The Sydney Autumn Carnival may be officially closed but the group racing continues unabated in NSW with the running of the Stand-Alone Hawkesbury card on Saturday.
A feature over many years, this meeting has a habit of producing young horses on the rise, often heading to Brisbane for the Winter Carnival riches.
The G3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) gives the milers their chance on the day. Zeyrek ($6) has to be incredibly hard to beat off his flying Autumn if he runs.
Other horses with form lines of strong interest are Duke De Sessa ($3.50) out of the Doncaster, Floating Artist ($8) on the comeback trail and Yonkers ($11) in his right grade. A former winner over this course and distance at black type is Berdibek ($26) and he could be value.
We see the 3yos contesting the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) where Carbine Club Stakes winner The Fortune Teller ($4.50) holds plenty of focus. Russian Conquest ($6) and Razeta ($8) will make a big play for the fillies.
Fillies and Mares chase an important prize for them in the G3 Hawkesbury Crown (1300m). Former American mare Princess Grace ($6), Never Talk ($5) and Expat ($8) come out of the Sapphire Stakes and that could be the right form.
The Listed Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m) is the main sprint race on the program and brings some fast horses together such as Andermatt ($3), Athelric ($6) and Malkovich ($8) but they are not alone.
On top of other Benchmark races the Clarendon Stakes for the 2yos is race which can often toss up a good one so monitor that as well.