This will be the second start that EMPIRE STAR has for John Moore and this time he has opted to book Joao Moreira, which is a positive. Empire Star was sound placing third behind Care Free Prince last time, with Picken finishing just ahead of him. Of course given Picken scored earlier this week this lends some credence to the strength of the form. Empire Star moves up to the mile and might be ready to shrug the maiden tag that he still holds after 20 starts. If the pace is strong (which is less likely following the scratching of Curling Luxury) then it might be worth giving FLASH FAMOUS another chance after he ran in to a dead end last time. SUNNY POWER comes through some races that have rated well, but with top weight it won’t be easy although he gets a drop in grade back to Class 4. ROMANTIC CHEF is another that appears to have plenty of upside, but he is resuming after a mid-season freshen-up. He is an on-pace runner that is better off with Curling Luxury not running but looks a tight price in early betting. All in all, it’s a tough race, but a small win outlay on Empire Star is where I’m leaning. Monitor prices as Flash Famous could be worth a small outlay also.