The Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup is the feature on Saturday’s 10-race program at Rosehill.
Last-start Scone Cup runner-up Waterford is set to start favourite in the $200,000 staying race, while champion trainer Annabel Neasham is searching for her third straight win with Sibaaq and Irish import, Star Of India.
Rain is forecast on race day with the track already rated in the Soft 5 range and the rail out 3m.
For thoughts on every race, check out our 2024 Lord Mayor’s Cup Day Preview!
Eye Pea Oh back to 1100m on a slightly firmer track are two big ticks in my book.
The Freedman-trained mare by Capitalist was a complete forgive three weeks ago on a Heavy 9 at Newcastle, beaten seven lengths where she was wide and clearly failed to handle the conditions.
She wasn’t far off the money in her two previous attempts at Canterbury and here at Rosehill, beaten just over two lengths by Everyone’s A Star in the latter.
Draws to get a soft run in behind the speed and Sam Clipperton looks the right man for the job.
Go each way.
Confident Omnic can give this a shake at good odds.
Ciaron Maher’s colt is making his third start since debuting, finding the money in both attempts on rain-affected tracks at Gosford and Newcastle.
The wide run told over the final stages over 1200m last start, while I’m not sure the heavy track suited him much either.
Back on firmer footing with a run over 1200m under his belt, this looks the next logical step for him with the in-form Ashley Morgan engaged.
Rematch has been a slightly frustrating four-year-old to follow this prep, but his best is certainly good enough to threaten in this open Highway Plate.
The blinkers have been reapplied to this son of Real Impact after giving good chase despite running into another runner at Scone a couple of weeks ago.
He’s placed in all three attempts over 1500m and should find the step back int trip suitable after making up ground over the mile last start.
This is a sharp rise in trip for Fearless Writer third-up, but everything about her recent effort at Flemington suggested she might be looking for it.
The Written Tycoon mare looked as though she might motor home at the top of the straight before lacking the extra kick to finish better than third behind Niance over 1200m.
That said, she’s returned in terrific order for Adrian McGregor and is a proven winner at this stage of her prep.
Conditions should suit and from a nice soft gate with the blinkers off again, I think she appeals.
Rush Hour returns a gelding looking to add to a growing resume that includes a handy debut win on the Gold Coast last year and a strong victory up on the speed at Wyong earlier in February.
Nathan Doyle’s three-year-old was luckless from the inside gate in a Stakes race at Randwick to wrap up his autumn prep, but did look in good order winning a recent trial at Gosford.
The blinkers come off now for the first time and with decent wet track form, he could threaten with the gate also working to his advantage.
Impossible race, so happy to have something each-way on Valiancy second-up.
This daughter of Shooting To Win hasn’t tasted victory in over a year, but she did return nicely at Hawkesbury early last month where she just missed out on a place after facing the breeze the whole way.
Second-up, her record reads well, and she does have some nice wins under her belt on rain-affected tracks.
Proven here at Rosehill with improvement still to come, she should prove tough to hold out coming off the speed.
Sky Lab can be a tricky gelding to follow at times but his best would be more than good enough to trouble some of these.
That was the case when he resumed two weeks ago in the Scone Cup where he got a long way back from the horror gate and simply proved too strong in the finish in front of Waterford and Lion’s Roar.
This time, he should have more left in the tank from a soft gate, and although winless from nine attempts over 2000m, he has run into the money on more than one occasion.
Typically improves second-up, and with conditions to suit, another win wouldn’t shock.
It’s a shame about the gate, but it’s hard not to be taken with the turn of foot Perfect Play produced in his second run at Scone two weeks ago for third behind Unusual Legacy.
Annabel Neasham’s German import has found the money in both runs since debuting down under at Kensington back in April, and does look suited getting back out to 1800m now after handling this trip well to kick off his prep.
He likes to race on the speed, so if he can get across early and settle handy, Tom Sherry should have plenty of horse to work with in the closing stages.
Tympanist gets another shot in town after racing exclusively at Kensington for most of the year.
David Payne had this boy revved up to run a nice race fresh over 1400m a couple of weeks ago, seen chasing hard down the outside to grab second by Rhythm Of Love.
The Heavy track was a huge challenge that day, but with superior wet form to most of his rivals on this occasion, he should be suited out over further with conditions to suit.
Heman is a promising three-year-old for Team Snowden racing much better than his form this prep suggests.
The son of I Am Invincible has drawn some horror gates in tougher company so far, struggling from out wide fresh in the Group 2 Hobartville, and again in a Stakes race last start at Randwick.
He’s been kept fresh for the run with a good six-week break between starts and is drawn to get a gun run from right back off the speed under Sam Clipperton.
With form around the likes of Makarena and Zardozi, I think he can win at a big price.