By Neil Evans
Track likely Good 4 and rail out 3.5m from 500m to 300m into a Cut/Away
Race 1 CLASS 1 HCP (1280m): |
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Ultra consistent mare 5. Lipstick Lil missed by a whisker here charging home from midfield two weeks back. Only missed a place four times in 14 starts, and hard fit finds a race with less depth.
Dangers: Improving filly 6. Easy Rosie gets first use of the inside, and should be right at her peak after missing narrowly third-up at Canberra behind a promising one. Lightly raced mare 2. Haven resumes behind two progressive trials.
How to play it: Lipstick Lil to win and quinella 5 and 6. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 2 CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE (1600m): |
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Out to the mile, and tough mare 7. Gold Lunar is set to finally win a second race down in class. Has hit the line with venom from off the speed in consecutive efforts at Scone, and only needs to slot in from the tricky gate to be the one to beat.
Dangers: Provincial filly 9. Narumi impressed on debut at this track sailing home from midfield when well fancied at double figure odds. Has reportedly trained on nicely. Metro four-year-old 2. Rockover gets a timely drop in grade after four runs back in provincial company, although up sharply in weight. Include in wider exotics both honest mare 8. Kimmylee and metro mare 6. Elegant Carriage fifth-up from a nice trailing draw.
How to play it: Gold Lunar to win. Odds and Evens: Odds
Race 3 MAIDEN PLATE (1400m): |
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Very open and tough maiden at set weights. Warwick farm colt 7. Tea Or Coffee looks well placed to strike at his third start. Stuck on strong in a much deeper maiden at Hawkesbury, drawn to get a cozy run, and should be hitting peak fitness here.
Dangers: Keep very safe progressive filly 13. Bootscooter who has attacked the line impressively last two against deeper opposition. Improving five-year-old 5. Smooth Empire is banging on the door deep into the current prep having charged home into the placings last two at Dubbo; and improving mare 11. Ready Made Doll is well over the odds after surging late to miss narrowly at her third start.
How to play it: Tea Or Coffee to win. Odds and Evens: Odds
Race 4 BENCHMARK 66 HCP (2100m): |
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Good tactical affair. Tough five-year-old 2. Private Detective is up in grade, but on track to go back to back after sweeping home to destroy a BM 58 field here two weeks ago. Draws well, and one of the better weighted runners after the claim.
Dangers: Big finishing mare 1. La Tigresa is up sharply in weight but has more than enough ability, and this is a serious drop in class. Hit the line late at BM 80 country level, and from even further back in the Armidale Cup run at Tamworth. Only concern is a lack of tempo up front. Must keep safe lightly raced six-year-old 4. Genghis Khan third-up with a significant weight drop. Gap to the rest
How to play it: Private Detective to win. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 5 MAIDEN HCP (1000m); |
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Most open race of the day, with plenty of first starters, and naturally a stack of each way chances. Keen at the value with three-year-old All Too Hard filly 11. Verzenay on debut for a smart provincial yard. Was strong through the line in a recent trial, and drew to get a useful trail.
Dangers: Improving mare 15. Arimathea has been close-up in two runs back, and can peak from a soft draw with a significant weight claim. Also progressing okay is filly 16. Rubi Air who draws to park right behind the speed, and will appreciate firmer ground at her third start. Big watch on Winning Rupert filly 12. Winnsom who debuts off two progressive and recent trials. Included in exotics at big odds 19. Strixen after failing first-up here as a short-priced favorite; while 13. Are You Certain is a knock-out chance resuming behind two trials.
How to play it: Verzenay each way and box trifecta 11,12,15,16. Odds and Evens: Split
Race 6 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1000m): |
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Having finished best to win fourth-up in heavy ground at Mudgee, Warwick Farm filly 10. Euphrates Dream can repeat the dose here back on firmer ground.
Dangers: Provincial mare 8. Zanshin missed by a nose here two weeks back, and from a soft draw, can go one better for an underrated stable. Gap to the rest.
How to play it: Euphrates Dream to win. Odds and Evens: Evens
Race 7 BENCHMARK 66 HCP (1400m): |
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Another fairly open battle to finish, although metro three-year-old 8. Cinque Torri is the most progressive runner in the race. Made it two straight fourth-up here, zooming over the top despite being caught in a pocket early in the straight, and from a soft trailing draw, he's the one to beat.
Dangers: Capable four-year-old 9. Highest Standard is well over the odds second-up from a seven month spell after a fair closing effort in similar grade; while tough five-year-old 6. The Drover is best of the rest third-up.
How to play it: Cinque Torri to win. Odds and Evens: Split
BEST BETS:
R4 2. PRIVATE DETECTIVE
R7 8. CINQUE TORRI
BEST VALUE:
R5 11. VERZENAY
All the fields, form and replays for Tuesday's Orange meeting