2026 WJ McKell Cup Day Tips & Preview (Rosehill) | Saturday 27 June

She Swings finished second, beaten half a length here when resuming before a rare flat effort last time out. I’m happy to put a line through that most recent effort, and with only 53.5kgs in tow, she can fight out the finish again.

Having stripped fitter with a couple of fair efforts first and second up this time, Saintly Sands returned to winning form with a dominant performance in Class 1 company before repeating the dose in BM58 company at Scone last time out. She steps out this week in peak order, and while she will need some luck in the ride from a potentially sticky draw, she’ll relish a soft track.

Having returned to action with a competitive performance to fill the minors here at Rosehill, beaten only a length and a half by the likes of Couples Retreat and Confidentiality last month, Benevac progressed to an agonizingly close miss in another BM72 sprint here last time out. Fitter third-up, this is a great opportunity for him to go one better.

Tarzing is yet to turn in a poor performance in four appearances since debuting, winning two of three starts during his debut prep, while he returned to action earlier this month to fill the minors behind Surf’s Up over this route. Having won his only other second up assignment so far, he was also competitive on a soft track and has drawn ideally this week under the in-form Siena Grima.

Surf’s Up has continued to improve with each start since resuming, culminating in a strong effort to beat some classy opposition right here at this track and distance last time out. She clearly loves the Rosehill conditions; she steps out this week in peak order and has options in the run from the rails draw.

After dusting off the cobwebs with a decent performance to finish seventh, albeit only beaten a length at Randwick when resuming in April, King Pedro has since finished the runner up in races at Gosford and back here at Rosehill, finding form around some credible opposition. His latest run over the 2000m looked to be one of a horse crying out for further, he gets the mile and a half this time, and a substantial drop in the weights into this contest also enhances his claims.

All three of his performances have been full of merit this time in, and Hovland was rewarded for his consistency and improving form when kicking clear to win in BM72 company at Warwick Farm earlier this month. Having won multiple times on soft going, the 1800m looks ideal at this point of his preparation, and it looks a great opportunity for him to transition back into Saturday metro company.

While yet to strike in four runs back from a spell, Zaphod has undoubtedly improve for each of them, and after only just being denied in a Gosford Gold Cup two runs back, he again filled the minors behind the likes of Portland in the Lord Mayors Cup over this route last month. He’s been kept fresh, kept under virtually identical conditions and with even luck in the run, this looks his opportunity to strike.

Ready To Shine has been a model of consistency this time in and has finished worse than second just once in his last five trips to the races, winning a couple of midweek metro contests at Warwick Farm most notably. He was freshened before returning to only just miss in BM88 company at Canterbury earlier this month, and with natural improvement for that effort, I think he can turn in a cheeky performance in something like this at nice odds.

Mr Chaplin returned to action with a fine performance to win, and something like this looks a nice next point of call for him. While he mixed his form during his last prep in the UK, Mr Chaplin did manage to strike over a mile at Newmarket most notably, while his first run in Australia when hitting the line to win at Randwick earlier this month was obviously impressive. He strips fitter and can make it two on the bounce.