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STAY ON TRACK - SELECTIONS

Back to Royal Randwick for the 10-race card highlighted by The Charity Challenge (1600m) carrying $160,000 in prizemoney where mudlark Cool Jakey (a four-time winner on heavy tracks) is the $2.80 TAB favourite ahead of Green Fly ($4.60) and Hollywood Hero ($8).

The rail is out 10m from the 1600m to the winning post and out 7m the remainder, with the track rated a Heavy 9. There is a very high chance of showers today & tomorrow but easing to little or no rain on Saturday with a top of 23 degrees on raceday.

This week’s selections: BG

BEST BET
Race 8, No.3 - GREEN FLY ($4.60 on TAB)

Saturday 24th May – ROYAL RANDWICK

2. HOPEFUL ($18 on TAB) hasn’t won for three years, however, he loves heavy tracks. In his five runs in Australian in heavy tracks he has never finished worse than second. The latest three being seconds to Sir Lucan, Eliyass and Circle Of Fire. He arguably should have beaten Eliyass too, if not for being held up in the straight. The eight-year-old failed to let down on a firm track in the Sydney Cup before reappearing four weeks later in the Gosford Cup. His run wasn’t as bad as it appears on paper. He never got the chance to build into the race, shuffled back into an impossible spot. Drops back to BM88 company and gets in well after Braith Nock’s claim. If Hopeful is ever going to break the drought ...

3. GREEN FLY ($4.60) didn’t get a lot of room to let down at Randwick last start and once he angled into the clear the race was over. There was no catching Punch Lane regardless but he should have finished closer. The six-year-old brings that upon himself given his lack of tactical speed but he should be able to use the inside draw to settle handier. Drawing barrier 1 at Randwick on a heavy track may pose different problems again, pending on the pattern of the day, but he loves wet ground and well set up out to the mile now third-up. He ran down 6. Cool Jakey ($2.80 favourite) first-up from a seemingly impossible position and he’ll need to do the same again on Saturday. However, Cool Jakey is on trial at the mile, yet Green Fly has won out to 1900m. Will need luck at the right time but if he gets it, he’ll take holding out.

5. KING OF ROSEAU ($4.20 fav) is banging door down to win another race. The three-year-old remains stuck on one win from 14 starts but he was tried in better company earlier in his career. He resumed a gelding this time back and has built nicely into his campaign. The son of Capitalist has gone down narrowly in three runs back, the latest was behind Raikkonen at Gosford. The margin flattered King Of Roseau given the winner was throttled down late but the way he ran through the line suggests he wants 1400m now. The Peter Snowden-trained galloper is unknown on heavy ground. He’s run well on soft in the past, including last start, but this is uncharted territory and has the right grounding to find out.

13. MISS KIM KAR ($5) hasn’t had much luck with barriers in her two runs back. That has seen her get back in the field, setting her a task too big. Despite that she has rattled home into third on both occasions. Again she draws wide on Saturday but that mightn’t be a disadvantage come the last race at Randwick on a deteriorating track, so keep an eye on any patterns. This filly has come back in really good order. Had she drawn better she’d just about have won both first and second-up. This is a filly that has won from in front before and she has tactical speed. The daughter of Pierata has also won out to 1550m so the step out to 1400m suits now and her form lines tie in with the main chances here. Just has to handle a heavy track.

View final fields with full form & race replays for Royal Randwick here