By Neil Evans
Selections based on a heavy track
Race 1 BENCHMARK 74 HCP (2100m)
We start with the stayers in a heat of the Wagga Stayers Series, and there’ll be no place for the faint-hearted in this going. From over the border, five-year-old 2. Vintage Diesel hasn’t fired a shot in his last couple but is at his best on heavy ground and well over the odds. He’s won three from five at this track.
Dangers: At the weights and dropping back from a strong closing run into a place in tougher Highway grade, 4. Leather Jacket Lew is a clear threat. 8. Whiskey Jack bolted in from the front here four weeks back in weaker grade. 1. Alloway led all the way to win a BM66 two runs back before failing to run on in much deeper Highway company six days ago, although it was near impossible to come from well back that day.
How to play it: Vintage Diesel each way and quinella 2 and 4; Odds and Evens: Evens
The Stan Sadleir Stakes is the feature at Wagga on Friday.Credit:Fairfax
Race 2 CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE (1600m)
Starcraft four-year-old 1. Cliff House is a promising wet-tracker trained here and shapes nicely for this up in distance. Ploughed through the mud here nine days ago for a dominant win, and this isn’t much harder.
Dangers: 8. Put To Shame is also reliable in the ground and can figure here third up. 5. Chaotic Beauty gets a cheap run from the inside gate. Include 4. Raffish back in class third up, and 6. Jeddalet second up if you’re playing wider in the exotics.
How to play it: Cliff House to win; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 3 BENCHMARK 50 HCP (1600mm)
Weak yet open edition of the Bragger Cup augurs well at the value for lightly raced home track four-year-old 2. I Am Richenuff third up. Has attacked the line nicely in both runs since claiming his maiden and gets right back into the contest at the weights after rookie rider’s 4kg allowance.
Dangers: Honest six-year-old 1. My Rock Singa rarely runs a bad one and generally saves his best for wet tracks. Include 4. Taliano back in distance and down in weight; 7. Old Gregg peaking third up; 8. Bubbler with better than 50 per cent place record at the track; and 11. Irish Dancer fifth up.
How to play it: I Am Richenuff each way; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 4 MAD SCRAMBLE OPEN HCP (1000m)
The aptly named five-furlong dash looks the ticket for Canberra mare 2. Delacour dropping back from doing it tough on-speed in deeper company at Canterbury. Isn’t always easy to catch but thrives over the 1000m trip, saves her best for rain-affected ground, and has won two from four here.
Dangers: 5. Mr Moppett can mix his form but his best would be good enough. Also finds a thinner race having made up late ground in metro BM 84 company at The Valley, and blinkers back on is a further plus. 3. Seventh Seal hasn’t missed a place in his last three. Comes back from 1200m but draws to get a nice spot right behind the speed and thrives on wet tracks. Tough mare 1. Shores Of Avalon has plenty of class in this grade, and a fair record at the track. Will appreciate coming back from much tougher metro opposition. Big-finishing 4. Blitzar and lightly raced Victorian 7. Tsunami Sam head the rest.
How to play it: Delacour to win; Odds and Evens: Split
RACE 5 MAIDEN HCP (1000m)
Same short-course test here for the maidens. Like Your Song three-year-old 3. Atmospheric Rock returning for only his second start off a near four-month break. Chased gamely on debut at the South Coast in heavy going when rock solid in the market and has been given a nice easy trial to prepare for this. Bred to relish the wet.
Dangers: Duporth three-year-old 6. Mojo Magic makes his debut as a gelding off an emphatic trial win in soft ground. 4. Intense Effort also starts her career off an impressive trial win. 2. Parrying resumes for his second start off a lengthy break. Has trialled well, and in-form Warwick Farm stable has removed the blinkers.
How to play it: Atmospheric Rock to win; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 6 MAIDEN PLATE (1200m)
Tough and testing maiden, but very keen on lightly raced mare 7. La Quinta Donna resuming. Was never far away in three runs last time, reportedly been working well, and significantly she’s trialled strongly at this track over 1000m.
Dangers: 4. Lensman hit the line regularly across his first prep, and the stable has chosen to go first up without a public trial. Another one returning, local 1. Cellar Champ has also by-passed any official trials but hit the line from well back on debut here in early winter. 12. Zouzouli was strong late here second up over this distance and is a stablemate to the on top selection. 10. Overrun is an Albury-based Duporth mare on debut from a nice draw and beat a handy trial field here in heavy going early last week.
How to play it: La Quinta Donna to win; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 7 Stan Sadleir Stakes Open Hcp (1400m)
Feature race of the day serves up a stack of chances headed by Albury seven-year-old 8. Swagger, who can launch third up and down significantly in weight. Chased hard in a BM 74 here last start, but gets his chance to be ridden quieter here on a track he boasts a sound record and has never missed a place in heavy ground.
Dangers: Underrated 9. Tough James has placed in three of four runs this prep and gets a big drop in weight stepping up from a good effort in BM 65 grade. Can’t dismiss tough-as-teak old mudlark 1. A Magic Zariz, who will appreciate the rise in trip third up despite carrying a big weight. 5. All Words and 6. Galaxy Force can both run into the minor end of the money.
How to play it: Swagger to win; Odds and Evens: Split
Race 8 CLASS 1 HCP (1200m)
Despite being drawn wide, keen on Victorian country three-year-old 2. Fake Magic fifth up in his first prep. Has been consistently in and around the money, including a dominant maiden win at home on a Heavy 10, and hit the line impressively when ridden from the back in his only previous start here. Will be forced to give them a big start again from this draw but is hard fit, a senior country jockey goes on, and gets his chance to track out wide where the best going is likely to be.
Dangers: Home-tracker 3. Lunar Shoes resumes for a second prep behind a nice forward trial. Gap to the rest headed by 4. Power Puff fourth up after breaking her maiden in heavy ground at Nowra 12 days ago. 1. Last War third up from a low draw and 6. Pretty Extreme fourth up next best.
How to play it: Fake Magic to win; Odds and Evens: Split
BEST BETS
Race 2 (1) CLIFF HOUSE; Race 5 (3) ATMOSPHERIC ROCK
BEST VALUE
Race 3 (2) I AM RICHENUFF
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
