A pair of talented three-year-old stablemates can take a significant step towards black type action when they line up at Wednesday's Kembla Grange meeting.
Beauty Swift and Glastonbury Girl on the rise
Lightly raced gelding Beauty Swift and exciting filly Glastonbury Girl are on the rise for the Matthew Smith stable at Warwick Farm. With some good feature stand-alone Saturday meetings coming up next month, the duo are being earmarked for bigger prizes.
Beauty Swift's prospects
Beauty Swift, a son of generational Group 1 star Pierro, tackles a Benchmark 64 Handicap over 2000m for only his fifth outing. A fast-finishing country maiden winner late last spring before spelling, Beauty Swift has quickly signalled there is plenty in store ahead. After working home well late in a strong Class 1 first-up at Newcastle, he then hit the line hard to only miss by a neck in a handy BM 66 Handicap at Scone over 1700m. That run 16 days ago has seen him open as a $3.40 favourite at Kembla stepping up further in distance. Beauty Swift has drawn to get cover back in the field and will be ridden by experienced Kerrin McEvoy. If all goes to plan on a firming track, the stable could well set its sights on the Listed Gosford Gold Cup over 2100m on May 9.
Glastonbury Girl's chances
In the final race, stablemate filly Glastonbury Girl looms as a big chance second-up also in a BM 64 battle over 1400m. A powerful-finishing daughter of multiple Group 1 winner Churchill, she is gunning for a third win from just five starts and opened around $4.50 in early betting behind only Rosa Incanta ($3.20), who resumes from the inside draw for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott yard. Glastonbury Girl won consecutive races in Canberra late last spring to close out her first campaign. She then returned behind three trials to flash home into a place in a fillies and mares' BM 64 over 1400m at Hawkesbury. Despite drawing wide at Kembla, she is well placed to finish over her rivals and set up a potential date with the Listed Scone Cup over a mile on May 15.
Track conditions and other selections
Track is rated Good 4 with the rail out 3m from 1100m to WP and True the remainder.
Race 1: Silverwater Kid to win
Silverwater Kid is a home-tracker by Rosehill Guineas winner D'Argento and is over the odds progressing into his third start. He boxed on okay behind a handy winner in the country 25 days ago and is drawn to roll forward again with some weight relief in play. Call Me Zeus is a first starter by Zoustar in the David Pfieffer stable; good opinion around him after progressing to win the second of two metropolitan trials, and with a leading jockey engaged, he is set to start a short-priced favourite. Southern Grace is a locally-trained debutant filly by sprint sire Cool Aza Beel; she draws low behind two trials and can run a race at good odds. Don't What Me is a third-up improver coming back from a stronger Wyong maiden. How to play it: Silverwater Kid to win.
Race 2: Cool Rupert to win
Cool Rupert is a talented three-year-old who hasn't raced since last October but finds an ideal return race. He was narrowly beaten into a place in all three runs last prep, twice at this track, and was good through the line in the second of two recent metro trials up to 1100m. He is fit enough to run this trip out strong, and the Matthew Smith stable is on a good run. Bello Cavallo is another handy city one, resuming behind two trials; sparingly raced, but has shown enough to win this, although opened a shade under the odds. Keep safe Yeszem, a well bred and progressive filly who hit the line hard first-up at Gosford when supported at bigger odds. Setta Icon, trained on the course and hard fit from the inside draw, and Winters Kiss, who can improve sharply at her second start, are both capable of reaching the minor prize. How to play it: Cool Rupert to win.
Race 3: Katoto to win
Katoto is an emerging filly by Wootton Bassett from the Chris Waller yard, well placed to break through at her second outing, having been scratched from the Kensington meeting on Monday. She liked the way she finished off on debut at Hawkesbury behind a handy winner, and is even better suited over a furlong further. Rolling Home, by Bivouac, has to overcome a tough draw at his third start but has shown enough so far, the latest doing his best work late behind a dominant winner at Muswellbrook. Mortgage is a colt by Street Boss on debut for the Maher camp, and natural betting watch fitted with three improving trials. Watch for any money from big odds around Lafite, a stablemate of the top selection, dropping back from stiffer metro company. Honeysuckle is another representing each-way value, coming through that same debut race as the top selection. Unhinged, a colt by Snitzel and another Waller first starter, has trialled okay; while Scoot, a Victorian-based filly by Street Boss off two improving trials, can also add plenty of value into exotic bets. How to play it: Katoto to win.
Race 4: Funshow to win
Funshow is very genuine and well placed first-up off a solid provincial trial to start paying back punters. He was beaten only by the winner when jumping as favourite in all three runs across his initial campaign, although stiff not to have broken through having done things wrong in the run. He trialled strong, is better suited back on a bigger course, and both trainer and 2kg-claiming jockey are going along nicely. Broadway Street can run a race fresh despite drawing wide after finishing well on debut at Hawkesbury late last year. Le Smoke found the line okay first-up at Newcastle in only her second start and drew to settle closer in the run with cover. Codename is also lightly raced and returns off two progressive trials. Alpha Zeta is a third start improver back at provincial level with a superior jockey taking over. How to play it: Funshow to win.
Race 5: Beauty Swift to win
Beauty Swift is a progressive metropolitan three-year-old ideally placed to strike third-up over a longer trip. He did his best work late resuming in a provincial CL1 before again strong late to miss by a long neck in a handy country BM 66. He is right up to this company, drawn to get cover, and can go on to win better staying races. Lupa Capitolina is an improving metro filly hitting peak fitness fourth-up over further. Dolce Dior has placed in three of her last four by small margins and has the early tactical speed to off-set a wide draw. Inspired Legend, reloading 11 days after a fast-finishing second-up BM 64 win here, and California Grass, hard fit and coming through some useful formlines, are both capable of filling the minor money. How to play it: Beauty Swift to win.
Race 6: Bang On Time to win
Bang On Time is an emerging home tracker who can go back-to-back at just her third start. She swept home to claim the maiden first-up at Newcastle at a hot favourite, and the third horse missed narrowly in a Canterbury Super Maiden next start. She is drawn to get cover off the fence and be taken out to the middle past the 350m. Mrs Maree is an improving mare who worked to the front at Wyong and gave nothing else a chance second-up in claiming her maiden. She stays at the distance but threatens to jump under the odds from a tricky draw. My Proclama stuck on well to miss by a long neck fourth-up at Wyong and drew to get a soft run inside. Gap to the rest headed by Autumn Blonde improving third-up, while both Me Me deep into her campaign and Blue Eyed Brigid resuming off two trials are capable of boosting trifecta and first four returns. How to play it: Bang On Time to win.
Race 7: Empress Of Japan to win
Empress Of Japan is an improving and tough mare well over the odds second-up in another very open race. She was never far away in tackling some deeper fields last spring before spelling, then returned with a solid closing run in provincial fillies and mares' company after being backed from $5.50 into $4.40. She is fitter now and drops 2kg for this, and a leading jockey sticks like glue. Rosa Incanta is a promising filly in the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott yard, resuming off two progressive open class trials from the fence draw. Glastonbury Girl is a progressive filly and big second-up watch coming through that same race as the top selection when hitting the line hard into a place. She is bred to get further, and with any sort of cover will again be finishing strong. Pick Up The Tab can run a big race third-up at good odds dropping back from tougher metro grade. Azure Angel gets blinkers on third-up from a softer draw, while Blue Willow is a betting watch resuming off a soft trial for the Maher stable. How to play it: Empress Of Japan to win.
Best bets and value
Best Bets: Race 3 - Katoto (13), Race 5 - Beauty Swift (9). Best Value: Race 6 - Bang On Time (4).
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