Rosehill race-by-race preview & best bets | Saturday 19/2/2022

Rosehill betting tips

What Rosehill Gardens Races
Where Rosehill Gardens – James Ruse Dr, Rosehill NSW 2142
When Saturday, February 19, 2022
Feature Race Race 8: Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m)
First Race 12:25pm AEDT

HorseBetting’s New South Wales racing analyst has previewed the 10-race card at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday and brings you his race-by-race preview as well as best bets and quaddie numbers. The Sydney Autumn Carnival is in full swing now, with the running of the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes the feature on what is a bumper program. The track is currently a Soft 5 and the rail is in the true position, so hopefully the track will play fairer than what it did on January 29 when the rail was out 6m and the fence was on fire. The first race gets underway at 12:25pm AEDT.

Race 1: Class 3 Highway Handicap (1400m)

If you’ve got much on on Saturday morning, it wouldn’t be the worst thing for you to miss this race. A capacity field of 18 country gallopers come together for this week’s Highway over 1400m, and it is wide open. We thought the run of Commando Hunt was good enough without being super on February 5 in a very similar race at Randwick over 1200m, where he just didn’t have all that much luck. The winner of that race was Testator Silens, who has since come out and won the Country Championships Qualifier at Nowra, so the form looks good. He has drawn awfully in barrier 18, so Kathy O’Hara will have her work cut out, but we thought the $19 on offer was generous.

Selections: 1-8-12-5

Race 2: Benchmark 94 (1100m)

This could be one of the races of the day, despite only six runners accepted to run. Rule Of Law is looking to make it five-straight wins, while Shadow Crush and Mr Mosaic are chasing three-straight successes, so it will be on for young and old. Bjorn Baker’s Rule Of Law is absolutely flying, however, having won his past four in dominant style, including back-to-back wins at this track. The son of Snitzel goes back to 1100m after winning over 1200m on January 29, so that should suit, while barrier four allows Tim Clark to sit outside Mr Mosaic who has plenty of speed from the inside alley. It is highly competitive race, but we think Rule Of Law can make it five in a row.

Selections: 1-3-6-2

Race 3: Benchmark 72 Midway Handicap (1500m)

We really don’t like these Midway races if we are completely honest. They’re a lottery each week and form seems to go out the window a lot of the time, so they’re proving to be a nightmare to analyse. Annabel Neasham saddles up the race favourite, Military Expert, who had plenty against him last start in a very similar race. The three-year-old colt drew wide, was caught off the track on the day that the rail was the place to be, so it was quite game of him to only go down by three lengths. He now gets out to 1500m which will suit, while barrier five gives Tommy Berry plenty of options. Provided he finds cover and can be handy in the run, he should be winning.

Selections: 3-9-10-1

Race 4:Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m)

The first of the group races on Saturday is the Millie Fox Stakes for fillies and mares. While there is only eight runners, it is a high-quality field with a number of good, consistent mares. Expat is one of those who rarely runs a bad race. The Mark Newnham-trained four-year-old will make her own luck in front, and in this field, she looks to get a soft lead from the outside alley. The daughter of Makfi was dominant when beating Brookspire in the Group 3 Belle Of The Turf at Gosford on December 29, and she looked very good when winning a trial at Warwick Farm on February 4. Her Rosehill stats are exceptional, as is her first-up record, so we are confident she can return a winner.

Selections: 3-1-2-7

Next BestExpat $3.90 with Sportsbet

Race 5: 3YO & 4YO Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m)

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This is a hot race this, with a number of up-and-coming horses lining up. It’s extremely tough to separate a few of these, but we are going to side with the top-weight, Mazu. The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained three-year-old was good when winning the Brian Crowley Stakes back in October at Listed level, where he defeated Battleton and Able Willie. The son of Maurice does rise 3kg from that win, so he meets Able Willie worse off at the weights, but he looked good when narrowly beaten in a trial on January 31, in what was his first hit out since being gelded. Sam Clipperton can get the run of the race from barrier five and give his mount every chance of going back-to-back. There will be plenty of eyes on Able Willie who was luckless last start, while Nasturtium looks to remain unbeaten in four starts and Minsk Moment resumes after running seventh in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes in the spring.

Selections: 1-7-6-2

Race 6: Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m)

The two-year-olds will battle out the Silver Slipper Stakes on Saturday, as they look to do what Pierro, Mossfun, She Will Reign and Farnan have done in recent years by winning this race and the Golden Slipper a month later. At this point in time, we believe the fillies have a slight edge over the boys, and with the 2kg weight advantage, it makes them hard to go past in this. We tipped Cythera in her debut when winning the Lonhro Plate in nice style, so we are going back to the well there. The Snowden-trained filly has drawn beautifully once again in barrier two, so she can let the speed go and land in the box-seat under Tommy Berry, who is riding in a rich vein of form. She will have to improve again to beat Queen Of The Ball and Shalatin, but we think she can.

Selections: 15-13-1-11

Race 7: Listed Parramatta Cup (1900m)

The Parramatta Cup gives the stayers a chance on Saturday as they prepare for Sydney Cup campaigns. We have been extremely impressed by what No Compromise has been doing over shorter, unsuitable distances in his first two runs, so now as he gets to 1900m in his third run for the prep, we are keen to be on him. The Chris Waller-trained stayer will only get better as he steps out over even further, but he is the fit horse on the scene on Saturday. From barrier 14, he will have to get back in the run under Jay Ford, but that is his natural pattern anyway. He finds himself dropping 2.5kg from his last start when chasing a slow tempo, so he should be steaming home over the top late.

Selections: 11-1-8-13

Best ValueNo Compromise $6.50 with Sportsbet

Race 8: Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m)

The feature on Saturday is the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes, where a field of 12 colts and geldings will battle it out over 1400m. After flopping first-up in the Expressway Stakes, can Anamoe bounce back and justify his odds-on quote? We think he can, but we aren’t with him. Instead, we are siding with Converge, who went super behind Paulele when resuming in the Eskimo Prince Stakes. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained gelding came up the inside over 1200m a fortnight ago and just felt the pinch late, but we are tipping that he has come through that in super fashion and will relish the rise to 1400m at a track which should suit. Barrier 11 is a bit sticky, but arguably his best runs have been when he has come charging home from a fair way back. At the $6 quote, we are more than happy to be with this Group 1 winner. Outside of the obvious runners, we want to give a special mention to Kiss Sum, who we think can run a huge race at massive odds.

Selections: 2-1-5-13

Race 9: Benchmark 100 (1400m)

In the penultimate race, the Victorian visitors can take the prizemoney back down south in what is a strange old race. Groundswell was racing at Group 1 level during the Melbourne Spring Carnival over 1400m and comes into this race well-weighted. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained five-year-old is a four-time winner over 1400m, while his best racing is usually done when second-up, which he is on Saturday. After running a good race behind Open Minded and the subsequently Group 1-placed Lighthouse on Australia Day, Groundswell went around in a Flemington jump-out behind Nature Strip last Friday where he went very well. He has drawn poorly in barrier 11, but we are confident that Tim Clark can find the front on him, stack them up and give a strong kick in the straight and prove too hard to catch.

Selections: 1-5-2-6

Race 10: Benchmark 78 (1400m)

To round out the afternoon, a competitive Benchmark 78 will be run and won, where Chris Waller saddles up five runners. We really liked what we saw from Dajraan in his Australian debut, when winning by 1.5 lengths at Warwick Farm on January 26, justifying some heavy market support. The four-year-old entire has drawn the inside alley under Tim Clark, which is the same alley he drew last time out, so we expect it to be a copy and paste job. He should be able to box-seat, get the run of the race and then put his rivals to the sword in the straight. Follow this son of Frankel, because he could sneak into some nice handicap races down on the weights and give his races a shake.

Selections: 3-6-11-13

Best BetDajraan $3.10 with Sportsbet

Saturday quaddie picks for Rosehill Gardens

Rosehill quadrella selections
Leg 1: 1-8-11-13
Leg 2: 1-2
Leg 3: 1-2-5
Leg 4: 3-6-11-13
Investment: $300 for 100%

See more Saturday racing tips

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