Shayne O'Cass' tips, race-by-race analysis for 2025 Civic Stakes Day at Royal Randwick
Form expert Shayne O'Cass analyses Saturday's 10-race card at Royal Randwick on Saturday, presenting his race-by-race tips and analysis.
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John Sargent has won his fair share of Midways and few of them were any more ready and able for their respective mission than HOOLIGAN TOMMY (6). The son of Ocean Park ran in Riff Rocket's ATC Derby in 2024, okay he ran last but just saying. As for more recent times, you wouldn't see a more dominant win than his at Kembla on May 31. Speaking of dominant wins, AIX EX PROVENCE (5) made very light work of his rivals with a very big weight at Newcastle.
Bet: Hooligan Tommy to win
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RACE 2: TAB Highway (C3) 1200m
EXIT FEE (3) has eight starts on his resume, six of them are in Highways and wow, what amazingly deep Highways they were. He won one but I prefer to applaud him on the ones he lost, running so well behind the likes of Clear Thinking, Lisztomania and his stablemate, Atmospheric Rock. SATIN STILETTO (2) has the race fitness and was beaten under a length in the Denise's Joy just before that fifth in a good Highway here on June 7.
Bet: Exit Fee to win, box trifecta 2, 3, 14, 16
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RACE 3: Quayclean (Bm72) 1300m
PRETTY POWERFUL (7) was born on Christmas Eve in 2021. That's as late as a foal gets in this country. How about this; he was the 10th foal of his dam, all ten are now winners, five of them are stakes winners. That's just incredible. Form is good, trials were good. AMUSING (11) improved every time last prep. Her third was behind Verona Rose at Kembla. Going to go 2000m when asked. SAKIMA (9) has black-type form. Win a deep trial too.
Bet: Pretty Powerful to win, exacta 7 to beat 11
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RACE 4: Elite Sand & Soil (Bm78) 1800m
If Nash Rawiller gives SEAFALL (2) the same ride as he did at Warwick Farm two starts ago, this will win by a hundred yards. She drew 1 that day, now compare and contrast that to her 13 of 13 here on May 31 in that race where Half Yours took off 800m out etc. Actual fact, Seafall wasn't that bad in the end. PIGGYBACK (5) is back and in good form. They may have finished in a clump in that 78 at Randwick on June 7 but it was a tidy assembly of fillies and mares.
Bet: Seafall to win
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LAST COMMAND (9) won the Paul Perry 2YO Handicap at start two of his career beating Just Party and Broadsiding (wow). He followed up with a distant sixth of 12 in the Baillieu behind Linebacker and co. In view of his talent, it might be wise to forgive that last run on what was a bottomless track here on May 24. Most impressive winning a trial on June 13. ENGINE ROOM (6) was back to his best self last start. Bred to be a 'Randwick Miler'. FIORSUM FRED (10) and HOPPER (11) have claims in an open race.
Bet: Last Command each-way
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SALT LAKE CITY (1) was a Listed winner over a mile at Killarney in Ireland before he came down here. He was $151 at his Australian debut in a 1500m Benchmark 100 and clocked in 28 lengths last. Talk about 'being improved for the run', the son of Galileo was a Black Booker out of the Loch Eagle race here on June 7. HOLLYWOOD HERO (2) was sixth in the same race. Has been racing well, should do again.
Bet: Salt Lake City each-way
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RACE 7: Asahi Super Dry (Bm78) 1000m
NOBLE SOLDIER (12) can celebrate his 50th start on the weekend with what would be a ninth career win. He is true to his name; that is, he's an old warhorse who generally runs the same style of race no matter what level he is at. His first-up numbers are very good indeed, one would suspect he gets this run to suit. This is not beyond him. That said, he takes on some really fit and in-form horses right at the top here but he gets weight off all three of them (racebook order).
Bet: Noble Soldier each-way, quinella 3, 12
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The headline writes itself here with Braith Nock on I T'S A KNOCKOUT (11). As for the horse, Dean Watt bought her for $150,000 at the Gold Coast. She's won $227,675 in seven starts and has considerable value as a broodmare being a stakes-placed Dundeel. Excels here, excels fresh. No wonder KING RATEL (7) has raced here in seven of his 19 starts and no wonder two of his three wins are here. When you get as far back but finish as fast as he does, it is just the perfect venue. CAPTAIN AMELIA (9) is running so much better than her '096'.
Bet: It's A Knockout each-way, Daily Double 1st Leg 11, 2nd Leg 10
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Going back a while now but having been on WELWAL (2) in the Golden Eagle in 2022, I will always maintain he should have gone home with a medal. Welwal has been with Mick Price and Michael Kent for his last four runs; of course he won the Kevin Heffernan in Melbourne while the last two have been in Sydney. They were 'very good' and 'good' in my book anyway. Poor WILLAIDOW (3) has drawn 10 of 12, 8 of 11, 11 of 16 and now 21 of 22 (minus the scratchings) but even so, it does make it harder than it could have been for an otherwise peerlessly honest racehorse.
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Wouldn't be the least bit surprised if James Cummings trains the trifecta or even the First 4. There really isn't much at all between his awesome foursome but just for purposes of not being able to tip a triple dead-heat, I went RAZORS (10) over CONTEMPORARY (1) and PEREILLE (3). The other one is KERGUELEN (19). As for Razors, pardon the easy pun, but he looked sharp in his recent trials and we know he has the 'stamina' to go with it having finished a brave, narrow on-pace second in last year's Queensland Guineas.
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