Latest News

By Neil Evans

Track Heavy 9 and rail out 4m from 1400m to WP & True the remainder

We open up over the mile for a Heat of the Rising Star on a track that has tumbled down into heavy range. Improving Canberra five-year-old 5. Belleistic Lad is already a wet track winner, and can peak third-up from the inside draw.

Dangers: Underrated six-year-old 8. The Chaplain hasn't won for a long time, but hit the line powerfully third-up, and carries half kilo less here.

How to play it: Belleistic Lad to win. Odds and Evens: Split

Very tricky sprint. Wodonga five-year-old 6. Openhimup has knocked up running minor placings, with still only one win from 22 starts. That said he's attacked the line nicely from well back in his last two, and is weighted to repeat the dose fifth-up, especially if the track gets well into soft range.

Dangers: Keep very safe home track mare 8. Fifty Carats who resumes in likely ground she relishes. Has always been a good line-finder, and didn't finish further back than second in her four consecutive runs before spelling. Local four-year-old 4. Last War also resumes off a 23-week spell without an official trial. Was all at sea in his last two on heavy ground before the break after leading all the way here in the wet to win his maiden. Suspect the more rain the better he looks. Include in wider exotics five-year-old mare 7. Dissedge who gets key gear changes fifth-up.

How to play it: Openhimup each way and box trifecta 4,6,7,8. Odds and Evens: Evens

This stacks up nicely for progressive Canberra mare 6. Tejori who is well placed at the weights, and the superior wet tracker unbeaten from two starts in soft ground.

Dangers: Local six-year-old 4. Kurocaine is hard fit and draws the inside fifth-up; while Corowa mare 1. Magnavale saves her best for rain-affected ground.

How to play it: Tejori to win. Odds and Evens: Evens

Like four-year-old 2. War At Sea who hops over the border second-up in a suitable race. Drawn the extreme outside, but this is a weak race, and he's well in at the weights after the rider's 3kg allowance.

Dangers: Provincial six-year-old 7. Giottino has a poor record, but has found the line okay late in his last two, and this is the thinnest race he's tackled in a while. Must include four-year-old 1. Honour The Legend from the inside draw having worked home okay in his last two; while 8. Gisbelle and 10. Like A Tiger Cod go in wider exotics.

How to play it: War At Sea to win. Odds and Evens: Split

Another moderate but very even Heat of the Wagga Stayers Series. Progressive Canberra mare 10. In My Wallet should have nearly won at the Sapphire Coast 10 days back when hitting the line hard. Comes through deeper form races than this, and will be tucked away off the speed and saved for one final surge over a bit more ground.

Dangers: Victorian six-year-old 3. Elope To Vegas doesn't win out of turn, but was dominant in a weak BM 58 on Boxing Day, and one of the better weighted runners after the full claim. Keep safe at bigger odds 4. Hemmerle who has been working home okay over shorter trips this prep, and peaks at this range fourth-up.

How to play it: In My Wallet to win. Odds and Evens: Split

Wide sprint for the girls at set weights. Improving four-year-old mare 8. Wee Juggler is terrific value well into double figure odds third-up. Finished off okay here two weeks back, and bred to thrive on rain-affected ground, being by a star Group 1-winning wet track sire.

Dangers: Home track Dream Ahead filly 18. Blushing Mary was well supported on debut, although only fair from the wide barrier. Much better placed under these conditions but needs a few scratchings to get a run. Improving mare 6. Perfect Sun is a shade over the odds second-up from a low draw.

How to play it: Wee Juggler each way and quinella 8 and 18. Odds and Evens: Evens

Now the boys' edition, and there's plenty of hopes. Improving provincial four-year-old 4. Mancconi draws to get a good trail just off the speed second-up over 200m further, and bred to handle the conditions.

Dangers: Watch the betting on 5. My Alma who resumes without publicly trialing for a smart provincial stable. Keep safe too 1. Duck Egg second-up for leading local stable; while 8. Cranberry King at his second start; 2. Jedinak on debut and 10. Fitzgibbon with blinkers off all go into wider exotics.

How to play it: Mancconi to win. Odds and Evens: Split

Progressive Canberra mare 5. Lady Tabloid can strike second-up after sticking on well when resuming here in deeper grade. Stable has found an ideal follow-up race in her preferred soft going.

Dangers: Home track filly 11. Whenitrainsitpours showed early speed from a wide draw in that same race as the top selection, but weakened out badly. Was well backed that day, and can almost guarantee a much improved showing here. Keep safe Wodonga mare 4. Bint Alqamar who can also improve sharply second-up, and bolted in his only previous heavy track run.

How to play it: Lady Tabloid to win. Odds and Evens: Odds

BEST BETS:
R3 6. TEJORI
R8 5. LADY TABLOID

BEST VALUE:
R5 10. IN MY WALLET

All the fields, form and replays for Thursday's Wagga meeting