Clark has been in Bridge's red with the green sleeves for wins at Wyong (twice) and Warwick Farm and the four-year-old has worked his way to Saturday company in the seventh race.

"It is a test whether he is up to this level but he gets the track he needs and the form around him is good," Clark said.

Richard The First was safely held when fifth on the Kensington track a fortnight ago.

"The winner [Medcaut] might be pretty smart and is favourite in another race on Saturday, and Centre Pivot [second] came out and won by five [lengths] on Wednesday.

"[Richard The First] is a nice horse but it is hard to get a line on him from the track because he is such a lazy worker. I think he gets his chance on Saturday, especially on the soft track."

Aspery on track watch

Scott Aspery might wait another week with in-form stayer Resurrect if the track does not improve to soft. Resurrect needs firm footing and surprised Aspery when he handled the shifty Kensington surface to make it three wins on end a fortnight ago. "I think he just got out to the new ground that hadn't been used and was able to get through it," Aspery said. "It was a very strong win but I wouldn't want to risk him on a wet track. There is another race that will suit him next week at Randwick and we can wait for that. If he does run on Saturday, he will be hard to beat because he has continued to hold his form." Aspery will have Estonian Princess in the Villiers Stakes at Randwick and has had a good run of city success. "When you are a small stable with a couple of horses going well it is great," he said. "She has done everything right since her second in the Festival [Stakes] and I think with a touch of luck she would have won that race."

Smith happy in heavy

There was one trainer who was happy to see Wednesday night's downpour, which took Rosehill into the heavy range. "I have two in the last race of day and they both need it soft, even heavy," trainer Matthew Smith said. "Zin Zan Eddie has had a couple of trials but he felt the hard track and his form shows he needs it wet. Queenian won on the heavy a couple of runs back, so unless it is wet, he isn't that much hope." There has been a fair nibble for Zin Zan Eddie at big odds with TAB.com.au, which has shortened him from $26 to $18.

Angland's fresh chance

Tye Angland is entitled to feel a little bit cheated at not having a group1 win to his credit this season but could have a Magic Millions hope in Voilier, which is on debut in the opener at Rosehill. Angland, who returned home in May after four years in Hong Kong, had a frustrating spring in Sydney where a hapless run from a wide gate almost certainly cost him a Golden Rose victory on Scissor Kick. He also finished a narrow runner-up in The Metropolitan on Opinion after the horse had its momentum stopped at a crucial stage. However, the Gary Nickson-trained Voilier could be on the way to give him a big success if he lives up to a Warwick Farm barrier trial, won by five lengths. Angland was taken by the youngster's professionalism as much as his trial performance. "He's a little natural," Angland said. "He wasn't hard-pushed but I gave him a bit of a squeeze just to see what he had there and he put them away very quickly and won very nice."

Cobalt case under way

Suspended trainer Darren Smith will front Racing NSW stewards in the cobalt inquiry on Friday morning. Smith was stood down after a stable raid on May 30. Stewards have certification of 15 race-day samples from 13 horses allegedly showing the presence of cobalt. There is no threshold for cobalt under the rules of thoroughbred racing in NSW, but stewards will proceed under another section of the rules.

Clipperton to appeal

Sam Clipperton has appealed against his four-meeting, careless-riding ban  incurred at Canterbury on Wednesday. He will get a stay of proceedings and be able to ride Monton in the Villiers Stakes at Randwick on December 13.