Saturday Blackbookers & Horses To Follow from February 3

Race 3 - Bifrost (third): This grey is bursting to win a race going off two unlucky runs to open the prep, with Bifrost unsuited by the pattern of the day first-up when back and wide at Flemington.

After being eased back from a wide alley and ridden for luck, not much has gone his way second-up, with the five-year-old held-up for clear running from the 300m until the 100m.

Despite never being in winning contention, he was strong late in the piece and with the carnival about to heat up, he's perhaps one we catch back at the midweeks/Friday night next start.

Race 5 - Rumbled Again (fourth): Another galloper who was back and held up at key stages on Saturday was Rumbled Again, who couldn't get clear from the 300m until the 150m.

The encouraging is that she took a eventually took a tight gap and given the mare was only fourth-up here, with a big freshen-up after the second-up run, there's still improvement to come.

When Rumbled Again finds winning form, she holds it and it's worth noting that all career victories have come deep into a campaign, which is another tick going forward.

Race 10 - Jimmysstar (first): While he looked the good thing of the card as a progressive galloper who is quickly going through the grades, he still needed to win a race of some substance.

Jimmysstar took out a very average affair at Cranbourne before a spell and he's won this 1400m BM84 with ease, with the ex-Kiwi recording strong closing splits in the process.

The Ciaron Maher-trained four-year-old won't have any trouble running out a mile and with the middle-distance weight-for-age stocks being as thin as they are, he'll be winning handy races this year.

Race 1 - Pharoah's Reign: While she had saluted over this trip before, four of her five career wins have come in the 1750m to 2100m range and on stable debut for Gregory McFarlane, this was definitely a pass mark fresh.

Treize (runner-up) is a progressive four-year-old and Pharoah's Reign stuck on well behind that rival, while she put more than a length on Dimaggio, who is generally competitive in this company.

Now being Midway eligible opens up more doors for the five-year-old, who beat a smart Lekvarte second-up last prep and off this return, there's a wins in her this campaign over ground.

Race 8 - Saltcoats (second): While he loomed and travelled as the winner for much of this contest, a hard-fit leader can be hard to catch at Rosehill, especially when the rail is out and Saltcoats was giving 2.5kg to Infatuation (winner).

That filly is no slouch, having been stakes placed second-up this prep before an unlucky Magic Millions tilt, although there's more upside with this gelding, who was a stakes winner in New Zealand before joining Chris Waller.

There's a 1400m BM78 at Randwick on February 17 that looks ideal for Saltcoats second-up. who had trialled well and the market support here was another positive.

Race 10 - Stefi Magnetica (third): This Bjorn Baker-trained filly has had no luck in two metro tilts following a return victory at Orange, however, she's been terrific in those appearances.

After being on the wrong side of the Flemington straight second-up, Stefi Magnetica was badly checked at the 200m here and she appeared to be bolting prior to that.

Given she had to recover and balance up again after momentum was lost at a key stage, it was an enormous effort from the three-year-old and she has plenty of options going forward given her low rating.