NEXT UP

Huge amounts of cash in play at Randwick on Saturday. Mr Brightside comes up with the picket fence and looks deserving of favouritism in the King Charles but not really showing any value. Fangirl is the clear danger with a softer draw and J-Mac and they really should be running the quinella.

We'll pass on that and chip up to The Everest for the best of the day where I think way too much has been made of barriers. A few solid hopes have drawn well but I Wish I Win just has a huge standout peak that if he runs he's an odds-on chance.

I liked his lead up run, just peaking late in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) but Moody & Coleman will have him primed for this back to 6 f with plenty of freshness still in his legs.

His Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) win rated the highest of any horse in Australia in training and I think he's on track to run close to it on Saturday. The draw probably isn't ideal, but it's probably better than him dropping back to last and trying to circle them. Three-back the fence looks the likely spot and his turn of foot can see him take any gap that opens.

He should be favourite and I think he will start favourite once the big cash latches on to that big rating he ran at the track and trip.

For the value play I'm looking at a Silver Eagle with plenty of angles and Pericles is very interesting. He was scratched from the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) where he could well have started favourite after presenting with blood in his nostril/trachea at track work.

Not ideal obviously but he's had a good trial since and six weeks between runs back to 6 1⁄2 f perhaps isn't terrible. One thing we do know is that his ratings are very strong for this. Even if he runs to his first up rating I think he's arguably the horse to beat. The draw isn't great but Purton takes the ride and third favourite in this seems a bit big.

The smoky in that race is one of two imports, New Endeavour, now with Waterhouse & Bott. He was last seen running second in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes (1408m) at Newbury where he led and gave a great sight. The third horse there, Chindit, whom he beat by 3.8 lengths, is a 120 rated, proper Group 1 placed horse who came out and smashed Light Infantry Man (and his ridiculous name change) next start.

No trials to go off but he's very interesting and does have the speed to push right which you'd expect Gai & Adrian to support.
 

SYDNEY SPECIALS

Bet of the day: Race 7 #1 I Wish I Win @ $5.50

Value plays: Race 8 #1 Pericles @ $4.60 and #9 New Endeavour @ $18