Form analysts Mitch Cohen and Shayne O’Cass debate all the key chances at Randwick on Boxing Day and also on Saturday.
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Shayno: Hello Mitchy. In honour of our former leader Ray Thomas, I will start by saying to you he’s said to me every Boxing Day since I’ve known him ‘I hope Santa was good to you’. Got to love RT.
Mitch: All I asked from Santa was a bucket load of winners over the next 12 months. I don’t think that’s too much to ask Shayno!
Shayno: I guess we should start with the biggest race in our parts this Festivus and that’s the Summer Cup. Pardon some self-indulgence but I humbly suggest that Aqua D’Amore’s win in the 2005 Summer Cup was something I will never forget given it was 2400m then and just 7 days after she won the Villiers. Who do you like in 2025?
Mitch: I am trusting the ATC Cup form so sticking with the winner from there, Major Beel. I know it was his first win for a while but there was a lot to like about that performance. He can overcome the awkward alley against pretty similar opposition.
Shayno: Me? I like last year’s winner Tavi Time who cops a fair bit of flak for a horse who has won 9 races! That run in the old Villiers, now The Ingham, had Summer Cup written all over it.
Mitch: If you are wondering, my best on Boxing Day comes up in the last and it’s Engine Room. He strikes me as a horse that is loaded with potential and I reckon this campaign we might see the best of him. The most recent trial was an eye-catcher.
Shayno: Can I just mention two of Tavi Time’s stablemates to keep an eye on, wherever they may race, namely Agraffe Rocket (Friday) and Lucia Valentino’s daughter Erin Jo. Wow what a debut by her.
Mitch: Punters will need to watch closely with racing at Randwick (twice), Newcastle (Friday) and Gosford (Sunday). Plenty of dual acceptors across the board.
Shayno: There are a couple of good longshots at Randwick on Saturday IMHO Mitchy. One is Ant who will relish the Randwick mile and Private Legacy who is a stakes winner at 2000m.
Mitch: Well, Ice Kool isn’t a longshot by any means but he’s the good thing of the day for mine on Saturday. His debut win at Warwick Farm was electric and I know David Pfieffer wants to get the promising gelding into the $3 million Gold Coast Magic Millions Sunlight. A win on Saturday will get him there.