By Neil Evans
A lightly raced and exciting four-year-old is set to conquer his biggest career challenge and make it three wins on the bounce at Monday’s feature Moruya Cup meeting.
Twin Telepathy, a sprinting son of prolific sire I Am Invincible, has returned for his second prep with consecutive wins since switching from Anthony Cummings to the Joe Cleary stable at Queanbeyan mid-year.
Racing heads to Moruya on Monday.Credit: Jenny Evans
He cruised home for the easiest of wins first-up in a Super Maiden at home before again putting a Class 1 field to the sword as a hot favourite at Nowra three weeks back.
And such is connections’ confidence, Twin Telepathy has jumped straight to Class 3 at Moruya and up to 1200m, with regular rider Jess Taylor again in the saddle.
The race looms as a springboard into a feature carnival sprint, or even a crack at a Saturday Highway if the gelding wins again.
Meanwhile, Canberra-based gallopers are set to star in the penultimate and feature Moruya Cup over 1450m.
And with nearly all of the runners emerging through a similar Federal form line from home, it’s a less fancied one in the market that can steal the thunder.
Smarter Than You, a tough six-year-old mare in the Todd Smart stable, hasn’t missed a place in four runs since switching from her former Goulburn base.
Two starts ago she swept home to easily win a much weaker BM 58 at Nowra before only being beaten a long neck by rival Canberra visitor La Sante in the BM 80 Federal at home on December 27.
It’s hard to believe Smarter Than You, who has a near 20 per cent winning strike rate from 27 starts, opened up $10 in early betting, while La Sante was even longer around the $13 mark.
Another Queanbeyan raider, Toes In The Water, was at the head of early betting around $4.50.
Private Harry enters Everest conversation
Boom colt Private Harry stamped himself as a genuine option for Everest slot-holders with a slashing win in the inaugural $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight 3YO Plate (1100m) on the Sunshine Coast.
The son of Harry Angel remained unbeaten after four starts and gave the Hunter team of trainer Nathan Doyle, jockey Ash Morgan and owners Kurrinda Bloodstock their biggest victory.
Private Harry raced outside the lead before kicking clear over the final 300m to beat Golden Slipper champion Lady Of Camelot by two and a half lengths in the slot race on Saturday night.
A $115,000 buy, Private Harry took his earnings to $1,376,275. Sportsbet wound him into an $18 chance for October’s $20 million Everest (1200m).
Wooloowin also won for Doyle on the transferred program, taking out the $250,000 Magic Millions Rising Stars.
Craig Kerry
Olive feeling good ahead of Moruya Cup
Queanbeyan trainer Nick Olive expects Toes In The Water to get forward from a wide gate and make her own luck in the Moruya Cup, a Big Dance qualifier, on Monday.
Olive scratched Toes In The Water, a four-year-old mare, from a benchmark race at Randwick on Saturday in favour of the 1425m Cup, where she has gate 10 of 13. With Coriah Keatings’ claim, Toes In The Water will carry just 52.5 kilograms.
“Obviously, it was a tougher race in Sydney, and this is a good race tomorrow and a Big Dance qualifier,” said Olive, who won the Highway Handicap on Saturday with Moritz Girl.
“And just with hardly any city horses in it, I thought it was a good opportunity for an up-and-coming horse to have a crack at it. It’s a good run there from the 1400 and it will just roll forward and make its own luck from out there.”
Craig Kerry
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
