By Nick Berney
Selections based on a soft track with rain forecast. Monitor for bias/pattern.
RACE 1 – 1.25PM: MERCURE KOOINDAH WATERS CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE (2100 METRES)
Hard to go past 4. Uncle Harry, who drops significantly in grade and is on an upwards ratings spiral this campaign. The three-year-old got too far back last start in the group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle, but to his credit he made up significant ground and built through his gears well late. He must jump sharply in trip for this event, but all key indicators suggest he should handle it. In addition, Jason Collett rides for the first time and maps to have all favours.
Racing heads back to the Central Coast on Wednesday.
Dangers: 8. Laskarina led at a moderate pace last start at Kembla and tried hard in defeat to run second. Further, he excels at this distance range on rain-affected ground. 2. Rapid Impact, who is a last-start winner, maintained a strong finishing speed to score at Gosford 15 days ago. The five-year- old is in career-best form and racing well. 5. Lunar Rising comes through the same race as Rapid Impact and was just outsprinted last start in the farcical tempo. Expect him to improve here third-up.
How to play it: Uncle Harry to win.
RACE 2 – 2PM: STOP ABUSE AT THE START MIDWAY CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1600m)
Expecting 8. Bob to improve sharply here, getting onto his preferred surface where he goes to a new level. The gelding has been racing well this campaign, and he hit the line hard five days ago at Muswellbrook to run second. He is on the quick backup, produces his peak figures on rain-affected ground and represents value. Each way.
Dangers: 3. Red Cobra broke through for his maiden win at this track/distance last start and ran time. Moreover, he wasn’t suited to the race shape, but he overcame that with late strength, recording one of the meeting’s fastest final 200m splits. 4. Justela drops in grade and 1. Avonview maps to have all favours.
How to play it: Bob each-way.
RACE 3 – 2.35PM: NO EXCUSE FOR ABUSE F&M BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1100m)
3. Flying Rani is a nice type and a lightly raced improver coming off a career peak win/figure last start at Gosford. The filly’s win was full of merit in a high-rating race relative to the day that has since produced a subsequent winner. Further, she sat three-wide out on a limb, working in a fast tempo but still accelerated away from her rivals with style while the other on-pace runners faded. The clock backed up her visual brilliance. The Matthew Smith galloper finally draws a gate, has a fitness edge over her main rivals and all key indicators suggest she can only step off her prior performance.
Dangers: Exciting galloper 5. Chilli Filly returns and has trialled well at Wyong, going through the line not extended. She smashed the clock on debut at Tuncurry, won by a dominant margin and was eased up late. The Kris Lees galloper always gave the impression she would come back improved and expect a bold showing from the soft draw. 2. Smiling Prophet can improve here on the rain-affected ground and 4. Maz Kanata resumes after bolting in at Nowra last campaign.
How to play it: Flying Rani to win.
RACE 4 – 3.10PM: 1800 RESPECT SUPER 3YO MAIDEN PLATE (1200m)
9. Mathkhoora was honest first-up at Gosford when chasing a fast tempo, and she battled on well to run fifth. That race rated extremely well relative to the day with the form since being confirmed with a subsequent winner. The Hawkes-trained galloper will strip fitter from that effort, and she has a positive race set-up here. She also receives a key gear change and relishes the rain-affected ground.
Dangers: 5. Vomo Island returns as a gelding and won a recent trial in style at Randwick. Moreover, he hit the line hard and went through it full of energy. The Snowden galloper has always promised ability and brings a ratings edge over his rivals. 1. Chief Witness comes through the same race as Mathkhoora and will undoubtedly improve from that experience. Add 4. One Last Shot and 2. Here Comes Hogan to trifectas and first fours.
How to play it: Mathkhoora to win.
RACE 5 – 3.45PM: CONGRATULATIONS TEAM WYONG EQUIMILLIONS 4YO&UP MAIDEN HANDICAP (1350m)
Leaning towards 3. Princess Thalia, who resumes and has had a quiet recent trial at Randwick, but her final few bounds had merit. First-up last prep she got into an awkward spot and was too far back before the home turn. However, to her credit, she built through her gears well and ran into second in a race that produced a high-rating last section. She sets up well here with Jason Collett engaged from a soft draw and is a key late-market watch.
Dangers: 8. Look At Moi Kim has a fitness edge over some key rivals and is coming through strong time races. The mare led at a fast pace at Bathurst last start but didn’t handle the turn and became unbalanced. Further, once she got her mind back on the job, she closed off OK and held on to second with a gap to third. She has the early speed to offset the wide gate, the winkers go on for the first time, and she brings the best last-start figure into the event. 9. Meerut had the race shape against him and had to make a long-sustained sprint last start at this track. He drops 7kg off that effort after the claim for Molly Bourke, which will enhance his turn of foot. Market watch on 2. Jack Of Aces who resumes off a 171-day break.
How to play it: Princess Thalia to win.
RACE 6 – 4.20PM: WELCOME KINGSTON INGLIS PROVINCIAL MAIDEN PLATE (1100m)
3. Bojangles is well-placed and he profiles strongly for this event with a dominant ratings edge over his rivals. The Kim Waugh-trained galloper has trialled well and went to the line not extended in a recent heat at Newcastle. First-up last prep, he should’ve been in the finish when travelling well into the race, recording one of the meeting quickest 600m-200m splits, but he was checked/blocked for most of the straight and went through the line untested. Expect the gelding to be hard to beat, and he maps to have all favours with Tommy Berry riding for the first time.
Dangers: 5. Rum Diary started a well-fancied $1.90 favourite on debut at Muswellbrook and raced well into second. Moreover, he showed a sharp turn of foot and kept improving to the line, giving every indication the rise in trip would suit. 10. All Too Zatso is rock-hard fit and can settle much closer with a significant barrier change. 2. Sidenay, who returns, has trialled well enough and is a key late-market watch.
How to play it: Bojangles to win.
RACE 7 – 4.55PM: DIMENSION ONE GLASS FENCING CG&E BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1100m)
Forget 5. Soobooco’s last start at Randwick in a stronger grade where he was found to have post-race issues. Prior to that, he had the race shape against but made up significant ground to run second at Hawkesbury and clocked some of the meeting’s fastest closing splits. The gelding’s last win/peak figure came at this track/distance, and he gets similar conditions to suit. In addition, he goes to a new level on rain-affected ground and maps to have all favours from the inside draw.
Dangers: 8. Misty Legend returns as a gelding and has trialled impressively. He found the line in style in a recent heat at Randwick over 1050m and looks wound up for this event. Further, he has a positive race set-up; expect a bold showing. 1. Outreach To Henry had every chance when winning at Taree last start, but he accelerated hard to score. Respecting 6. Stenson Wallman’s last-start SP and add 10. Critical Time to wider exotics.
How to play it: Soobooco to win.
RACE 8 – 5.30PM: WYONG’S NEXT RACE MEETING WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 13 – MAGIC MILLIONS WYONG BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1350m)
Leaning towards 3. World Alliance, who brings a different form line to the majority of his rivals and the gelding is looking to make it three wins in a row. He resumed at Newcastle 30 days ago and wasn’t suited to the race shape but used his key asset in acceleration to sprint over the top of his rivals. Further, he clocked some of the meeting’s fastest closing splits, and that race’s form has since been confirmed with two subsequent winners. He’s had a tickover trial between runs and expect him to savage the line.
Dangers: Expecting sharp improvement from 6. Kadall second-up, who has a strong SP profile and Josh Parr rides. 1. My Truth and 2. Annulus both come through the same race where they both ran on well. Add 9. Vandelay Style who won at this track/distance first-up last prep.
How to play it: World Alliance to win.
BEST BETS
Race 3: (3) FLYING RANI
Race 7: (5) SOOBOOCO
BEST VALUE
Race 4: (9) MATHKHOORA
