By Neil Evans
Selections based on a good track
Race 1 MAIDEN PLATE (1720m)
Middle distance affair for the maidens to get us under way on a surface drying out all the time. A little drop in grade over a significantly longer journey augurs well for progressive Gold Coast three-year-old 10. Singer Sargent. Has attacked the line late in two Qld runs to announce his career, and settling back from the wider draw, he can unleash on a suitably bigger track.
Dangers: 6. Mirror One has been up for a long time. Steps out now to a much longer trip and has been placed in seven of 12 starts. Honest 2. Consensio prefers dry ground, and improving 8. Shadow Project can fight out the minor money.
How to play it: Singer Sargent to win; Odds and Evens: Evens
NSW’s feature meeting on Friday is at Grafton.Credit:Jenny Evans
Race 2 OPEN HCP (1420m)
Capable six-year-old 1. Aheadofhistime is suited getting back over more ground here after not having a lot of luck finishing from well back in the Jacaranda Cup 16 days ago. Not badly treated after the rider’s claim and had finished well in some stronger form races earlier in the prep.
Dangers: Last-start Gold Coast winner 2. Lasting Kiss is a clear threat from a good trailing draw. Big market watch on 5. Pepper’s Ghost second up after charging home late in metropolitan company. First run for the new Ballina stable since switching from Victoria. Placed in his last three, 3. See It Thru draws to get a charmed run just behind the speed. Improving 7. Kingstar Bullet is over the odds second up from a nice cover draw.
How to play it: Aheadofhistime each way and trifecta 1,2,5/1,2,3,5,7/1,2,3,5,7; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 3 MAIDEN HCP (1115m)
Confident Exosphere filly 9. Lady Wardell can hit the ground running returning for only her second start. Failed on debut here back in early July, but immediately given more time. Liked her recent trial on firm ground, and she gets those conditions this time to show her potential in what is a weak maiden.
Dangers: Improving mare 4. Ausbred Yahoo hit the line well first up over an unsuitably much shorter dash. Honest mare 10. Not Taking It has been up for a long time but draws to get a soft run. Include 1. Tyrol resuming in blinkers; 2. Seaczar third up; and 5. The Hulkbuster down in weight second up.
How to play it: Lady Wardell to win; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 4 MAIDEN HCP (1115m)
Very tricky sprint. Locally trained mare 5. Miss Daurian can finally break through fifth up behind a sharp drop in weight. Was collared after leading here last time but facing a little less depth this time.
Dangers: Home track five-year-old 1. Noble Mission has beaten all but the winner in two runs back from a long lay-off ridden on speed or from midfield. Bursting to break through third up but still threatens to jump under the odds given he concedes 4kg to the top selection. 6. Allay resumes for a strong country yard without any official trials. Another one resuming without publicly trialling, 9. Khumbu is the best of the rest.
How to play it: Miss Daurian to win; Odds and Evens: Odds
Race 5 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (2200m)
Plenty of chances in this modest battle for the restricted stayers. No reason why improving four-year-old 2. Gulf Of Tomini can’t make it two straight wins a month between runs. Appreciated finally starting on firm footing when surging home to beat a similar field here last time and has been kept up to the mark with a quiet recent trial.
Dangers: Lucas Cranach five-year-old 3. Lucamour won a weak BM 65 over the border nine days ago, although poorly weighted carrying 6kg more here. Honest mare 6. Electric Miss has more to offer than her winning strike rate from 39 starts says and should find a handy trail just off the speed. Hard to believe 9. The Houseman has won only once from 29 attempts, but he’s shown steady improvement right through this prep and gets down to his lightest weight since mid-September. At double figure odds, 4. Feudalist won a low-grade race two starts ago, and is the best of the rest.
How to play it: Gulf Of Tomini to win; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 6 MAIDEN PLATE (1420m)
One of the more wider and tougher races on the card. Given most are still early in their first prep, the betting should have a big say. Bull Point filly 13. Pointillism almost got under the market’s guard on debut, rattling home at big odds to finish less than a length from the winner. Steps out in distance carrying 1kg less from the same wider barrier and importantly with blinkers being added, are all ingredients for a winning recipe.
Dangers: Drawn even further out, progressive Vancouver filly 14. Vandaceous will also look to settle back and finish hard after hitting the line second up. 12. Light Of Dubai gets a stack of gear adjustments third up including the addition of blinkers and pacifiers. 5. Shores Of Gold can improve at third start with blinkers going on. 6. Little Jill is placed in her last two. 9. Steal The Fields gets blinkers for the first time.
How to play it: Pointillism to win; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 7 CLASS 3 HCP (1420m)
Any number of chances lining up in this one. Like the value about Dissident mare 8. Squeeze Dis. Has won two of her last three in Qld by settling back and charging over the top. This is a bit tougher, but she draws to get ideal cover one off the fence around midfield and produce a superior closing sprint. Two of her three career wins have come on firm ground.
Dangers: Progressive mare 5. Byron Eyes is drawn to make it three straight on her preferred firm surface. Underrated 3. Scorpius can figure second up over further and back on top of the ground after working home well fresh. Tough five-year-old 6. Four Egos rarely runs a bad one, digging in hard to win a CL2 here two starts ago. More depth and quality in this, but he does get handy weight relief. Include in exotics 1. Look A’like and 10. Sophia’s Lass. Both gunning for a third straight win but rise sharply in class from tricky draws.
How to play it: Squeeze Dis each way and first four 3,5,8/1,3,5,6,8,10/1,3,5,6,8,10/1,3,5,6,8,10; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 8 CLASS 1 HCP (1215m)
From an ideal draw tracking the speed, emerging filly 10. Maroon Magic can repeat the dose after scoring on debut here as a short-priced favourite 16 days ago.
Dangers: Still they strive for that long-awaited second career win with tough mare 13. Continuum ahead of her 40th start. She has played the bridesmaid in six of her last seven runs stretching back to early September and has 17 career placings. Draws to roll forward again and park right behind the speed. 1. Bow second up after finishing well fresh when blowing the start. 2. Quatum draws wide but has a very handy record at the track and can run into a place.
How to play it: Maroon Magic to win; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 9 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1720m)
Sets up OK for hard fit six-year-old 3. I Shot The Sheriff to make it two straight. Had been mixing his form on mainly rain-affected ground for most of the prep before sweeping home on firmer footing to win a similar graded race 11 days ago. Ready for the extra journey.
Dangers: 1. Full Press has a good record at the track and draws to find a decent trail off the speed. 10. Seething Seb draws to get a cosy run inside, although up in quality after consecutive wins in weaker grade. 6. Shotgun Bobby second up and 11. Polished deep into his prep head the rest.
How to play it: I Shot The Sheriff to win; Odds and Evens: Odds
BEST BETS: Race 3 (9) LADY WARDELL; Race 8 (10) MAROON MAGIC
BEST VALUE: Race 2 (1) AHEADOFHISTIME
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter
