By Neil Evans
Track Soft 7 and rail True.
Race 1 BENCHMARK 66 HCP (2020m)
We start over the longer trip, and improving five-year-old 6. Irish Exchange is primed to peak fourth-up on a significant 4kg weight drop. Has twice done his best work late from worse than midfield in CL1 affairs, and while this is a bit tougher, he’s screaming for more ground and bred to handle the wet.
Racing returns to Murwillumbah on Wednesday.Credit: Bradleyphotos.com.au
Dangers: Tough mare 2. The Love Rocket is hard fit, and twice ran home into a place in deeper metro fields over the border before making some late ground in a BM 65 at Eagle Farm two weeks ago. Gets back out over a more suitable longer trip, and from a draw where he should get cover back in the field, can run home hard again. Include 3 Drake Passage who won a Class 3 on the Gold Coast Polytrack two starts ago, and 4. Peak Road down in weight and deep into the prep.
How to play it: Irish Exchange to win
Race 2 CLASS 1 HCP (1200m)
Home track four-year-old 1. Where’s The Fire is ready to win again fourth-up with blinkers going on, and turn back a wave of Queensland raiders. Has kept improving, and hit the line impressively here in a deeper BM58 12 days ago when well backed from $5.50 into $3.80. Carries 1kg less this time, and is well over the mark.
Dangers: Naturally, promising Eagle Farm filly and smart metro debut winner 6. Fortuneer is a huge watch hopping the border, and likely to jump a clear-cut favourite. Gold Coast-based 4. Zouperb is a serious threat fourth-up after attacking the line in a handy BM62 at home 18 days ago. Another one from the Gold Coast 2. Alakai Swamp is also a big watch 18 days after a narrow debut home win, while 5. Her Expense fourth-up and 7. Award Me second-up from the inside barrier are both well in the each-way debate.
How to play it: Where’s The Fire each way
Race 3 MAIDEN PLATE (1200m)
After three runs back from a spell, and dropping a fraction in distance, capable four-year-old 2. Daimyo shapes as one of the better bets on the program fourth-up in a weak maiden. Charged home late in back-to-back maiden runs in better company at Grafton before ridden from the front last time and stuck on for a long way. Can sit just behind the speed from this low draw, and looks ideally placed after the jockey’s 3kg claim.
Dangers: Plenty of respect for resuming 1. Boulanger who has been given a soft trial, and normally comes to hand early in the prep. Expect further improvement second-up from lightly raced 6. Oneonone, with a big gap to the rest.
How to play it: Daimyo to win
Race 4 MAIDEN HCP (1550m)
More depth in this middle distance battle, and its shapes well for lightly raced and improving three-year-old 1. Vermeer third-up in his first full prep. Worked home OK in a Super Maiden at Grafton when fresh before ridden a bit quieter from a wide gate over the border and failed to finish off. Back a little in trip from a much softer draw are big pluses, and blinkers being added is a timely decision in the prep.
Dangers: Plenty of them, starting with Gold Coast-based 7. Italian Award who returns to turf third-up after two solid closing runs on the poly track at home. Improving mare 4. Vacation Leave strikes peak fitness fifth-up in her first proper prep. Honest 5. Code Of Silence gets a much-needed 3kg weight drop deep into the prep, while include 6. Darkened Destiny third-up and 10. Push Turbo on a quick turnaround in exotic bets.
How to play it: Vermeer to win
Race 5 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1550m)
Lightly raced seven-year-old mare 10. Serenade The Cat can strike here second-up off a month-long freshen-up. Produced two solid efforts in deeper fields prior to the small break before working home late in a CL1 here 12 days ago. Drawn better this time, and should park right behind the leader. Was scratched from Ballina on Tuesday to be saved for this.
Dangers: Keep safe 3. Spiele who has closed off OK in two runs this prep, and now finds a thinner race, while 7. She’s Snuff produced a much-improved run in similar company here last start. Home tracker 5. Just Winston dominated from the front 12 days ago as a heavily backed favourite, and is more than ready for this next level despite drawing wide. Expecting sharp improvement second-up over further at big odds from locally trained 2. Run Rory Run with winkers being added. Both 6. Peak Road, who accepted for an earlier race, and 8. Backseat Promise, freshened up and down in weight, are capable of running into the minor money.
How to play it: Serenade The Cat to win
Race 6 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1200m)
Another Gold Coast visitor, five-year-old 3. Halfahope, rates clear on top here second-up off a long break over his pet distance. Loved the way he attacked the line from well back under a similar weight 12 days ago, and two of his three career wins from only 15 starts have come second-up.
Dangers: Promising Gold Coast filly 6. Gerety reloads hard fit, and behind a smart BM 58 win here against her own sex. Reliable weight carrier 1. Bungarribee Lad crosses the border from the Sunshine Coast behind two wins from his last three, including a last start success here in similar company. Big weight has been offset by a 3kg claim, and while this is a trickier draw, he’ll be hard to hold out with any cover in the run. Big watch on home track mare 4. Lady Falvelon resuming off a soft trial. Include in exotics 2. Magic In Me third-up with blinkers coming off, and 7. Fire Up Bruce third-up.
How to play it: Halfahope to win
Race 7 BALLINA CUP PRELUDE OPEN HCP (1550m)
The feature race closes the card, and it augurs well for very capable Sunshine Coast mare 4. Too Much Class dropping significantly in grade at good value third-up. Didn’t do a lot from well back at Doomben when unwanted in betting, but caught the eye late in BM 78 grade on the bigger track at Eagle Farm when specked at a big price. Looks fairly weighted under 59kg back against this lot, and only needs to find early cover from the wider draw before un leashing from the 450m. Bred to thrive on rain-affected ground, and well over the odds.
Dangers: Must respect 9. Silver Warrior who is hard fit, draws inside, and claimed a BM 62 on the poly track two starts back, although was under the odds early. Local six-year-old 3. Our Rebel can improve sharply fourth-up dropping back from much deeper BM 72 metro company. Tough mare 5. Beef Week Princess is in the each-way mix fourth-up, as is home tracker 8. Dorset Coast who gets in light after the 3kg allowance, while 7. General Dubai improving third-up is the best of the rest.
How to play it: Too Much Class to win
BEST BETS: R3 2. DAIMYO; R4 1. VERMEER
BEST VALUE: R6 3. HALFAHOPE
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
