Looking for value should be the chosen game plan in what is shaping as a tough day at Rosehill tomorrow.
Saturday’s meeting at Rosehill will be conducted on a genuine heavy track with the rating currently a heavy 9 with further rain forecast over the next 48 hours.
Only a couple of races feature genuine favourites with the majority shaping as wide open contests where a few runners are vying for favouritism all around each way odds.
The Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) is one of these examples where the favourite is currently Mr Cha Cha.
Mr Cha Cha while not a world beater is a very workmanlike sort of customer who has a win and two seconds from his three career outings.
He has shown improvement with each run this campaign and actually possesses the highest master Timeform rating of this field at 109.
The colt’s latest effort in the Black Opal Stakes (1200m) returned this figure when second, only collared late by the Gerald Ryan-trained Lucky Raquie.
Form out of the Black Opal so far has been most encouraging.
Winner Lucky Racquie was solid last Saturday in the Reisling Stakes (1200m) while the fifth placed Ghibellines won the Todman Stakes (1200m) on the same day.
The next day, I Am Snippety dashed to a 6.5 length win in the $100,000 Wellington Boot (1100m).
That form line has well and truly been validated over the past week and Mr Cha Cha can frank it further.
Expect the Gai Waterhouse-trained colt to settle in the first two and simply tough it out right to the post.
He is only one of two juveniles in this field to have raced on rain affected ground and the only one who has posted a result when second behind his former stablemate Fighting Sun.
Again, Mr Cha Cha’s form looks solid through that Canonbury Stakes (1100m) outing with Fighting Sun a Golden Slipper favourite before his retirement and the fourth placed Bachman since winning at Warwick Farm.
Near each way odds about this colt appear generous and for those brave people wagering at Rosehill tomorrow, Mr Cha Cha shapes as one of the better bets on the program.
Chris Waller saddles up four runners in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
Red Tracer is the favourite in the event followed by last start Chipping Norton Stakes winner Boban.
On the third line of betting is Sacred Falls who shapes as a genuine each way player in the event.
Sacred Falls resumed in most encouraging fashion when fourth in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
The entire will strip fitter for the run and be suited by the distance rise on offer here.
He possesses solid second up credentials and is unbeaten on rain affected ground from three starts.
One of these was a last to first victory in the 2013 Doncaster Mile over Pierro.
Arguably on the worst part of the track he stuck his head through along the rail for a three quarter length success.
Sacred Falls’ form through the spring was solid without winning and looks well placed in his final run prior to another Doncaster Mile tilt.
The now Hong Kong-based Zac Purton has returned to ride at a Sydney meeting for the first time in five years and signs appear promising for Sacred Falls in Saturday’s Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
It will be interesting to see on Saturday morning what extent the nine race program is decimated by scratchings.
The conditions tomorrow will be testing and one favourite who is a big query on wet tracks at this stage is the David Payne-trained Lilliburlero.
Lilliburlero has performed very well in both starts this campaign, winning the Triscay Stakes (1200m) on resuming before a gallant second behind A Time For Julia in the Roy Higgins Tribute (1200m).
She deserves to be favourite on latest form however a number of her rivals possess considerably stronger wet track credentials.
The Roy Higgins Quality is the main form taken into this event with seven runners coming out of that event.
Noticeable is the weight swing against Lilliburlero with each of the six mares she faces here after the Roy Higgins Tribute meeting her on better terms.
Lilliburlero has raced on slow ground twice and has been safely accounted for on both occasions.
Currently a $3.20 favourite, Lilliburlero is the Lay Of The Day at Rosehill.
Sydney Specials
Banker: R2, #1 Mr Cha Cha @ $4.40
Play Of The Day: R7, #4 Sacred Falls @ $8.50Lay Of The Day: R3, #1 Lilliburlero @ $3.20
