I'm looking to save the best for last at Rosehill, with Masked Crusader perfectly placed to break through for his first win of his preparation.
The smart gelding from the Hawkes camp looks set to atone for his unlucky run last time, where he was caught 4 deep throughout.
It was well documented that he would have fought out the finish if he hadn't been halted by a torrid trip.
Despite the troubling run, his effort was full of merit considering he finished 1 length third behind Listed winner Fituese.
The four-year-old gets here at peak fitness third-up from a spell and has a major jockey change, with James McDonald taking the reigns.
He stretches out to 1400m for the first time, which shouldn’t pose any problems given the gelding’s ability to close off his races in devastating fashion.
He gets his welcomed Good deck (4:2:0:1) and has drawn perfectly in barrier 2, ensuring a sweet run in behind the speed.
From the gate, he'll take up a forward position in running before unleashing his devastating turn of foot.
This looks a perfect race for Masked Crusader to stamp his authority and insert his name into the Golden Eagle picture.
It's grand final time for this stunning three-year-old colt.
He burst onto the three-year-old scene with two outstanding wins on a wet deck.
He then did all he needed to do last start in the Run to the Rose, where he dropped back in trip and ticked the dry track box.
The key to dissecting the form for this year's Golden Rose is accepting that it will be a completely different race to the Run to the Rose, where Farnan went out at break-neck speed.
A horse like North Pacific will be much better suited in this clash as he'll be able find his rhythm throughout, before exploding late.
His sectionals in the Run to the Rose were great, however he just got ran off his feet early.
He now goes to a distance he's been crying out for (1400m) and from barrier 6, J Mac will be able to settle in the back half of the field before working into the race at the top of the straight.
He's set to peak on Saturday and at the $6.00 he looks overs!
Michael is a life-long punter who enjoys the challenge of unearthing value buried within betting markets. The former golf pro knows a thing or two about performing under pressure.
