By Mark Brassel
Bathurst is rated a Soft 5 with the rail in the true position.
Race 1 (2:05pm) PEARCE’S FURNITUREONE LITHGOW CTRY BOOSTED MDN PLATE (1300m)
Local mare 8. Ohana Joy has gone down narrowly at her past two starts and gets her chance to break through for a well-deserved win. It was only a bob of the heads when edged out at Narromine and she should get a charmed run with Grant Buckley aboard.
Bathurst hosts an action-packed program.Credit:Getty
Dangers: 4. Scopics is making his debut and was doing his best work late when 4th in a Hawkesbury trial suggesting the 1300m will suit first-up. 7. Charm Factor battled on well for 3rd at Narromine and she should relish the additional 200m. 6. Bally Brook turned in her best run for a while when placed at Bathurst last time but hard to get enthused with a winless record from 20 attempts. Favourite 5. Avid Diva finished 5th at Nowra on Sunday in a blanket finish and may not back-up.
How to play it: Ohana Joy to win
Odds and Evens: Evens
Race 2 (2:40pm) ERIN’S QUALITY OUTDOOR POWER CENTRE BM 58 HCP (1800m)
4. Overice looks the goods after leading all the way at Goulburn before taking charge soon after
straightening at Muswellbrook and holding off a wall of challengers down the stretch. David Pfieffer has this mare going super and no reason why she can’t make it a hat-trick.
Dangers: 1. Eva’s Deel caught the eye running on late when seventh to Overice at Muswellbrook and gets a much stronger rider here. She’s a talented type on her day and has won a Highway (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens. 3. Aphrodotti has been placed twice at Albury & Mudgee since winning at Goulburn in October but will find this harder than her last start in a Mudgee non-TAB race. 6. Light of Uluru is fitter for two runs back, the latest when 6th to Overice in that Muswellbrook race.
How to play it: Exacta 4/1-3-6
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 3 (3:20pm) JB CIVIL CONCRETING F&M MAIDEN HANDICAP (1100m)
Thin race with the David Pfieffer/Alysha Collett combination to possibly make it two races straight with 6. Canada Bay. The filly was hard in the market when down the course at Newcastle in June before spelling. She poked through late along the fence when 3rd in a Warwick Farm trial and could have more upside than most here.
Dangers: 9. Matronymic, from the powerful Maher/Eustace camp seems over the odds at double figures, scouting wide in a Gosford trial and running on OK. Topweight
1. Invest In Love has speed and will be in this for a long way while 3. Shezanalister should lead and will find this an easier assignment than her last start sixth at Newcastle.
How to play it: Canada Bay to score
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 4 (3:55pm) RAY WHITE EMMS MOONEY CG&E MAIDEN HANDICAP (1100m)
After four placings from five starts, connections of 2. NONSHALAANT look to have found the right race to break his duck. The gelding has been running in stronger races than this and despite not having raced since August, was kept up to the mark with a nice trial after sitting three-wide and finishing off well behind the winner who then won her Newcastle debut.
Dangers: The Bjorn Baker-trained 4. Sweysive is yet to race but has trialled on five occasions. His seconds in Warwick Farm & Hawkesbury trials have been full of merit and he must rate a top chance.
Stablemate 3. Don Pedro hit the line nicely in a Hawkesbury trial and any market moves on either of these debutants should prove significant. 7. East Harlem is resuming and has won Bathurst and Hawkesbury trials but has drawn awkwardly.
How to play it: Exacta 2/4-3-7
Odds and Evens: Evens
Race 5 (4:35pm) BATHURST RSL CLUB COUNTRY BOOSTED BM 66 HANDICAP (1100m)
4. Brooklyn Star is a model of consistency with three wins, two placings and a fourth from her past six starts. She looked good running home strongly to score at Warren before again hitting the line when runner-up at Narromine. The mare carries 56.5kg after the claim, a weight she’ll enjoy after lugging the steadier of 63kg when third in the Picnic Champion Series Final at Dubbo three runs back.
Dangers: 3. Honeysuckle Choice led throughout to win at Queanbeyan before finishing third at that course last time. She’ll be hard to run down with 100m less in journey and a 4kg drop in weight.
Favourite 6. De Forerunner is a promising type (5/2-2-0) and trialled nicely at Hawkesbury but prefer to see at a short quote in his first race start for 50 weeks. 5. Tell Tails should improve sharply after one run back from a break.
How to play it: Quinella 4/3-6-5
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 6 (5:10pm) BATHURST GLASS & WINDOWS CLASS 2 HANDICAP (1100m)
Giving 2. Wolf Queen a big chance of upsetting her more fancied stablemate here. The mare won two of her first three starts before spelled. Banking that she just didn’t come up in three unplaced runs her next prep. She’s gone home nicely in both trials since to indicate she may well bounce back to form first-up with Mitchell Bell to navigate.
Dangers: The obvious is her stablemate and favourite 1. Sinaloa. She was ridden way back in the field in a stronger race at Warwick Farm and hit the line well to be beaten under two lengths. She had won at Hawkesbury two starts beforehand and continues to race consistently. There has been support for 7. Enzina who has only raced four times. She won at Hawkesbury in September but was a touch disappointing when fifth at Canberra after leading. Can improve here.
How to play it: Wolf Queen each-way
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 7 (5:45pm) KENNARD’S HIRE BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP (1300m)
Looking to knock out the favourite with 6. Possibly So at each-way value. The gelding has raced without a great deal of luck mostly due to his racing style of getting back in the field. His record of 9/1-3-2 should be better and has not raced since August but has the benefit of two trials leading into this. Gets a 3.5kg weight pull on the favourite and that might be enough to swing the race his way.
Dangers: No doubting 2. Cheap Shot is loaded with talent having won both starts at Dubbo and Bathurst impressively. He may well blow these away, however, carrying 61kg, drawing gate 11 and getting out another 200m could make it difficult. 3. Dream Eclipse is rarely far away and goes in exotics, but his win rate must be noted (31 starts for 2 wins). 14. Covalent scored well at Taree but may find this a tougher assignment.
How to play it: Possibly So win & stand-out quinella 6/2-3-14
Odds and Evens: Evens
Best Bet: Overice
Best Value: Wolf Queen and Possibly So
