By Neil Evans
Track Soft 5 and rail True.
Race 1 CLASS 2 & ABOVE BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1010m)
Good quality battle for this level of sprinter to get us rolling, and five-year-old 1. Bleue’s Choice is drawn to finally break through for another win. Has good early speed, and has been placed in three of his last four in similar company. Couldn’t be fitter, and gets in with the same weight as last time after the jockey’s claim.
Racing returns to Moruya on Thursday.Credit:Jenny Evans
Dangers: Locally trained 2. Greaves tracked the speed before going home best here first-up, but up 2kg in weight and tends to come off a bit next run in the prep. Big watch on 5. Defcon One resuming from a handy draw with the blinkers coming off. Gap to the rest.
How to play it: Bleue’s Choice to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 2 CLASS 1 HCP (1010m)
Keen here on home-track four-year-old 1. Forbes resuming off a trial win at the track. Showed enough last time, breaking through at second start after being transferred up from Victoria, and draws to get the right trail right behind the speed.
Dangers: Consistent 2. Hello Jack resumes without publicly trialling, but normally comes to hand early in the prep; while last-start maiden winners, provincial mare 4. Maresca second-up; and 5. Piece Of Turf with blinkers being added; can both run into the minor end of the money.
How to play it: Forbes to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 3 MAIDEN PLATE (1425m)
Very modest maiden here, and its shapes as the ideal target for honest provincial four-year-old 2. Oblique deep into his prep. Was fair in two runs against deeper opposition before edged out by a neck at the Sapphire Coast 16 days ago. Gets a soft run in behind in a race of little tempo.
Dangers: Improving home-tracker 1. Kaptian Hero is over the odds progressing into his third start over more ground. Included in trifectas and first fours, 4. Diamond Flyer who draws the fence; 5. Heir Jordan second-up; and 7. Classy Gal who draws wide, but finds an easier race.
How to play it: Oblique to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 4 MAIDEN HCP (1010m)
Back we come to the pure sprint distance, and confident home-track three-year-old 3. The Predictor can return with a bang behind a solid closing effort on debut here in heavy ground 15 weeks ago. Trailed home the top selection from race two that day, and he starts a new prep in a weaker affair from a soft draw.
Dangers: Improving mare 11. Aspired can go one better second-up after chasing well enough in her first run for nearly eight months. Another one trained on the track, 1. Lord Remy is in the mix fifth-up, although will need to find early cover from the draw; while monitoring the betting on Duporth-sired 10. Kool Bird who debuts in blinkers behind a sound trial.
How to play it: The Predictor to win. Odds and Evens: Odds a special
Race 5 CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE (1650m)
Improving four-year-old 1. Neidr Dawn gets most of the ticks here, getting back out to a more suitable trip. Has been fair to the line four runs in this time against generally deeper opposition, and draws to get ideal cover right behind the speed.
Dangers: Plenty of them headed by 8. Skye’s Legacy who progresses over more ground behind a second-start maiden win as an odds-on favourite. Big watch on five-year-old stablemate of the top selection, 3. Tavifern who can again run home strongly over this trip, with winkers going on; while lightly raced 10. Enament and 12. Monte Outlander third-up; are the best of the rest.
How to play it: Neidr Dawn to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 6 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1200m)
Home-track five-year-old 1. Get Shafted has more ability than anything else in the race, and comes back significantly in grade second-up. Was spelled after a tidy CL1 win in Canberra, then returned charging home late in the much deeper Town Plate here 25 days ago. Has been saddled with 62kg, but as long as he finds cover, can power over the top of these.
Dangers: From the inside draw fourth-up, keep safe 5. Heavenly Light with a key gear adjustment. Respect too for 2. London Gal down in grade third-up; while 6. Negation has enough closing ability, but needs to overcome the outside barrier.
How to play it: Get Shafted to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 7 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1425m)
Improving local five-year-old 2. Lights On The Hill can come home with a wet sail here second-up over more ground. Liked the way he finished off resuming in similar company at the Sapphire Coast, and he has a smart record on his home track.
Dangers: Honest mare 3. Hope Uno hasn’t been out of the placings in her last six, and draws to get a soft run; while 1. Single Crown second-up; 4. Howlowcanyougo and 6. Impulsive Tycoon can all pump value into the exotic plays.
How to play it: Lights On The Hill to win. Odds and Evens: Split
BEST BETS
Race 2: (1) FORBES
Race 4: (3) THE PREDICTOR
BEST VALUE
Race 7: (2) LIGHTS ON THE HILL
