Terribly hard way to round out the day and WHITSON (3) might be the safest way to play given he's the only runner in the race with regular top-three finishes to his name in recent starts. Two of them came at his past two starts and while they were both on the synthetic at Ballarat, he was nosed out when second on turf at Swan Hill four back. LA MER BLEUE (6) did little at his first two runs back but his past three have been improved efforts and he strikes the race to turn in the best performance of the prep to date. TRUSTTHESHERIFF (8) generally improves as she gets into the preparation, so he looks a player third-up off two adequate efforts at his first two runs back. MISS THATCHER (12) is also third-up and has done enough at her first two runs back to suggest she's a player here. ZUETORO (2) will be better for the first run for the new camp and might appreciate getting back onto the turf.