Randwick Everest Day analysis, tips: Opal Ridge the favourite for Kosciuszko

Luke Pepper's Opal Ridge is the favourite in the Kosciuszko. Picture by Bradley Photos

Race 1 - 12.30PM MOËT & CHANDON ST LEGER STAKES (2600 METRES)

Better the devil you don't know in the case of the stayers engaged here? Willing to take the gamble on international runner 10. Land Legend. The son of Galileo, trained by James Ferguson, has only had eight career starts but he has had a taste of black type racing at his past two.

Dangers:2. Kalapour comes off a third in the Metrop two weeks ago and was the strongest through the line. He looks to be going as well as ever this time back and should relish the 2600m now. His stablemate 3. Cleveland gets a 4kg weight swing on Kalapour.

How to play it: Land Legend to win

Race 2 - 1.05PM WORLD POOL HANDICAP (1400 METRES)

2. Rise Of The Masses didn't show up in two preparations as a three-year-old having won a Pago Pago Stakes at two which saw him run in the Golden Slipper behind Fireburn. A throat issue was to blame. Thought he was excellent when winning at Warwick Farm first up.

Dangers: 7. Touristic has been given no respect whatsoever by the early market! The import found his form last preparation and did show up fresh over 1400m behind Semana, sizzling home into second. The barrier won't be quite as scary once the emergencies come out.

How to play it: Rise Of The Masses each way

Race 3 - 1.40PM BISLEY WORKWEAR REGINALD ALLEN QUALITY (1400 METRES)

4. Arctic Glamour couldn't have been any more impressive when winning her maiden at Rosehill a fortnight ago. Once Kerrin McEvoy angled the Frosted filly into the clear she let rip with a devastating turn of foot. She only levelled up to the leaders at the 200m mark yet won by a widening four lengths and did it eased down. She'll eat up 1400m off that.

Dangers: 11. Kind Words stumbled out of the gates at Newcastle first up, having been heavily backed in betting, and that proved costly at the finish. She made up late ground but the damage had been done. Loved her worth through the line, setting her up for 1400m second up. She ran second to Tropical Squall on debut back in June.

How to play it: Arctic Glamour to win

Race 4 - 2.15PM TOYOTA FORKLIFTS GLOAMING STAKES (1800 METRES)

3. Tom Kitten was beaten as an even money favourite in the Dulcify Stakes two weeks ago but had genuine excuses. The Godolphin-owned colt was flushed out a long way out, exposed for the run home. Yet he was still the strongest late. To the credit of the leaders, they set a good clip and kept on finding but liked the way Tom Kitten kept chipping away at the finish to be beaten less than a length.

Dangers: The barrier looks less scary for 2. Ganbare when you take out the five emergencies. Still, the 1800m start at Randwick is a short run to the first turn. That does make things tricky but there was no fluke about his Dulcify win. He parked in behind the speed, absorbed that pressure, and was still strong through the line.

How to play it: Tom Kitten win

Race 5 - 2.50PM THE KOSCIUSZKO (1200 METRES)

7. Opal Ridge looks to possess too much firepower for this field. It should be no surprise that Luke Pepper has pre-prepared her to tackle this $2m feature first up. The four-year-old is devastating fresh. We saw that first up last campaign where she, albeit aided by a clever ride, sprinted brilliantly to put a gap on the likes of Kote and Spacewalk.

Dangers: 1. Front Page is back to defend his title having fought off all challengers twelve months ago. He went quick up front but just kept on running. He is never easy to get past and his of his five starts since then, four have been in Group One races. He'll find any chinks in any 1000m or 1100m horses engaged here, and there are a few.

How to play it: Opal Ridge to win

Race 6 - 3.25PM FEEL NEW SYDNEY STAKES (1200 METRES)

2. Vilana has won his past three first up and is three from three at Randwick. That's an appealing scenario for this James Cummings-trained sprinter. Those three fresh wins, and all three wins at the track in fact, have all been on wet tracks. However, the son of Hallowed Crown has proven himself effective on all going. He beat In The Congo in The Hunter on a good track two preparations ago.

Dangers: There looks to be sufficient speed for the backmarkers to get their chance. Look out for 13. Bella Nipotina and 1. King Of Sparta late. Both have drawn to be a long way back turning for home. Bella Nipotina wouldn't have been out of place in The Everest.

How to play it: Vilana to win

Race 7 - 4.15PM THE TAB EVEREST (1200 METRES)

1. I Wish I Win is the best horse in the race, up until this point in their respective careers. His best wins this. However, although his career best performance was over the Randwick 1200m in the TJ Smith Stakes back in April, it was on a heavy track, rattling home from last in a fast run race. A very different scenario confronts the five-year-old on Saturday. Peter Moody elected to run I Wish I Win first up in the Memsie Stakes, where he loomed to win before peaking on his run behind Mr Brightside.

Danger: 2. Private Eye will be blending into the race with an uninterrupted run. Joe Pride is bullish about how well the six-year-old has returned after an indifferent autumn and love the approach of keeping Private Eye fresh. That's when he has been at his most explosive in the past. It takes a special talent to win 10 from 11 regardless of the grade. 3. Think About It faces his stiffest test yet on Saturday but he continues to find a way. It's become his trademark.

How to play it: I Wish I Win to win

Race 8 - 4.50PM SILVER EAGLE (1300 METRES)

3. Ruthless Dame was fast home in The Shorts first up behind a field of Everest runners. The race wasn't set up for backmarkers so forgive her beaten margin. Like the set up for her going up in trip second up and with a month between runs. She'll be sharp.

Dangers: 1. Pericles missed the Epsom with a minor setback. That's never an ideal scenario and there will be improvement given he was trained for a mile grand final, now finding himself six weeks between runs and back to 1300m. His rating already sees him comfortably gain a Golden Eagle start.

How to play it: Ruthless Dame to win

Race 9 - 5.35PM KING CHARLES III STAKES (1600 METRES)

1. Think It Over is back. The eight-year-old has been nursed back to full fitness by trainer Kerry Parker after the gelding suffered a tendon injury which saw him sidelined for a year. Being 69 weeks between runs he was always going to improve as he got into his spring campaign but third up Think It Over delivered, when chasing down Zaaki, showing his trademark determination to get the verdict on the line.

Dangers: 2. Mr Brightside is obviously the horse to beat. Not convinced he is entitled to be an even money favourite though. There's depth to this field. That said, Mr Brightside has won five straight now, laying claim to the best miler in the country. This race has been a target all spring too. 14. Fangirl was due a soft gate. She'll need luck angling into the clear at the right time but at least she won't have to circle the field as she has been forced to do most recently.

How to play it: Think It Over each way

Race 10 - 6.10PM JAMES SQUIRE ANGST STAKES (1600 METRES)

2. Thalassophile gets out quickly to the mile second up having resumed over 1200m two weeks ago. She was only getting warm through the line, as expected. That was with 59.5kg on her back against some sharp sprinting types including the winner Airman. The five-year-old was only 10 weeks between runs with two trials.

Dangers: It's a similar case for 10. More Secrets. She is the best placed horse here with her rating. She also comes through the strongest last start form race having run fifth in the Golden Pendant behind Espiona. She was beaten five lengths but went into that with just one soft trial under her belt.

How to play it: Thalassophile each way