Latest News

By Neil Evans

Track Soft 7 and rail True

We start with an open maiden sprint on a track that should improve further into soft range. Local mare 11. Miss Chapeau is well placed third-up on a sound trailing map. Found the line well here a fortnight ago, and continues to sneak further down in the weights. The more the track dries out the better served she is.

Dangers: Off a smart finishing debut run at Scone, progressive filly 5. Athena Nyx is a serious threat from a soft draw, and over a further 300m. Keep safe as well 10. Hot Wok third-up with blinkers added; while watching the betting on both home track four-year-old 1. Civil War second-up and a month between runs; and lightly raced 2. Holly Road resuming with the blinkers off.

How to play it: Miss Chapeau to win
Odds and Evens: Odds

Same set up, but even more open. Like provincial three-year-old 9. Red Cobra second-up and drawn to get cover back in the field. Was placed in all three runs last prep before charging home from a mile back first-up at Muswellbrook when heavily supported into an odds-on favorite. Deeper challenge here, but can settle a bit closer and the extra 200m is a natural bonus for one who is bred to get to the mile and beyond.

Dangers: Big watch on metro-based 2. Fenton who is ultra honest. Hasn't publicly trialled, but drawn okay and the top country jockey keeps the mount. Progressive 3. Canny Prospect is also right in the mix stepping up 200m further third-up after narrowly missing here two weeks back; while Smart Missile three-year-old 10. Smart Shot is on debut from a low draw behind two trials.

How to play it: Red Cobra to win and box exacta 2,3,9
Odds and Evens: Split

Up we got to the mile, and that's the right distance recipe for tough mare 2. Kadashi dropping back from a tougher Highway class over 1800m where she faded late. Asked to carry 61kg, but much better placed on the smaller track where she won over this trip two starts ago, and one of the state's best riders takes over.

Dangers: Consistent 8. Intercept is drawn to be in the finish from just off the speed, and will also appreciate a drying surface. Improving 10. The Dark Night is over the odds third-up; so too home tracker 9. Kanalaide who can mix his form, but has trialled well enough 22 days between runs; while including lightly raced 7. Rain's Gift in wider exotic bets.

How to play it: Kadashi to win
Odds and Evens: Evens

Always very competitive short course sprints here at this level. Hard to go past local seven-year-old 4. Appalachian who stalked the speed third-up before motoring over the top in heavy ground in the BM 83 Armidale Town Plate run here. Drawn to park in a similar position, and with a 33 percent winning strike rate from only 18 starts, he's proven to perform in any conditions.

Dangers: Smart 3. Primal Scream stuck on bravely in a strong BM 84 Rush sprint here a fortnight ago, and that form is bound to be strong, although trickier draw this time. Drawn further out, 5. Bullinachinashop also rarely runs a bad one, doing her best work late at Wyong just 10 days ago after consecutive wins up to BM 68 grade; while 1. Bugalugs has blinkers back on third-up.

How to play it: Appalachian to win
Odds and Evens: Split

Still over the five furlong dash for the maidens, and any number of chances. Leaning to promising and returning mare 8. Soosie Boog who hasn't started since a fair one-off debut run in late October, but tuned up with two trials, bolting in the latest by more than six lengths. Stable has given her plenty of time and made some key gear changes, and she's bred to relish rain-affected ground being by Sooboog out of a Dane Shadow mare. Scratched from Dubbo on Sunday to be saved for this.

Dangers: Big market watch too on debutant three-year-old 10. Jacenza by Shooting To Win who has also trialled impressively, and was also preferred here to Dubbo. Improving 7. Deep Return has a task finding cover from the wide draw, but she was solid on debut 20 days ago. Included in exotoics stablemate to the top selection 14. Shamalie resuming in blinkers behind a dominant trial win.

How to play it: Soosie Boog to win and trifecta 8,10/7,8,10,14/7,8,10,14
Odds and Evens: Evens

Now that talented home track seven-year-old 4. Torowoto has finally broken back into the winner's circle, he can repeat the dose going up in trip. Came off a 26 day break after transferring down from Qld, and couldn't have been more impressive in a CL2 here, exploding home by more than four lengths from behind the speed. Again drawn to get a cosy run in behind, and he has the best final 600m finishing split in the race.

Dangers: Warwick Farm mare 2. Rathvilly Miss draws to get a nice run, and has been in and around the money in deeper races for much of this prep. Included in exotics 8. Fiorzana who shoots for three straight wins stepping up in grade; and 7. Sir Diamond who improves sharply third-up.

How to play it: Torowoto to win
Odds and Evens: Evens

Very keen on emerging provincial filly 12. Memoria who was dominant here from off-speed on debut before nearly matching it with a tough sprinter at Muswellbrook. Up in distance staying on the limit weight in what is now a weakened race.

Dangers: Local mare 7. Briefly finished best to win a handy CL1 here before chasing home a very promising sprinter two weeks ago; while 1. Princess Amira drops back from deeper provincial company third-up.

How to play it: Memoria to win
Odds and Evens: Split

Good deep sprint for this grade to finish. From the draw, and given 25 days since a gallant second placing at the provincials, promising three-year-old 7. A Guinea is the one to beat. Has versatile and tactical speed, and can park right behind the lead here, and produce a telling burst at the 300m. Another one by-passing the Dubbo meeting to run here.

Dangers: Big market watch on resuming and lightly raced 1. Super Extreme who has trialled well, and bolted in on debut in early March. Improving mare 6. Totally Discreet can work into the finish fourth-up; while 3. In The Blink first-up behind two quiet trials; and 5. Mystery Lad resuming for a new local stable off a 12-month spell; head the rest.

How to play it: A Guinea to win
Odds and Evens: Odds

BEST BETS:
R4 4. APPALACHIAN
R6 4. TOROWOTO

BEST VALUE:
R2 9. RED COBRA

All the fields, form and replays for Monday's Tamworth meeting