Saleen Ace is the classiest dog in this race by a considerable margin. He won his A2 last time out in impressive style, leading from bend three in 28.25, and placed in the race before with a near-miss second. His average performance of 81 puts him head and shoulders above this A1 field, and he boasts a remarkable 100 rating from an S2 win earlier in the year. He's a powerful closer at 33.5kg with open race experience and superb track suitability at 60 — one of the highest in the race. His trainer Samuels has a solid 24% strike rate. The only concern is trap 6, which is slightly below average at 18.8% at A1 level, but his quality advantage is so significant that the structural headwind is easily overcome. This is a dog who has won at OR level returning from a trial and immediately won at A2 — stepping up to A1 should be well within his compass.