By Neil Evans
Track likely heavy 8 and rail true.
RACE 1 – 1.25PM: GOSFORD RSL CLUB MIDWAY CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1600m)
We start over the mile trip on a surface that will settle in heavy range with constant rain about. Consistent provincial four-year-old 3. Satness is very fit deep into his prep, and right at home on wet tracks. Won his maiden here four starts back, and has been in the money in three runs since, when settling a little further back.
Racing returns to Gosford on Thursday for an eight-race card.
Dangers: Lightly raced 1. Notabadsuspect was a dominant maiden winner five starts ago before finishing right behind the top selection in that class 1 at Hawkesbury a fortnight back. Keep safe 6. Uncaged from a soft draw, and with a stack of gear changes including blinkers coming off. Gap to the rest.
How to play it: Satness to win.
Odds and Evens: Odds.
RACE 2 – 2.05PM: THE AGENCY CENTRAL COAST CLASSIC MAIDEN PLATE (1900m)
Testing maiden assignment in these conditions. That said, lightly raced three-year-old 5. Domingo is the best placed and bred galloper in the race over the longer journey, and especially in this ground. Came from near last in heavy ground at Newcastle to be beaten under a length over the mile, and being by supreme wet track sire Contributor out of a Zabeel mare, he should lap this journey up carrying 1kg less and with blinkers being added. The one to beat.
Dangers: Progressive 7. Lehndorff sat closer at his second start and didn’t attack the line, but sure to be ridden quieter here with blinkers removed. Watch the betting on lightly raced 8. Ra Ra Grandpa who drops back from being way outclassed in three-year-old Saturday Flemington company. while 10. An Charraig can run home into the money stepping up in distance at her fourth start.
How to play it: Domingo to win.
Odds and Evens: Odds.
RACE 3 – 2.40PM: THE KWIK KOPY STAKES CONDITIONAL BENCHMARK 68 HANDICAP (1900m)
Bred to run this trip right out, metro mare 8. Essential Sky is the one to beat coming back in class fourth-up. Has found the line well from a long way back in consecutive BM72 Midway races, and looks well treated carrying only 55kg in this. Can park a little closer in the run as well, and is building a nice wet track record.
Dangers: Provincial four-year-old 3. Sky Ace tracked the speed before careering away for an easy win in the country 11 days back. Taking on some better ones here, but does get natural weight relief, and loves rain-affected ground. Metro mare 5. Twice On Sunday is hard fit and working towards another win, stepping up in distance at the right time. Include in wider exotics 2. Credit Crunch who charged home to win a class 3 in the country, 7. Vanbari down in weight fifth-up and 9. Mauricently who draws well and steps up from a fast-finishing country class 1 win.
How to play it: Essential Sky to win and first four 3,5,8/2,3,5,7,8,9/2,3,5,7,8,9/2,3,5,7,8,9.
Odds and Evens: Split.
RACE 4 – 3.20PM: CARPET ONE DERBY MAIDEN HANDICAP (1000m)
Wide and tough sprint here, with many either untested or unproven in heavy going. Despite a wide barrier, promising filly 6. Black Iris can go one better after hitting the line hard on debut at Hawkesbury when forced to travel four-wide with no cover the trip. Bred to relish heavy ground, and should be enough speed up front here allowing her to settle back and drive home late.
Dangers: Metro filly 8. Asteria disappointed first-up when heavily backed, but with that experience she can figure again. Big watch on 9. Ginger’s Gal resuming off two progressive trials, and was considered smart enough to make debut in group 3 company as a two-year-old in autumn. Stablemate filly 10. Kai Tak has won both lead-up trials ahead of her first run since autumn when she also debuted in the group 3 Kindergarten. Both 5. Shadow Vampire second-up, and resuming 12. Light Press, who has looked right at home in winning two trials on soft ground, can run into the placings.
How to play it: Black Iris to win.
Odds and Evens: Evens.
RACE 5 – 3.55PM: MASTERFOODS FLAVOUR UP CUP PROVINCIAL MAIDEN PLATE (1100m)
Plenty of chances in this sprint as well. Improving Snitzel colt 6. Dreambender is bred to thrive in heavy going, and comes out of that same provincial race as the previous top selection when only beaten a length getting home from midfield. Seemingly a case of the wetter the better.
Dangers: Big watch on resuming four-year-old 2. Edge Of Reward who won the second of two provincial trials, but a genuine query in heavy conditions. Included in exotics 5. Desi Emperor, who resumes with winkers added and bolted in the second of two trials, although unproven in the wet. 10. Sidenay returning behind two eye-catching trials, and bred to handle the conditions. Outreach filly 13. I Love Ruby is on debut behind a dominant soft-track trial win.
How to play it: Dreambender to win.
Odds and Evens: Evens.
RACE 6 – 4.35PM: WOOLWORTHS CENTRAL COAST GROUP MAIDEN HANDICAP (1200m)
Promising filly 11. Secaution rattled home from well back on debut at big odds in a metro maiden. Steps up 100m, which is ideal, and while she hasn’t seen a heavy rating is by Sebring who rarely produces one who doesn’t get through this ground.
Dangers: Improving colt 3. Magadan was no match for the fast-finishing winner at Kembla on debut, but astute stable has made a key gear change, and he did trial strongly in soft 7 ground prior. Watch the market on two well-bred debutants: Iffraaj filly 12. Anarya who has had two trials and So You Think filly 14. Street Gossip who has been afforded a stack of time at the trials and is bred to thrive in the wet. 7. Quinlan second-up and Tavistock colt 9. Tunguska on debut head the rest.
How to play it: Secaution to win.
Odds and Evens: Odds.
RACE 7 – 5.15PM: ETTALONG DIGGERS CLASSIC F&M BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1100m)
Very keen here on progressive metro filly 13. Diamond City was beaten narrowly first-up at Canberra after being heavily backed on a bog heavy 10. Gets natural weight relief stepping up in class, but she excelled as a two-year-old on heavy tracks through autumn in some handy form maidens.
Dangers: Home track mare 4. Abuela has early speed in the going, and is well over the odds coming back 200m in distance and from tougher grade, although shoots up sharply in weight. Capable mare 6. Euphrates Dream resumes off an eight-week break behind a tidy trial win, but a real query in the heavy. Keep safe honest mare 8. Flash Point second-up, while improving mare 5. I Am Brazen can run into the minor end of the money second-up.
How to play it: Diamond City to win.
Odds and Evens: Split.
RACE 8 – 5.50PM: FORM CONSTRUCTION CUP CG&E BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1100m)
A very testing boys’ edition to finish. Like the huge value on offer about 6. Da Nang Star coming back a little in distance third-up and five weeks between runs. Was swamped late behind a smart sprinter at Newcastle last time, but has since trialled well and will get through the ground drawn wider out.
Dangers: No doubting smart four-year-old 2. Way To The Stars is a big threat resuming behind two trial wins. Unbeaten from two starts fresh, and bolted in from the front at his only previous run here in January, and the wide gate might be a benefit if the inside gets horribly chopped up late. Keep safe tough and resuming local four-year-old 3. Deep Snow who also comes to hand early in a prep, and has shown up in two provincial trials. Include in exotic bets five-year-old 8. Tocomah, who has placed in four of his last five, and 14. London fourth-up after easily winning his maiden on heavy ground two starts back.
How to play it: Da Nang Star each-way and trifecta 2,3,6/2,3,6,8,14/2,3,6,8,14.
Odds and Evens: Evens.
BEST BETS:
Race 1: (3) Satness.
Race 7: (13) Diamond City.
BEST VALUE:
Race 5: (6) Dreambender.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au.
