By Neil Evans
Track soft 7 and rail true.
RACE 1 – 1.05PM: TAB.COM.AU MAIDEN HANDICAP (1200m)
We start with an open maiden sprint on a track that should improve further into soft range. Local mare 11. Miss Chapeau is well placed third-up on a sound trailing map. Found the line well here a fortnight ago, and continues to sneak further down in the weights. The more the track dries out the better served she is.
Racing heads to the country music capital to kick off the working week.Credit:Alamy
Dangers: Off a smart finishing debut run at Scone, progressive filly 5. Athena Nyx is a serious threat from a soft draw, and over a further 300m. Keep safe as well 10. Hot Wok third-up with blinkers added, while watching the betting on both home-track four-year-old 1. Civil War second up and a month between runs, and lightly raced 2. Holly Road resuming with the blinkers off.
How to play it: Miss Chapeau to win.
Odds and Evens: Odds.
RACE 2 – 1.45PM: DUTTON ELECTRICAL MAIDEN HANDICAP (1200m)
Same set-up, but even more open. Like provincial three-year-old 9. Red Cobra second-up and drawn to get cover back in the field. Was placed in all three runs last prep before charging home from a mile back first-up at Muswellbrook when heavily supported into odds-on favouritism. Deeper challenge here, but can settle a bit closer and the extra 200m is a natural bonus for one who is bred to get to the mile and beyond.
Dangers: Big watch on metro-based 2. Fenton who is ultra honest. Hasn’t publicly trialled, but drawn OK and the top country jockey keeps the mount. Progressive 3. Canny Prospect is also right in the mix stepping up 200m further third-up after narrowly missing here two weeks back. Expecting a better run second-up on the improved surface from 8. Rockbarton Pat, while Smart Missile three-year-old 10. Smart Shot is on debut from a low draw behind two trials.
How to play it: Red Cobra to win and box exacta 2,3,9.
Odds and Evens: Split.
RACE 3 – 2.20PM: FURNEYS STOCKFEEDS COUNTRY BOOSTED BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP (1600m)
Up we go to the mile, and that’s the right distance recipe for tough mare 2. Kadashi dropping back from a tougher Highway class over 1800m where she faded late. Asked to carry 61kg, but much better placed on the smaller track where she won over this trip two starts ago, and one of the state’s best riders takes over.
Dangers: Consistent 8. Intercept is drawn to be in the finish from just off the speed, and will also appreciate a drying surface. Improving 10. The Dark Knight is over the odds third-up, so too home-tracker 9. Kanalaide who can mix his form, but has trialled well enough 22 days between runs. Include lightly raced 7. Rain’s Gift in wider exotic bets.
How to play it: Kadashi to win.
Odds and Evens: Evens.
RACE 4 – 2.55PM: TAMWORTH CITY TOYOTA OPEN HANDICAP (1000m)
Always very competitive short course sprints here at this level. Hard to go past local seven-year-old 4. Appalachian, who stalked the speed third-up before motoring over the top in heavy ground in the BM83 Armidale Town Plate run here. Drawn to park in a similar position, and with a 33-per-cent winning strike rate from only 18 starts, he’s proven to perform in any conditions.
Dangers: Smart 3. Primal Scream stuck on bravely in a strong BM84 Rush sprint here a fortnight ago, and that form is bound to be strong, although trickier draw this time. Drawn further out, 5. Bullinachinashop also rarely runs a bad one, doing her best work late at Wyong just 10 days ago after consecutive wins up to BM68 grade. Must keep safe big finisher 2. Toro Toro who comes back from metropolitan company third-up, and capable of charging over the top if they go too quick up front, while 1. Bugalugs, with blinkers back on third-up, and 6. Ezekeil second-up, both go in trifecta and first-four plays.
How to play it: Appalachian to win.
Odds and Evens: Split.
RACE 5 – 3.35PM: CARPET ONE TAMWORTH COUNTRY BOOSTED MAIDEN PLATE (1000m)
Still over the five furlong dash for the maidens, and any number of chances. Leaning to promising and returning mare 8. Soosie Boog who hasn’t started since a fair one-off debut run in late October, but tuned up with two trials, bolting in the latest by more than six lengths. Stable has given her plenty of time and made some key gear changes, and she’s bred to relish rain-affected ground being by Sooboog out of a Dane Shadow mare. Scratched from Dubbo on Sunday to be saved for this.
Dangers: Big market watch too on debutant three-year-old 10. Jacenza by Shooting To Win who has also trialled impressively, and was also preferred here to Dubbo. Improving 7. Deep Return has a task finding cover from the wide draw, but she was solid on debut 20 days ago. Included in exotics stablemate to the top selection 14. Shamalie resuming in blinkers behind a dominant trial win and 12. Fiery Panz fifth-up.
How to play it: Soosie Boog to win and trifecta 8,10/7,8,10,12,14/7,8,10,12,14.
Odds and Evens: Evens.
RACE 6 – 4.10PM: CONCRETE INDUSTRY SUPPLIES BENCHMARK 66 HANDICAP (2100m)
Now that talented home-track seven-year-old 4. Torowoto has finally broken back into the winner’s circle, he can repeat the dose going up in trip. Came off a 26-day break after transferring down from Queensland, and couldn’t have been more impressive in a class 2 here, exploding home by more than four lengths from behind the speed. Again drawn to get a cosy run in behind, and he has the best final 600m finishing split in the race.
Dangers: Warwick Farm mare 2. Rathvilly Miss draws to get a nice run, and has been in and around the money in deeper races for much of this prep. Include in exotics 5. Oakfield Pinto who is hard fit, and 8. Fiorzana who shoots for three straight wins stepping up in grade.
How to play it: Torowoto to win.
Odds and Evens: Evens.
RACE 7 – 4.45PM: SHAY BRENNAN CONSTRUCTIONS CLASS 2 HANDICAP (1200m)
Another strong and open contest for this grade, and while she’s not the easiest to catch, this shapes nicely for hard fit provincial mare 9. Rockbarton Ruby on her preferred soft surface, and well in at the weights.
Dangers: Must respect emerging provincial filly 12. Memoria who was dominant here from off-speed on debut before nearly matching it with a tough sprinter at Muswellbrook. Up in distance staying on the limit weight. Watch the betting on home-track four-year-old 2. Dimension, who has trialled 22 days after a fair second-up run, and a more aggressive and experienced rider goes on. Local mare 7. Briefly finished best to win a handy class 1 here before chasing home a very promising sprinter two weeks ago.
How to play it: Rockbarton Ruby to win.
Odds and Evens: Split.
RACE 8 – 5.20PM: CANNON COHEN + ASSOCIATES CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1000m)
Good deep sprint for this grade to finish. From the draw, and given 25 days since a gallant second placing at the provincials, promising three-year-old 7. A Guinea is the one to beat. Has versatile and tactical speed, can park right behind the lead here and produce a telling burst at the 300m. Another one bypassing the Dubbo meeting to run here.
Dangers: Big market watch on resuming and lightly raced 1. Super Extreme who has trialled well, and bolted in on debut in early March. Improving mare 6. Totally Discreet can work into the finish fourth-up, while 3. In The Blink first-up behind two quiet trials, and 5. Mystery Lad resuming for a new local stable off a 12-month spell, head the rest.
How to play it: A Guinea to win.
Odds and Evens: Odds.
BEST BETS
R2 9. RED COBRA
R4 4. APPALACHIAN
BEST VALUE
R7 7. ROCKBARTON RUBY
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au.
