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Early Mail for Sydney Cup day at Randwick.

RANDWICK SATURDAY

RACE 1 - (1) TOYDINI: Definitely the rising star among the Sydney three-year-olds. I have been really taken by his physical development since he was gelded after things went awry in the spring and that improvement has been plainly obvious in the way he has disposed of his rivals with a sharp turn of foot at his last two starts in the G2 Phar Lap Stakes and G3 Carbine Club Stakes. He should take the step up to 2000m in the G2 Frank packer Plate in his stride and looks well placed to make it three straight dropping 2kg on his latest win over 1600m at this course when he scored by almost four lengths.

RACE 3 – (3) SKYERUSH: She may be a 7YO but this top shelf mare has never been in better form winning two of her three starts this autumn against strong open company fields under big handicaps. She gave weight and a beating to wfa winner Alma's Fury at her last start when carrying 58kg to win the G3 Doncaster Prelude and now this 10-time winner finds herself back against her own sex over the same course and distance with 1.5kg less under the favourable set weights conditions of the G2 Emancipation Stakes. A great opportunity for her to edge closer to $1 million prizemoney.

RACE 5 – (5) MALUCKYDAY: His second in the 2010 Melbourne Cup may a fading memory but all the signs point to him being ready to end a two-year absence from the winning list in the Sydney Cup. He's had a perfect wfa preparation carrying 59kg in four lead-up races from 1400m up to 2400m and each time it's been hard to miss the way he has worked to the line in the last 200m after letting most of the field get away from him, especially his last two efforts in the Ranvet Stakes and BMW on tracks that weren't ideal. He now drops to 56.5kg in an average Cup field lacking depth, gets a favourable good surface and I'm sure the astute Hawkes stable has him where they want him after topping him off with a soft third in a 1200m barrier trial at Randwick last Friday.