STROBE EDGE (1) is the horse to beat with the best draw and solid track-and-trip credentials. His last-start third behind Dea Athena looks less impressive due to a wide margin, but a previous fifth to Queen Kotchan showed competitiveness, plus he has a win at this distance. CINDERELLA HIME (6) remains winless from 21 starts, lowering confidence, but she placed fourth behind Lia Artesian last time and seems one of the better race-fit options in a weak field. PHANTOM GRACE (7) has an appealing recent peak from her second to Rinascita two starts ago, and while her last-start fourth was beaten, she kept going and has a solid 1500m record. STRIPE BLUE (4) is less reliable after two heavy defeats, but his top-rated profile over the past year and Taiga Kurihara's booking provide enough merit for exotics.