Super Saturday at Randwick, comprising the Epsom Handicap, the Metropolitan and the Flight Stakes, used to be the biggest raceday of the Sydney spring.

Of course, the Everest is the only show in town these days as far as those north of the Murray are concerned, but we still have a deep card of racing on Saturday.

Epson Handicap
This year’s Epsom, despite being a capacity field for the first time in several years, is dominated by three talented four-year-olds who are all vying for favouritism at the top of the market.

D’Argento, Pierata and Unforgotten have all made their mark in different ways over the last 12 months, each of them an exciting prospect this season. In this race, they are only three chances under $13 at the time of writing.

D’Argento, the current favourite, has long been on the Epsom radar after taking out the Rosehill Guineas in the autumn, and following it up with a fast finishing fourth in the Doncaster. He resumed with a third to Winx first-up and then a second to Home of the Brave in the Theo Marks. He’s ready.

Unforgotten is the stablemate of D’Argento, one of eight Chris Waller representatives in the race. She also ran behind Winx first-up, and then followed it up with a spectacular win in the Chelmsford, bursting through after getting held up and making a decent field look second-rate. She’s a star on the rise.

Pierata is the third of the four year olds heavily in the market. He hasn’t been out of the quinella in his last eight starts, all of them in quality races, and he claimed the scalp of Kementari first-up in the Missile. Last time out he went down fighting after a wide run in the Bill Ritchie, and drops 3.5kg’s into this.

Siege of Quebec, another four year old, got the better of Pierata last start after enjoying a friendlier run, and they meet each other at the same weights. He doesn’t quite have the points on the board like his more fancied rivals, but is a nice horse all the same and some winning hope.

Champagne Cuddles is also in the key age group that appears to have a stranglehold on the race. Four times Group 1 placed as a three year old without winning one, the gloss has come off a little after being beaten favourite in Group 2 mares grade twice this prep. She’s rarely far away.

Looking at Waller’s less fancied runners as a collective – Shillelagh doesn’t seem overly well weighted for a mare but should improve if she can get drier ground. Single Gaze can surprise if we forgive her poor first-up run when she pulled up lame. Mister Sea Wolf is honest but up in the weights quickly, relatively speaking to some of these. Paret is the last horse in the field after a couple of scratchings, and will run well at odds.

Also with Waller, Religify will love the weight drop from the usual amount he’s asked to carry, but has never appealed as a Group 1 winner. Good old Tom Melbourne fronts up again, just asking to be ridiculed. He’s been Group 1 placed three times at 1600m in the last 12 months, and his fifth in the Doncaster was very good too. He ran second in a weaker edition of the Epsom last year.

Every other horse in the field is at attractive odds if you like them, with a case to be made for most.

Hartnell carries the number one saddlecloth and is weighted up to his best, which in truth we haven’t seen for a while, but he’s still capable. Arbeitsam was a bit weak in the Shannon Stakes last start but will try and get cheap sections in front to steal a march early in the straight.

Lanciato has one of the strongest finishes in the business, but is always trying to come from last. It was okay when he was working through the grades and stringing a few wins together, but he’s found it hard to do at his last few starts when taking on the best. Still, he’ll have admirers given he was only a length and a half of Pierata first-up and meets him 2kg’s better here.

New Tipperary won the Cameron Handicap last start, but it doesn’t seem the right form. Invictus Prince has gotten closer to Winx than any other horse this prep, and he drops 9kg’s on that run, which compares very favourably to the likes of D’Argento and Unforgotten. He can be conceded a hope on that.

Duca Valentinos and Red Excitement are veteran milers that have drawn awkwardly, and are hard to see as winning chances. Muraaqeb and Goodfella are third string four year olds at this stage of their career, coming out of benchmark grade to appear in this. Even sneaking a place is a big ask for them.

The pace will be genuine with a few natural leaders in the race, plus others that prefer racing handy. Wide barriers aren’t necessarily a bad thing at the Randwick mile, and most horses tend to get their chance. It promises to be a vintage edition of the Epsom.

Selections: 1.Unforgotten 2.D’Argento 3.Pierata 4.Tom Melbourne

The Metropolitan
Another capacity field awaits in the Metrop, with 18 runners and one emergency accepted, and the early betting suggests it’s a wide open affair.

The Kingston Town a fortnight ago is the key form reference, providing six runners including the favourite Brimham Rocks among other live chances.

Brimham Rocks has run into the white-hot Avilius twice this prep, going down by less than a length each time, and has been building to a win. The step up to 2400m after a couple of 2000m runs looks perfect for him, as does a drop in weight to carry only 50kg’s.

Big Duke put the writing on the wall behind Avilius and Brimham Rocks last start with a huge fifth. Libran is also ready to win after finishing seventh in the same race, but his third to Unforgotten in the Chelmsford sticks in the memory. They each meet Brimham Rocks at least 4.5kg’s worse for finishing behind him last start, which is the issue in a handicap like this.

Sedanzer, Patrick Erin, and Alward were also in the Kingston Town. Patrick Erin was the best of these, only a couple of lengths behind Brimham Rocks in second, and he also enjoys some weight relief.

Auvray and Just Shine filled the placings in the Newcastle Cup. Auvray has a lot of weight, which may find him out, but he’s earned it with consistent performances in good races. Just Shine is a lightly races six year old stayer that deserves a chance in this company.

Miss Admiration took out the Colin Stephen with authority last Saturday, franking what is shaping to be strong ATC Oaks form in the autumn, and she’s been backed all week to win this. It won’t be easy as a four year old mare to win again on a quick turnaround, but she’s got more than a touch of quality.

Sin to Win was third behind Miss Admiration there, after they’d both run well in the Heatherlie at Caulfield two starts back. He looks over the odds down on the limit, particularly if looking to back something the place.

High Bridge is the fresh horse on the scene for Chris Waller. He’s only had two starts in Australia, both this campaign, and he has won both. Admittedly they were only benchmark 70 and 74 races, but he carried big weights and was dominant each time. He’s hard to line up, but has drawn to get a cheap run and must be a player.

The Lord Mayor, also for Waller, has put together a couple of wins after box seating both times and is on the quick back up after winning at Rosehill last Saturday. He’s a player, and the four year olds are racing well this season.

Wall of Fire is the interesting runner, first-up since last year’s Melbourne Cup when he was counted among the main chances. He is a classy customer, doesn’t look badly weighted, and has certainly come up the highway to win.

Lloyd Williams knows how to win a Metropolitan, having done it twice in recent years, and is represented here by Midterm. His stayers must always be respected, and you leave them out at your peril. He’s the likely leader in a race that looks devoid of natural speed, so can pinch it.

It’s hard to make much of a case for the others. Sikandarabad is probably the best of them, he’s been running well in the handicaps down in Melbourne, with the form out of them standing up at the lesser level.

Selections: 1.Brimham Rocks 2.Midterm 3.High Bridge 4.Miss Admiration

Flight Stakes
The Flight Stakes is the third Group 1 feature on Super Saturday.

Miss Fabulass is the ruling favourite after her dazzling win in the Tea Rose Stakes last start. She easily beat eight of her 12 rivals in this race there, after being held up for a run in the straight. She’s the most regally bred filly in Australia, and it was a performance that lived up to it.

It’s hard to make much of a case for anything from the Tea Rose to turn to the tables on Miss Fabulass, unless that filly hits bad luck at an inopportune time.

Fiesta keeps running well, and surely will again. Pretty in Pink is looking for the 1600m as much as any in the field, and can pose a threat. Oohood is going okay, but others seem to have caught up to her. Maid of Heaven looks to have a future and isn’t the worst but will be giving them all a start.

Selections: 1.Miss Fabulass 2.Pretty in Pink 3.Fiesta 4.Maid of Heaven

Premiere Stakes
The Premiere Stakes isn’t one of the Group 1s on the Randwick card, but it will attract just as much interest as those other races, if not more. Of course, this race is held at the same track and distance as The Everest, and most of the small field already has slots in the race.

Redzel is the testing material as always, but missed a run with illness so has to prove he’s overcome it. Trapeze Artist won the TJ Smith here by two lengths in the autumn, in an awesome sprinting display. The drier the better for him after he lumped a huge weight to third in the Theo Marks.

Invincible Star looks value after her good second ridden a bit upside down in the Shorts. Shoals and Santa Anna Lane are on the second tier of Everest chances, and can prove themselves worthy here. In Her Time has moved to the flying Kris Lees stable, and is always a chance in everything she contests.

Selections: 1.Invincible Star 2.Redzel 3.In Her Time 4.Trapeze Artist

Hill Stakes
The Hill Stakes really does look a race of three chances, and it’s no surprise they are the horses that ran third, fourth and fifth behind Winx last start in the George Main. The market has assessed them in order of those finishing positions too.

Egg Tart sat at the back, and showed us her trademark turn of foot when in the clear. She gets better and better the further she gets out in trip, and any cut out of the track is certainly in her favour.

Ace High is a classy stayer, joining Egg Tart on the Caulfield Cup trail, and will also enjoy the step up to 2000m. He plugged away behind Winx, and Egg Tart did run by him, but the start before in the Chelmsford he was as eye-catching as she was in the George Main. He’s a little bit of value, but only on a good track. Anything worse than that swings the scales back to Chris Waller’s mare.

It’s Somewhat has made his name as more of a miler than 2000m horse since arriving in Australia four years ago, but he has been placed twice over this trip in Group 1 races, as well as picking up a couple of wins in lesser events. The problem is if he goes forward, Ace High will likely be stronger, and if he goes back he doesn’t have the sprint of Egg Tart.

Selections (good track): 1.Ace High 2.Egg Tart 3.It’s Somewhat 4.Luvaluva

Selections (soft track): 1.Egg Tart 2.It’s Somewhat 3.Ace High 4.One Foot In Heaven