12. Cantiamo improved sharply from her first trial to her second. The Kris Lees-trained filly showed good natural speed in a recent Newcastle trial before running through the line to win her heat. The time was good for the morning, ranking the third quickest of the eight 800m hitouts. Perhaps the best pointer to the two-year-old’s chances is the rivals she beat. In second was Hidden Motive, fourth in the Breeders Plate on debut, and in third was her stablemate 7. Gobi Desert, the winner of the Max Lees Classic. Cantiamo, sired by Too Darn Hot and a half-sister to three-time winner Valiancy, also maps to get the right run from the draw. 6. Within The Law wasn’t as impressive on the clock as it was to the eye when winning at Flemington on debut, but she now has the benefit of race experience. Her trial since was solid. 14. Sequista stepped out in that same trial as Within The Law. The D’argento filly jumped well to lead from the inside gate and did it nicely on the line.
How to play it: Cantiamo to win.

Race 6 – 3.25PM COOLMORE SPELLING @ MOUNT WHITE HANDICAP (1800 METRES)

3. Tavi Time was shuffled back at a critical point in the race last start at Kembla Grange. He was beaten a length, but was closing hard late. The track was lightning fast that meeting, so there was merit in him getting as close as he did at the finish. The market was also very soft on his chances late. The son of Tavistock strikes this fifth up and creeps out in trip to 1800m. He ran second at his only previous try beyond the mile, earlier in his career. The timing looks right to try again. 17. For Victory looks to be trending the right way this preparation. His wins last campaign didn’t come until fifth and sixth up. He is fourth up here and closed well at Rosehill two weeks ago. It was easier grade, but he drops 5kg, finds Kerrin McEvoy and should be able to camp midfield. Want to forgive the beaten margin of 1. King Of The Castle in the Festival Stakes. Nash Rawiller jumps back on. He won on him three starts ago.
How to play it: Tavi Time to win.

Race 7 – 4PM MAX BRENNER CHRISTMAS CUP (2400 METRES)

12. Alalcance has hit the ground running in Australia and profiles to have new peaks to come. The lightly raced five-year-old has only had six starts. She won impressively in her first run for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. It was at the midweeks, but she proved levels above those, relishing the test of stamina to gap her rivals. Two months later she reappeared at Kembla Grange where she ran into an equally progressive stayer in Gilded Water. Alalcance steps into listed company, but she drops to 53kg. The biggest positive looks to be getting out to 2400m. 3. Sea King ran in the Melbourne Cup last start. He settled out the back from barrier one after a slow getaway and it was game over from there. That was on the back of a dominant Bendigo Cup win where Declan Bates allowed the import to truck his way to the front.
How to play it: Alalcance to win.

Race 8 – 4.40PM THE INGHAM (1600 METRES)

Nash Rawiller stays on 1. Private Eye. That’s significant after what the pair achieved in the Festival Stakes two weeks ago. A clean getaway left the seven-year-old outside of the leader. That early initiative woke him up and proved the winning move. Especially with the speed coming out of the race in the middle stages. It was a welcome return to form from Private Eye, which struggled to keep in touch in the middle stages in the start prior in The Hunter. He is a proven weight carrier, can slide forward from the draw again and is an Epsom winner over the Randwick mile. 2. Gringotts was backed as if his number was already in the frame in The Gong three weeks ago. It may as well have been. The race was over after they’d gone 400m. Tommy Berry showed early initiative to run the race as he pleased from in front, beating 13. Suparazi. He did, however, prove equally effective off a fast tempo in the Big Dance the start prior. Maps well. Hard to knock, other than the opening price.
How to play it: Private Eye to win.

Race 9 – 5.20PM RACING & SPORTS RAZOR SHARP HANDICAP (1200 METRES)

5. Hedged was found out over 1000m in the Warra. The gamble going into that first-up target was whether he was going to find it a touch too sharp. He lacked the acceleration of Headwall. Despite that, he kept finding the line to be beaten less than a length. He ran out of room late too and should have finished closer. That was as a well-backed $3 favourite. The four-year-old ended last campaign in terrific form, chasing home Ostraka at Eagle Farm before leading all of the way at Ipswich out to 1350m. There isn’t a lot of pressure on paper here so barrier one gives Chad Schofield options. Typically steer clear of horses jumping from 1000m to 1200m, but inclined to make an exception with Hedged. That lack of speed could prove problematic for backmarker 9. Infancy. The last time she found herself in a truly run race, she won. 4. Contemporary faces a similar obstacle to Infancy given where he has drawn.
How to play it: Hedged to win.

Race 10 – 5.55PM SADDLES AT MOUNT WHITE HANDICAP (1200 METRES)

3. Eye Of The Fire is an improving sprinter chasing three straight this time back. He was kept busy in his first campaign, but he was a work in progress with training duo Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald ironing out his kinks. The making of him has perhaps been riding him off the speed. Early on he was a keen leader. He beat an odds-on favourite in Kerguelen first up before chasing down Flying Destiny and Iron Man second up on a soft track. Back on top of the ground out to 1200m, with Jason Collett sticking. 8. Stromboli had no excuses last start, but that race has produced four subsequent winners with Fire Star victorious again, while Midnight Opal, Romeo’s Choice and Sir Ravanelli (who ran last) join that list. 18. Left Field is one dimensional, which makes her hard to catch, but she’ll win shortly. Her run was superior to that of 17. Wooloowin last start.
How to play it: Eye Of The Fire to win.

Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au