Best Bets for 7 Stakes Day.

No Group One racing but a great card all the same at Randwick this Saturday.

Many of the leading Australian Everest hopefuls line up in the $1 million The Shorts, with Private Harry at short odds to remain undefeated.

Elsewhere Melbourne Cup aspirants Vauban and Arapaho lock horns in the Kingston Town, while the $1 million 7 Stakes gives us a look at many the King Charles fancies a month out from the Group One feature on Everest Day.

The best all day is in Race 6, the Tea Rose Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Group Two level.

The main hopes clashed in the 1200m Furious over 1200m at Randwick a fortnight ago, and it was Apocalyptic who was successful first-up from a long break at just her second appearance. As good as she was on the day, the race did pan out nicely for the Extreme Choice filly.

A better run came from Tupakara who also resumed. James McDonald had little choice but to ride the filly cold that day from a poor gate. After coming wide on the bend, the daughter of Trapeze Artist was enormous late and was only beaten a whisker by Apocalyptic who saved ground along the inside.

The Archibald stable pop the blinkers on for the first time on Saturday, so from a far better gate expect to see J Mac up in the first half dozen. Over an extra furlong, Tupakara should be too strong for a smart field and probably land favouritism for the Flight Stakes in a fortnight.

Race 3, the Nick Moraitis Trophy, offers a nice two-bet play.

Disneck looks the one to beat third-up. His two runs this time in work have been on wet tracks which he despises. Also, the five-year-old has a win strike rate of 1/12 for the first two runs of a prep, and 4/16 thereafter. Bjorn Baker will have this fellow ready to find peak form now, and the engagement of James McDonald adds to the confidence – the pair hit a winner in four together.

He does have 60.5kgs which is a niggling concern, so a nice saver with a whopping 8.5kgs weight pull is Husk from the Hawkes stable. The mare was held up for a run when resuming last start over 1100m then found the line okay under a steadier of 59kgs. This is a much tougher assignment, but she looks beautifully placed over an extra 100m with nothing on her back.

Schiller can box-seat from gate two and when presented this mare can produce a lovely turn of foot.

SYDNEY SPECIALS

BEST BET: Race 6 No. 2 Tupakara at $3.60.

NEXT BEST: Race 3 No. 2 Disneck at $3.90 and No. 12 Husk at $7.00.