  Odds at Sportsbet

• 8

  DEVILS TRIANGLE

  Odds at Ladbrokes

• 1

  PRETTY WOMAN

  Odds at Bet365

• 7

  TAKETHESHOT

  Odds at Palmerbet

Race 2: Benchmark 72 Midway Handicap (1100m)

We put Delexo into The Follow Files after his run on February 12, and he now gets into an ideal race second-up. The Kristen Buchanan-trained four-year-old was pretty hard done by last time out at this track over 1000m when he never got a good crack at his rivals in the straight, so he should now be cherry-ripe second-up over 1100m. The son of Exosphere has never raced on a Heavy track, but he has a win and two placings on Soft going, so he should handle the conditions. James Innes Jr will do the riding from barrier six and give this four-time winner a brilliant chance of saluting again.

• 9

  DELEXO

  Odds at Sportsbet

• 8

  KEY LARGO

  Odds at Ladbrokes

• 1

  SWITCHED

  Odds at Bet365

• 7

  EPIC DAN

  Odds at Palmerbet

Race 3: Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m)

With the scratching of Coolangatta out of this race, we are now with Gary Portelli’s filly, Fireburn. The daughter of Rebel Dane has won her last two starts, both of which came over 1200m, so she should be well suited at the six-furlong trip. The two-year-old filly has had nearly two months between runs, but at her most recent start she beat home Revolutionary Miss who is the second favourite for Saturday’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. Portelli has trialled Firevburn at Warwick Farm on February 14 and she worked through the line strongly, so we are happy to be with her in her quest to win her third consecutive race.

• 4

  FIREBURN

  Odds at Sportsbet

• 3

  LADY LAGUNA

  Odds at Ladbrokes

• 5

  TROACH

  Odds at Bet365

• 2

  XTRAVAGANT STAR

  Odds at Palmerbet

Race 4: Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m)

The colts and geldings get their chance to book their spot in the Golden Slipper in Saturday’s Group 2 Skyline Stakes. Two horses we have plenty of time for is Rise Of The Masses and Jemeldi, but we are siding with the former. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained colt won in very strong fashion on debut at Kembla Grange on a Heavy 10 track, before boxing on gamely to finish third in the Pierro Plate at Randwick last time out. From barrier one, Tim Clark won’t have to do any work on him; he will take up the lead and he will be there for a very long way. Jemeldi can close off strongly from the back, while Man In The Mirror could have the X-factor.

• 9

  RISE OF THE MASSES

  Odds at Sportsbet

• 8

  JEMELDI

  Odds at Ladbrokes

• 1

  MAN IN THE MIRROR

  Odds at Bet365

• 7

  EL PADRINO

  Odds at Palmerbet

Race 5: Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m)

In what is one of the toughest races of the afternoon, we are siding with one at big odds. Danny O’Brien and Chad Schofield combine with Order Of Command, who comes into this race in moderate form. ‘Moderate’ might be a generous way to put his run of late, but the seven-year-old can come into his element on Saturday. The son of Squamosa is a five-time winner on Soft tracks, while he has won four from nine races when second-up from a spell – so if he ever has a chance of winning, this is it. First-up, Order Of Command was beaten 8.6 lengths by Marabi at Moonee Valley, and that galloper is now the favourite for Saturday’s Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield. Schofield is riding well, and the 54.5kg is the least amount of weight Order Of Command has carrier since running second to Eduardo in The Galaxy last March on a Soft 7. This is his race.

• 7

  ORDER OF COMMAND

  Odds at Sportsbet

• 2

  ELLSBERG

  Odds at Ladbrokes

• 8

  ATISHU

  Odds at Bet365

• 9

  QUANTICO

  Odds at Palmerbet

Race 6: Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes Stakes (1400m)

A very competitive field of 12 mares will do battle in the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes, with these gallopers looking to repeat what Krone did 12 months ago by winning this race and then the Coolmore Classic. Rosemont Stud own Krone now, but they also own Promise Of Success from the John O’Shea yard. The six-year-old daughter of Dansili was brilliant when returning to run second to Snapdancer in the Group 3 Triscay Stakes over 1200m. She hit the line strongly in the worst part of the track that day after drawing barrier one, so we are happy to be with her as she gets out to 1400m on a rain-affected surface. Jason Collett does the riding from barrier eight, so the mare can be produced down the outside of the course and have a good chance of winning this. We are giving a special mention to Lady Banff, who we wanted to follow from her February 5 run, and while this is much harder, the $101 on offer with some online bookmakers is worth a gold-coin donation.

• 11

  PROMISE OF SUCCESS

  Odds at Sportsbet

• 8

  ICEBATH

  Odds at Ladbrokes

• 3

  VANGELIC

  Odds at Bet365

• 12

  LADY BANFF

  Odds at Palmerbet

Race 7: Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m)

The first Group 1 of the calendar year in Sydney is the Chipping Norton Stakes over 1600m. A quality field has been assembled, with eight Group 1 winners lining up. View our full preview of the race and our $100 betting strategy here.

Race 8: Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m)

This is the one we have all been waiting for – the rematch between Espiona and Fangirl. Yearning and Never Been Kissed add some Group 1 flair to the Surround Stakes, and it is sure to be a terrific edition. See our in-depth betting preview for the Surround Stakes here.

Race 9: Benchmark 88 (2000m)

We are with Team Hawkes and William Pike in the Surround Stakes, and we are with them in the penultimate race too when they combine with Dadoozdart. There was plenty of hype around this six-year-old gelding when he first arrived in Australia, as he came off a win in the Ulster Derby at Down Royal, Ireland, before romping home in the Molony Stakes at Limerick. He is yet to win in 14 Australian starts, but in the whole time he has been here, he’s yet to strike a Heavy track – which he’s unbeaten on. His first three runs this campaign have been fair on Good tracks, but now, on a genuine bog and at 2000m once again, he can run a bold race.

• 11

  DADOOZDART

  Odds at Sportsbet

• 3

  CHALK STREAM

  Odds at Ladbrokes

• 2

  YIYI

  Odds at Bet365

• 12

  SUREFIRE

  Odds at Palmerbet

Race 10: Benchmark 88 (1200m)

Maotai looked to have a mortgage on the last race of the day, but Kacy Fogden has elected to scratch the last-start winner and save him for another day. Gravina has replaced Maotai as favourite, and he is a deserving one at that. The James Cummings-trained four-year-old has been a model of consistency all throughout his racing career, finishing in the top three on 10 occasions from 13 starts. Last preparation, Gravina was a bit costly for his followers, finishing in the placings in all four starts without winning, going down as a short-priced favourite in three of those. As strange as it might sound, he does map well from barrier 12, as Nash Rawiller will be able to find plenty of cover and bring him to the crown of the track to finish over the top of horses like The Bopper and Turnstyle. He can get favourite punters home in the last

Selections: 4-3-9-6

• 4

  GRAVINA

  Odds at Sportsbet

• 3

  THE BOPPER

  Odds at Ladbrokes

• 9

  ROBODIRA

  Odds at Bet365

• 6

  BROKEN ARROWS

  Odds at Palmerbet