By Neil Evans
Track Good 4 and rail True:
Race 1 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1550m): |
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We start over the middle distance, and seven-year-old home tracker 1. Dorset Coast can strike here significantly back in grade and deep into the prep. Finished best to claim a BM 66 three starts back before making up plenty of late ground in the BM 85 Xmas Cup at Ballina 11 days ago. Extra trip is a plus and the natural sharp weight increase has been off-set with a 3kg claimer booked to ride.
Dangers: Coffs five-year-old 2. Endangered Species is limited but very honest, and gets first use of the inside ground. Include 3. Beef Week Princess dropping back from a CL3; improving 7. Humanitarian; and last start maiden winner here 8. Peano Grigio in trifecta and first four plays.
How to play it: Dorset Coast to win
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 2 BALLINA CUP PRELUDE (1550m): |
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From the same stable as the previous, progressive five-year-old 2. Sagacious can peak third-up over a furlong further. Comes back from two handy closing efforts in metropolitan company over the border, and this is his pet distance.
Dangers: Home track five-year-old 3. Our Rebel comes back in class, but also drops sharply in trip, with blinkers back on; while 6. Predictable Miss fourth-up heads the rest.
How to play it: Sagacious to win
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 3 MAIDEN HCP (1550m): |
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Same trip in a race of little depth, and that augurs well for ultra honest five-year-old 6. Mahomes who has been running into or just around the money all prep. Goes back up in distance which is a natural boost.
Dangers: Impressed how local three-year-old 1. Desert Mist flashed home from last to miss by a head at Ballina first-up off a seven week break, and the rise in weight off-set by a jump in distance. Keep safe 11. Substance who is right at peak fitness after four runs back; while watching the betting on Gold Coast-based Heroic Valour gelding 2. Heroic Maputo who has gone along quietly at the trials, and debuts wearing blinkers.
How to play it: Mahomes to win and quinella 1 and 6
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 4 CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE (2020m): |
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Testing battle of tempo over the longer trip at set weights around this course. Keen on ultra consistent and tough Gold Coast four-year-old 1. Bay Street who is bursting to win again fifth-up. Swept home from midfield to claim his maiden in mid spring before charging late to miss narrowly in three consecutive starts in and around the mile. Hard fit and ready for the longer journey.
Dangers: From over the border as well, 2. Hypertension has so much more to offer than his one win from 36 starts suggests. Loves to roll forward, and has been close-up in his last two around this journey, and keep in mind he has a 40 percent placing strike rate. Included in exotic bets 3. Only The Lonely; 6. Diamond Dagger; and 8. Serenade The Cat.
How to play it: Bay Street to win
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 5 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1200m): |
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Can't go past progressive Qld four-year-old 1. Divine Courage winning again, three weeks after tracking the speed and going home best here first-up in similar-graded company. Up 2kg in a slightly thinner field, and applaud the decision to stay at the distance.
Dangers: Home track filly 5. Lady Falvelon is the immediate threat also shooting for back-to-back wins at this track after disposing of a similar line-up in comfortable fashion at that same meeting. Keep safe too another Matt Dunn-trained runner, emerging filly 6. Playgirl who was run down by the former 18 days ago after a dominant maiden win. Gap to the rest headed by 2. Master Red who can work home late from a cosy midfield position on the inside; and honest mare 7. Nanakorobi Yaoki who will roll forward from the inside draw.
How to play it: Divine Courage to win and quinella 1 and 5
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 6 CLASS 1 HCP (1200m): |
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Another lining up for the leading home stable, Street Boss filly 5. Street Smarts gets nearly all the ticks here rising a little in distance second-up. Surged home from the second half of the field to win first-up at Ballina running a quick fnal 600m, and is well placed from the draw carrying only 1kg more. Destined to win better races.
Dangers: Keef safe Qld filly 2. Media Scandal who held her ground okay resuming on that same day as the top selection, and draws to get a soft run right behind the speed. Include 3. Managua who has hit the line into a place in his last two, the latest behind Divine Courage who is the top selection in the previous race. Both 6. Centre Bounce off a tidy maiden win when heavily backed; and 7. I Am Voodoo third-up also behind a maiden win; are in the each-way mix.
How to play it: Street Smarts to win
Odds and Evens: Split
Race 7 MAIDEN PLATE (1200m): |
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The maidens at set weights cap the meeting, and it stacks up nicely for progressive and very honest Coffs four-year-old 5. Toomuchinformation second-up with a key gear change. Failed to finish off in a handy country maiden when resuming, but ideally can be ridden a bit quieter here over 100m further in a weak race.
Dangers: Deep into this prep, 1. Klondike Strike can figure from the softest draw he's had in a while; while 10. Cool Fizz at her second start from the inside barrier; 2. Monegasque also having his second start; and Foxwedge filly 12. Revontulet on debut behind two recent improving trials; all go through the exotics.
How to play it: Toomuchinformation to win
Odds and Evens: Split
BEST BETS:
R2 2. SAGACIOUS
R4 1. BAY STREET
BEST VALUE:
R6 5. STREET SMARTS
All the fields, form and replays for Tuesday's Murwillumbah meeting