By Neil Evans
Track likely Soft 5 and rail True
Race 1 MAIDEN PLATE (1400m)
We start with the maidens on a surface that is likely to slip back just into soft range with showers forecast. Hard to see progressive mare 5. Alight The Night getting rolled here from the good trailing draw if she gets a clear crack at them from the turn. Powered home from near last here to be beaten under a length in a race with slightly superior depth, and a firmer track is a further plus. Clear one to beat!
Dangers: Must keep safe well-bred mare 10. Twosret having her first run for a new local stable. Drops back sharply in trip, but is six weeks between runs since switching from a leading Victorian stable, and the market will be a fair guide. Include 3. Orbital Speed drawn wide and home track mare 9. Thonis second-up; if you’re playing the exotics.
How to play it: Alight The Night to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 2 MAIDEN HCP (1700m)
Moderate contest here over a tricky middle distance augurs well for hard-fit mare 1. Proost especially with one of her few rivals coming out early. Competed well in metro company over the border, and then hit the line hard in deeper NSW country grade fourth-up.
Dangers: Big gap to the rest headed by local five-year-old 9. Mahomes who has found the line well in his last couple, and draws to get plenty of cover; while both 3. Amalfi Queen and 5. Consensio can run into a place. How to play it: Proost to win and quinella 1 and 9. Odds and Evens: Odds
Race 3 MAIDEN HCP (1100m)
Much more open, albeit modest affair again. Like improving colt 9. Dozen Kilpatrick – well named out of Oyster Bay – who finds the right sort of race fourth-up in his first real prep for a leading country stable. Beaten under a length after leading last time, and will roll forward again in a race with ordinary depth.
Dangers: Emerging Vancouver filly 13. Vandaceous finished off well here on debut at a huge price, and drew to get plenty of cover. Improving filly 8. Discreet Lady is over the odds fifth run into her first prep. Big watch too on lightly raced five-year-old 2. Noble Missile resuming as a gelding off an 11 month spell. Included in exotics honest 3. Seaczar back for her first run in more than eight months. How to play it: Dozen Kilpatrick to win. Odds and Evens: Odds
Race 4 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (2200m)
Out over the much longer trip now for the restricted stayers where Pierro five-year-old 2. Letmeletgo maps to finally win a second race deep into the current prep. Has done his best work late in the last two runs, despite mixing distances, but settles a little closer here from an ideal draw. Back on a slightly firmer surface is a further boost.
Racing returns to Grafton for an eight-race card on Tuesday.
Dangers: Plenty of them headed by 6. Jabbar who charged home to beat a similar field at this track two runs back before a fair closing effort in deeper grade over the border. Keep safe home tracker 7. Grand Shanghai who broke a long run of outs winning here nearly three weeks ago, and won’t mind a track back in soft range. Tough five-year-old 11. Hombre Grande has to overcome a testing gate over further, but he’s been competitive enough through some handy formlines; while included in trifectas and first fours 3. Hardyo who boxed on well in a deeper race at Tamworth; stablemate 5. Helmberg who gets a soft run; and 10. Gulf Of Tomini from a good draw.
How to play it: Letmeletgo to win and box exacta 2,6,7. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 5 JACARANDA CUP PRELUDE (1100m)
The feature sprint shapes beautifully for provincial six-year-old 3. Daltoro coming back from tougher company in Qld where he has been right on the winner’s heels at Class 6 level in his last two. Up a little in weight for this, but drawn to sit right behind the speed, and he’s equally comfortable on good or soft tracks.
Dangers: Keep very safe 5. Hidden Hail who has been given 25 days since finishing only a couple of lengths off the top selection in that CL6 at Doomben, and can utilise good tactical speed from this draw. Talented seven-year-old 1. Exclusive reloads two months after working home into a place third-up in a BM 85 feature on the Far North Coast, and he’s won five times from 13 starts at this track; while 2. Amirykal hit the line third-up in a CL6 at Ipswich, although poorly treated at the weights here. Honest mare 10. Crowned Empress is best of the rest down in weight from the inside draw.
How to play it: Daltoro to win. Odds and Evens: Odds
Race 6 CLASS 1 HCP (1100m)
Good quality sprint for this grade. Keen on progressive five-year-old 3. Justadude second-up. Hit the line well from worse than midfield resuming in a handy CL1, and more rain the better.
Dangers: Drawn to get cover back in the field, resuming 4. The Polenitsa is a big threat. Showed plenty at just her second start ripping home from the back at Tamworth before spelling, and will come to hand despite not having officially trialled. Smart Qld filly 8. No Retreat has trialled since only being collared in the last few strides in BM 58 grade here a month ago, and has the tactical speed to offset a wide draw. Keep safe honest 2. Quatre Zip who rarely runs a bad one, and returns off a six week break from a middle barrier; while third-up maiden winner here 6. Spiele goes through exotic bets.
How to play it: Justadude to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 7 CLASS 1 HCP (1100m)
Same recipe here, although not cooking with quite the same sort of gas. That said, underrated four-year-old 5. All Beans can garnish a second-up win ridden a little quieter at good odds. Did some work early from the gate resuming and didn’t finish it off, but gets a softer run here over 100m further, and relishes soft ground.
Dangers: Home-track four-year-old 1. Another Spirit is the immediate threat having been in and around the money last two on both sides of the border, and should find this a little easier, although faces a tricky draw. Improving five-year-old and last start maiden winner 8. More To Adore gets a handy 3kg weight drop, and one of a few over the odds; including 7. Anselmo resuming; and Eagle farm-based three-year-old 9. Frozen Prince who won his maiden three strats back; who both go into exotic plays.
How to play it: All Beans each way. Odds and Evens: Odds
Race 8 CLASS 2 HCP (1400m)
Likely the most open race of the day to finish, and more terrific value on offer with progressive mare 4. Sunchaser three weeks after she powered home to beat a handy maiden field in soft ground over the same trip. Is bred to get further, but can settle a fraction closer from a low draw, and only needs clear air from the turn to repeat the dose.
Dangers: Consistent four-year-old 1. Hardley Grey is as tough as they come, and significantly on an eight-day back-up. Been in the money all prep, including consecutive maiden and CL1 wins before hitting the line to miss narrowly in a similar race to this. Another consistent middle distance performer 2. Rose Bouquet charged home to miss by a whisker here 16 days ago in a BM 58, but faces a tough task coming back in trip from a wide barrier. Include in exotics both 3. Four Egos fourth-up; and home tracker 11. Princess Zeddy who drops in weight.
How to play it: Sunchaser each way. Odds and Evens: Split
BEST BETS
Race 2: (1) PROOST
Race 5: (3) DALTORO
BEST VALUE
Race 7: (5) ALL BEANS
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au.
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