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Champion Sydney rider Nash Rawiller has picked up the plumb ride on Calming Influence at Rosehill this afternoon.

Rawiller now riding freelance after an amicable split with the Waterhouse stable is gaining more opportunities from Sydney’s premiership winning trainer Chris Waller who has snapped him up for the improving Calming Influence who tackles the benchmark 80 handicap over 1100m.

Not a surprising move when one considers Rawiller currently strikes at 30% with Waller from over 100 match ups.

A Commands three-year-old filly, Calming Influence has built an impressive career record of three wins from just seven race starts and she could not have been more impressive last time out winning over 1150m on the Randwick Kensington track in benchmark 73 class under 59kgs running to a new Timeform master rating.

That win was her second in four starts this campaign but she shows no sign of training off just yet.

A natural speedster, Calming Influence can either lead or take a sit behind the speed which should play to her strengths today as there looks to be plenty of early runners in the race.

Timeform adjusted ratings give the filly an edge over her rivals today but she certainly has more improvement to come from her last start.

The powerful Peter Snowden stable will be represented by the talented Omniscient who resumes from a spell.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel does not boast a strong career record having just one victory from 13 race starts but she has not had the best of luck either in some of her runs.

There is no doubt that Snowden would not be persevering with her unless she had the potential and at this time of the year she looks well placed in this type of event.

Omniscient has not raced for 140 days when narrowly beaten behind Lady La Douce at Rosehill in this class and distance last August.

Snowden has given the mare a quiet barrier trial at Rosehill 11 days ago and her record fresh up is excellent, her only win coming in that state and not missing a place in her other two attempts.

In an interesting gear change, Snowden has removed Hoof filler which would indicate her feet problems have been rectified during her spell.

Kerrin McEvoy rides from a low draw and she looks certain to get a lovely trail into the race.

The Gai Waterhouse stable will be represented by the lightly raced three-year-old filly Northern Glory also resuming from a spell.

Northern Glory showed considerable promise when last in work and has three career wins to her credit, two of which came at Randwick during June.

The filly has not been seen since finishing unplaced behind Eurozone in a very strong renewal of the Listed Rose Bud in August, a failure attributed to the quality of the field and the fact she was at the end of her campaign at that time.

However her two wins at Randwick in juvenile company in June were also in good form races against the likes of Everage and Repartee.

Waterhouse has ensured Northern Glory will be forward enough to race well by trialling her at Randwick a month back at Randwick over 1050m, a trial that she won in easy fashion.

In an interesting riding switch, Glyn Schofield will ride the filly for the first time. She is also drawn low and Schofield should be able to bide his time to produce the filly at the right time.

Leading rider Hugh Bowman who was atop Calming Influence in her last start win has taken the mount on Words And Weapons prepared by Sam Kavanagh.

The Dubawi mare will always be special to Kavanagh as she was his first winner since taking up training in Sydney but he will be looking to her to build on that this afternoon.

Words And Weapons has raced twice since a spell both those efforts sound enough to give her claims this afternoon and Kavanagh makes no secret of the fact he considers her highly.

Fresh up she was narrowly beaten by Field Marshall over 1000m against both sexes in benchmark 85 company at Randwick, bar plates coming off that day.

Then last time out she was not helped by a heavy track at Doomben in listed company over 1200m finishing sixth.

Although she drops in class, she will rise in weight to 57.5kgs but she is much better placed over the 1100m at Rosehill on firmer footing.

Bowman is sure to give the lightly raced every chance.

Last Saturday’s upset winner on the Randwick Kensington Holy Delusions deserves consideration.

The Tim Martin trained mare came from second last over 1150m to grab a last stride win in benchmark 78 company defeating the promising Maysoon.

That was her second win in as many runs as she also stormed home over 1100m at Canterbury at her start prior to win.

Apprentice Ichikawa will again take three kilos off her back and if the leaders are stopping she could loom as a knock out threat again.

A very competitive race awaits decision but Rawiller and Waller look the strongest play in the contest.