The time-honoured WJ McKell Cup headlines a quality ten-race program at Sydney’s Rosehill Gardens this Saturday.
Sydney’s biggest stables will be represented throughout the day and plenty of quality betting races have materialised.
You can find all of my thoughts and 2023 McKell Cup Day Tip below.
Flying Trapeze has raced consistently since resuming this time and strikes another winnable race at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Trapeze Artist colt hasn’t missed placing in four runs since April, breaking his maiden at Kembla Grange before only just missing at Listed level in Brisbane last time.
He’s rock-hard fit and drops in class into this.
Deep Opinions faces a rise in class at Rosehill on Saturday, but she’s a progressive type and I’m confident that she can have an impact in one of these wide-open Midway Handicaps.
The Deep Field filly ended her last prep with a run in the Gosford Guineas, but she had clearly had enough by that point of her preparation.
She’s gone to another level this time, and only just missed in BM68 company before recording a dominant win at Newcastle last time out, the best of her career to date.
From a good draw and with a light weight in tow this week, she can continue her rise through the grades.
Unravel has hardly put a hoof wrong since debuting, and he looks more than up to winning something like a Highway Handicap.
The Paul Messara-trained gelding has made four appearances at the races for three wins, and he returned with a nice effort to strike in BM64 company at Newcastle a couple of weeks ago.
With improvement for that effort and from the good draw this week, I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish.
Grebeni is chasing a hat-trick when he takes his place in the fourth on McKell Cup Day, and I am confident he can pull it off.
The Ocean Park gelding finished second, beaten less than half a length in Class 1 company first-up this time and has only continue to improve with each start and as the bar has been raised, culminating in a smart effort over this route last time.
He only rises half a kilo in the weights, while the booking of Kerrin McEvoy further boosts his claims this week.
Fawkner Park is another galloper that looks capable of continuing his rise through the grades at Rosehill on Saturday.
Fawkner Park stamped himself as one to watch during his brief debut pre over in Ireland, and debuted a winner for the Annabel Neasham yard at Kembla Grange last month.
Having backed that up with a dominant win in Brisbane metro company last time out, I’m confident that this is the perfect opportunity for him to strike in Sydney company.
This looms as one of the more open races on the program with plenty of winning chances, but I am going to side with the resuming Narito at a nice price.
Narito hasn’t been seen at the races since February, but he boasts a strong fresh record, and he was denied only by the speedy Passeggiata at this point of his preparation last time.
He’s had the benefit of a trial in the lead-up to his return, while the booking of a senior hoop in Nash Rawiller strengthens his claims of a positive performance.
The McKell Cup is always a highlight of the Sydney winter, and a typically smart field of gallopers will contest the feature race on Saturday, including Benaud.
It has been a while between drinks for the talented grey stayer, but there is no doubt that he has continued to improve with each start back this year.
He has been freshened since his most recent appearance and fifth placing in the Neds Mornington Cup, but he has most of these rivals covered for class, and he is drawn to receive a dream run this week under Kerrin McEvoy.
Mirra View proved too strong for her rivals in a similar race at Randwick last time out, and I am confident that she will only improve third-up into this contest.
The More That Ready mare dusted off the cobwebs with a credible effort behind Cruel Summer here in late April and was impressive with a month between runs at her latest.
From an inside draw, she should get every opportunity to lob into a nice position in transit and with appropriate luck, I really can’t find a reason why she won’t be in the finish again.
Space Tracker’s Australian debut here at fortnight ago turned plenty of heads, and I am confident he’ll record his first win under Annabel Neasham’s care this week.
The Havana Gold gelding found form around some classy gallopers over in the UK and Europe last year, and he kept his best work for last over 1400m here last time, finishing only a head behind the winner.
The small rise in trip suits and he is my best bet on the program.
Plundering has been a strong and consistent performer this time in and he rates as a key winning chance in the last on McKell Cup Day.
Plunder finished within half a length of the winner in BM78 company first-up from a spell, and he converted that performance into a nice metro win at the midweeks second-up.
He was last seen finishing second, beaten a head in similar Saturday metro company last time out, and he takes his place in this field at full fitness.