By Brad Gray
Tips and race by race preview by Brad Gray for the Coonamble’s Newhaven Park Country Championships meeting.
Race 1 - 1:35PM GREEN OPTIONS AND LIVING TURF MAIDEN SHOWCASE PLATE (1400 METRES) |
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8. Zorossa was very easy in betting first up and finished closer to last than first. Wouldn’t be surprised if he improved sharply out to 1400m with the run under his belt now. Showed enough ability in his first racing preparation to suggest he’d at least knock off a maiden.
Dangers: 10. Prodigal Prince was well held as favourite first up at Mudgee. Finds a winnable race here but the market certainly hasn’t missed him. The step out to 1400m looks ideal for 6. Shylock, who’ll be hitting the line again.
How to play it: Zorossa EACH WAY ($23 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: EVENS
Race 2 - 2:10PM AUSTRALIA TURF CLUB AND SYDNEY CRICKET GROUND CLASS 1 & MAIDEN SHOWCASE PLATE (1600 METRES) |
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13. Hurn Court is a maiden in Class 1 company but there isn’t a lot of depth to this field. The three-year-old was heavily backed at Tamworth last start but found one too sharp. Should love the mile.
Dangers: 1. Forever Jude has won just one from 27 starts but he wasn't far away at Mudgee last start and the timing looks right for this trip now. It's a similar case for 3. Kinship who could improve enough out to the mile to give this a shake.
How to play it: Hurn Court WIN ($3.50 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS
Race 3 - 2:45PM COONAMBLE AG SPRAY & HIRE AND REGIONAL INSURANCE SERVICES CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1300 METRES) |
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The only negative with 7. Tells Tails is where she’ll land from the wide draw but there is enough in her early price to roll the dice. Caught the eye two back at Orange before backing that up at Dubbo last start behind the smart Miss Mayfield.
Dangers: 3. Bean Hot finished two lengths behind Tells Tails in that Dubbo race but gets a 1kg swing and draws to get the run of the race. 5. Fanmalia fits in well to a race like this providing the market says he is ready first up.
How to play it: Tells Tails WIN ($3.60 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS
Race 4 - 3:25PM WOODHAMS FUEL AND QUBE AGRI BENCHMARK 58 SHOWCASE HANDICAP (1100 METRES) |
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6. Miss Mayfield has bolted in at her last two starts for Kody Nestor and still looks a mare on the up. She drops back from 1200m to 1100m and has a wide draw to overcome but she has the speed to dart across to offset that to race handy.
Dangers: 5. Tools Down returned with an all-the-way win at Armidale in late January. That was seven weeks ago but a repeat of that is competitive in this. 11. Matter Of Factor is a very fit front-runner also coming off a last start win.
How to play it: Miss Mayfield WIN ($2.20 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT
Race 5 - 4:05PM SWANNY FOODS AND EVERGREEN GROUP BENCHMARK 58 SHOWCASE HANDICAP (1400 METRES) |
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4. Spilia benefited from a lovely Jason Collett ride at Mudgee first up but like the way he won over 1200m, a trip short of his best. Has always promised plenty this five-year-old and now win tow is out of the way, is well placed to go on with the job.
Dangers: 3. Dusky Damsel was forced back from a wide draw at Dubbo last start but liked the way he attacked the line. Third up out to 1400m from a much kinder barrier he looks ready to win again.
How to play it: Spilia WIN ($5.50 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: ODDS
Race 6 - 4:45PM NEWHAVEN PARK WRA COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIER (1400 METRES) |
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It took 10. Wild Rocket nine starts to break her maiden but ever since then she hasn’t stopping winning, finishing first in four of her past five. This qualifier has been on the radar of Narromine-based trainer Kylie Kennedy after she came into her own last winter and after a fast-finishing third overran unsuitable 1200m first up, before a tenacious win over 1300m second up, Kennedy has exactly where she wants her heading out to 1400m third up. In an ideal world this would be 1600m and she’d get a wet track, but no horse in the field possesses a finish like hers. Will be coming hardest late.
Dangers: 1. Jailbreak is rated so far above his rivals in terms of a benchmark rating, it’s easy to see why he is an even money favourite. The knock, and there only is one, but it’s perhaps a significant one, is how strong he’ll be at the end of 1400m. His advantage over Wild Rocket is she’ll have three or four lengths to make up on him turning for home. It’s the opposite for Jailbreak’s stablemate 3. Activation, with the gelding likely to find 1400m on the sharp side against this class of rivals. We’ll give him a pass mark from Mudgee first up but he did lump 61kg over 1200m.
How to play it: Wild Rocket WIN ($4.80 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT
Race 7 - 5:20PM DAD & DAVE - EVERGREEN TURF - MOSTYN COPPER GROUP BENCHMARK 66 SHOWCASE HANDICAP (1600 METRES) |
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1. Universal Thief faces a similar task to last start where he ran a luckless third at Mudgee behind the heavily supported Velaro. The seven-year-old only has to hold his form to be in the finish again so the early price is appealing.
Dangers: There was plenty to like about the way 7. So Good To Me put her rivals away at Dubbo over 1400m last start. 12. Fearless Mila has won both starts since being transferred to Clint Lundholm, having gone straight to the front.
How to play it: Universal Thief WIN ($8.00 TAB Fixed Odds) Odds & Evens: SPLIT
All the fields, form and replays for Coonamble on Tuesday