It's Super Saturday at Flemington and the card doesn't disappoint with the Newmarket in particular an terrific contest both on and off the track.
The Oakleigh Plate was high pressure throughout while the Lightning was muddling through the middle stages. Encryption's place in the Oakleigh Plate looks a bit of a clue to their respective strengths with him solid but well held in the Coolmore against the top three-year-olds back in the spring.
Osborne Bulls was the flashing light Newmarket trial in the Lightning but Graff was another disadvantaged by the way that race was run and we are tipping that he will improve sharply off that. His Golden Rose run in the spring saw him well supported in the Everest - where things didn't pan out on bottomless ground - and we think had he made it to the Coolmore with that form he would have taken a power of beating.
He appeals at good each way odds in a race where the betting should be fierce with good horses and angles galore.
So Graff can be our each way play and we will stick with the theme of three-year-olds down the straight course for our best.
Sunset Watch steps out first up in race four, a listed contest over 1100m, and he looks a good chance of getting complete control of things from the front in a race where there is little pace on paper.
He is drawn to push forward to the tip of the arrowhead up the middle - and get a much softer time of things than he did when chasing Charge in a high-pressure race around the Valley on Cox Plate Day when last seen. Bleue Roche was really good behind him there and her straight track form is fantastic, so she's a credible danger, but he looks a little bit more unknown than her. And that appeals.
With plenty of these also first up, and several likely to be aiming at races over a bit further in the coming weeks, he can catch a few on the hop.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Bet Of The Day: Race 4 #2 Sunset Watch @ $4.60
Each Way Play: Race 6 #20 Graff @ $10.00
