By Neil Evans
Track Good 4 and rail True
Race 1 CLASS 2 HCP (1000m)
A competitive enough sprint for this class to get us rolling. Progressive and lightly raced home track filly 2. Supido Beauty can turn back an early wave of visiting stables in the opener. Resumed in much tougher metro company at The Valley, and was a commanding winner here of her only previous second-up start.
Dangers: Lightly raced five-year-old 1. Master Joe has a tonne of early speed, and gets a handy 2kg weight drop after leading from barrier to box at Goulburn when resuming. Gap to the rest headed by 5. Hispirit fifth-up from the inside draw.
How to play it: Supido Beauty to win. Odds and Evens: Split a special
Racing returns to Wagga on Thursday.Credit:Les Smith
Race 2 COLTS, GELDINGS & ENTIRES’ MAIDEN PLATE (1200m)
Tricky assessment, with a couple of Mitchell Beer-trained runners from Albury well in the early market. Leaning to the one at much bigger value, four-year-old Dundeel debutant 4. Open Sky who starts in blinkers for the new yard. Hasn’t been publicly seen since a quiet metro trial two months back when in the Bjorn Baker stable, but has since been gelded, and reportedly working well with a senior jockey booked to ride.
Dangers: Stablemate 8. Brave Image resumes for his first outing with the new team since transferring from the Peter Robl stable in Sydney, and has been given an easy trial. Keep safe home tracker 1. Amen Brother second-up with blinkers added; while 2. Bia Tinne second-up; and 3. Burrandana resuming on drier ground; can both add value to trifectas and first fours.
How to play it: Open Sky to win. Odds and Evens: Evens
Race 3 MAIDEN HCP (1600m)
Out to the mile now, and very much with progressive Canberra mare 9. Les Goh who is ready to strike third-up. Has hit the line hard from well back in her last two, and will relish getting back onto a bigger track with regular jockey back aboard. Bred to get further.
Dangers: Big watch on 14. Siasha Jewel who is also much better suited back on a bigger course, and can peak fourth-up. Improving 1. Zabellsareringing will appreciate more ground third-up; while 8. Emmjay is also better placed back out to this distance deep into her prep. Drawn the fence and down in weight, 12. Military Manoeuver is the clear best of the rest.
How to play it: Les Goh to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 4 CLASS 1 HCP (1300m)
A very open Heat of the Rising Star, but it shapes nicely for local mare 6. Kappy’s Angel who draws to get good cover slipping down in grade. Swept home as an odds-on fancy to win her maiden at Albury before failing to finish off here last time, but this is more to her liking with a stronger rider back aboard.
Dangers: Watch the betting closely on Wyong-based 1. One Way Street who is a long way from home well into the prep, but finds an easier class than provincial level. Blinkers have been added, and the stable could be out to pick up a race en route to a campaign in Melbourne. Improving 2. My Boy Mo bounced to the front fourth-up in a weak country maiden, and gave nothing else a chance. Include in all exotics 3. How Do You Sleep with blinkers back on; 4. Battle Talent who gets much needed weight relief; 5. Go Ellie Go who won her maiden on the Riverside track here three starts back, and form since has been solid, but faces a tough draw with blinkers being added; and 7. Clever Choice fourth-up with a postage stamp weight.
How to play it: Kappy’s Angel to win and first four 1,2,6/ 1,2,3,4,5,6,7/ 1,2,3,4,5,6,7/ 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 5 FILLIES & MARES MAIDEN PLATE (1200m)
It doesn’t get any easier here. The wraps are pretty good and the market will have a say for debutant Albury filly 12. Rumours Abound by Group 1 winner Press Statement. Bolted in the second of two trials, and the stable loves to get a new one ready.
Dangers: Plenty of them headed by improving 1. Georgie’s Mantra who can peak third-up over a furlong further. Another one of the better each-way hopes is 8. Witness To Love who was in and around the money last prep, and resumes from the inside gate. Lightly raced 5. Overrun second-up; and 13. Serafima also second-up after tackling deeper provincial company; are both capable of running into a place.
How to play it: Rumours Abound to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 6 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1800m)
Another Heat of the Wagga Stayers Series, and very little separates the top two saddlecloths. Leaning to Albury four-year-old 2. Lensman who is hard fit getting over more ground. Hasn’t been out of the placings all prep, at times striking bad luck or poor rides, and his maiden win from well off the speed two starts ago was emphatic. Looking for this journey now and will be charging home.
Dangers: Local four-year-old 3. I Am Richenuff is inconsistent, but on her day capable of winning better races than this. Charged home to just miss here in a BM 66 before doing her best work late in a deeper Highway at Randwick over a shorter trip. The clear threat. Keep safe too 4. Harderthantherest who has surged home to win two of her last three, and keeps improving. Gap to the rest headed by 5. Exalted Dennis who won here last start; and 8. Garratt Road who draws to get a soft run.
How to play it: Lensman and I Am Richenuff BOTH to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 7 BENCHMARK 66 HCP (1400m)
Promising Victorian country filly 9. Arachidi can bounce back into the winner’s circle third-up at only her fourth start. Swept home for an impressive CL1 a month ago before tackling much tougher BM 70 metro company and failing to run on. Gets back out to an ideal distance and she drops to the limit weight.
Dangers: From the inside barrier and off a smart closing second-up CL2 win here, 8. Invertational is the logical threat. Tough front-runner 2. Buzz ‘N’ Joe has early tactical speed, and hasn’t been out of the placings in three runs this prep, but a query here hanging on down the much longer straight. Capable mare 3. Temoin Chaud hasn’t done much in two runs back, but can improve sharply; while 1. This Skilled Cat goes in wider exotics.
How to play it: Arachidi to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 8 BENCHMARK 66 HCP (1200m)
Keen on improving four-year-old 7. Saiko to pounce third-up over a furlong further. Liked the way he hit the line behind the winner here in a CL3, and should park a little bit closer from this draw in a race with less depth.
Dangers: Big watch on local four-year-old 3. Participator who resumes from a soft draw behind a quiet trial, with blinkers coming off. Must include tough 1. Zouologist second-up from an ideal cover draw; while 4. Smuggler’s Run with blinkers back on heads the rest.
How to play it: Saiko to win. Odds and Evens: Odds
BEST BETS
Race 1: (2) SUPIDO BEAUTY
Race 7: (9) ARACHIDI
BEST VALUE
Race 3: (9) LES GOH
