By Gary Harley
Champion West Australian jockey William Pike kicks off his stint in NSW when he travels to Wyong for two mounts at the Central Coast club's race meeting on Tuesday. Both of his mounts Choix De La Mer ($13 on TAB) and Heavenly Prophet ($41) went up at double figures with TAB, however, the former should run well.
The lightly raced Choix De La Mer contests a strong Provincial Maiden, however, she was an impressive Hawkesbury trial winner on February 1 and has a lovely barrier. The Triple Crown-owned Extreme Choice filly has only had two starts and in the most recent at Newcastle on August 21 she came from a long way back in a 900m maiden and was less than 1½ lengths from the winner. The filly was on the speed in a recent trial and raced clear in the straight and won untouched.
Heavenly Prophet has had two recent starts and finished down the track in both.
Kerrin McEvoy will ride at the meeting and he has five mounts, three for James Cummings and one for Chris Waller and the Maher-Eustace combination.
The Cummings pair Camino Real (race 3, $2.30 favourite) and Translation (race 6, $3 fav), and the Maher-Eustace filly Pono Kitoro (race 5, $3.10 fav) are early favourites. The other Cummings runner Victorine (race 1, $2.80) and Chris Waller's Ultimate Pride (race 4, $8.50) will be fancied and should perform well.
RACE 1, STRAMIT 2YO MAIDEN PLATE (1300M): Bessmati ($2.70 fav) went to Doomben on debut on January 22 and she stormed home to just miss by .20 of a length. Her only other start was in the Listed Lonhro Plate at Randwick on February 5 and he was beaten by 3.6 lengths. This is a huge drop in class. Victorine ($2.80) was only beaten 2 lengths on the Kensington Track recently and she has a chance. Ever Upward ($11) is quick and the colt was runner-up on debut at Scone recently.
SELECTIONS: 5 BESSMATI, 9 VICTORINE, 3 EVER UPWARD
RACE 2, INSURANCE HOUSE MAIDEN HANDICAP (1100M): Mentalism ($4) was placed on a heavy track at Kembla first-up on January 22. The runner-up in that race was an easy winner at Newcastle on Saturday. Mentalism has the speed to overcome the wide barrier. Latin Lyric ($3 fav) has metropolitan placings to her credit and will only carry 53½kg. Hasalake ($4.60) has been placed in all six starts.
SELECTIONS: 3 MENTALISM, 10 LATIN LYRIC, 2 HASALAKE
RACE 3, KLINGSPOR 3YO MAIDEN HANDICAP (1100M): The locally-trained Feilding ($3.50) has been placed in his only two starts. He was beaten by a wide barrier when runner-up on this track on debut on January 8. He was a close third after missing the start at Gosford last start. The rails barrier is a positive. Camino Real ($2.30 fav) is talented but has no speed and in all three starts has had to run on from way back. Choix De La Mer ($13) has trialled well.
SELECTIONS: 1 FIELDING, 4 CAMINO REAL, 8 CHOIX DE LA MER
RACE 4, PRO ALI MAIDEN PLATE (1350M): Ultimate Pride ($8) has consistent form and she is well weighted. The filly was placed at Canterbury last start on December 17 and she wasn’t far away at Canterbury on debut in November. She has had a freshen up and has barrier one and McEvoy. Sing A Love Song ($2.15 fav) wasn’t far away in the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast and he was narrowly beaten on the Kensington Track last start. Definitely Maybe ($4.40) was narrowly beaten on debut on the Beaumont Track recently.
SELECTIONS: 12 ULTIMATE PRIDE, 7 SING A LOVE SONG, 9 DEFINITELY MAYBE
RACE 5, KINCROME BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1350M): Lekvarte ($5) is first-up after a very quiet Kembla trial. Last start she was an impressive winner over the Newcastle mile on December 4. The blinkers come off and she has raced well on this track in the past. Pono Kitoro ($3.10 fav) has only started once and that was on this track in November when she bolted in at big odds. The Crimson Idol ($4.20) was narrowly beaten at Newcastle two starts back.
SELECTIONS: 3 LEKVARTE 4, PONO KITORO, 1 CRIMSON IDOL
RACE 6, INFRABUILD CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1000M): Translation ($3 fav) has sound form for this race and her close second to Delexo in a recent Hawkesbury trial suggests the filly is ready to fire. She had sound Victorian form late last year including placings at Moonee Valley and Pakenham. She does drop back in her races and another good ride for McEvoy. Prudish ($4) flew home to win at Newcastle last start and Princess Of Meydan ($7) has speed to burn.
SELECTIONS: 1 TRANSLATION, 6 PRUDISH, 7 PRINCESS OF MEYDAN
RACE 7, COREGAS BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1350M): Fenech ($4.60) had every chance when placed at Newcastle last start but he appeared to not run out the 1600m on the big track. Back to 1350m on his home track, Fenech will benefit from the 3kg claim and he does race on the speed. Rebel County ($3 fav) was an odds-on favourite when scratched at the barrier at Newcastle last start. He won his two starts before a spell. Onehelvason ($7) has had three starts for a win and two seconds.
SELECTIONS: 1 FENECH, 4 REBEL COUNTY, 9 ONEHELVASON
RACE 8, BJ HOWES METALAND CLASS 1 (1200M): Amortal ($3.50) was a winner on this track on debut on January 23 and he was a close third at Hawkesbury on February 8. He has speed and the 1200m is an extra 100m to his previous two starts. This is an apprentices-only race and his rider Tom Sherry is the best performer this season. First Peoples ($3 fav) is a last start country winner and has since trialled nicely. Silver City ($5) won first-up on the Beaumont Track recently.
SELECTIONS: 1 AMORTAL, 2 FIRST PEOPLES, 3 SILVER CITY
LATE MAIL
RACE 1
5 BESSMATI – HAS THE BEST FORM
9 VICTORINE – PLACED KENSO LAST START
3 EVER UPWARD – FAST. WENT GOOD AT SCONE
4 GLOWSTICKS – 1ST START. TRIALLING WELL
RACE 2
3 MENTALISM – NO LUCK LAST START. BIG PLAYER
10 LATIN LYRIC – SHE HAS PLACED 6 TIMES
2 HASALAKE – PLACED ALL 6 STARTS. GOOD 1ST UP
4 UNA GREW ROSES – PLACE
RACE 3
1 FIELDING – SPEEDY & THE RIGHT BARRIER
4 CAMINO REAL – GETS BACK BUT BEST FORM
8 CHOIX DE LA MER – WON RECENT TRIAL
2 CAPTAIN GEORGE – FITTER THIS TIME
RACE 4
12 ULTIMATE PRIDE – RESUMES. WATCH
7 SING A LOVE SONG – CLOSE 2ND KENSO LAST START
9 DEFINITELY MAYBEE – TOP RUN 1ST START
4 GWAN SO – IMPORT. TRIALLED OK. HOT FIELD
RACE 5
3 LEKVARTE – BIG WIN NEWCASTLE BEFORE SPELL
4 PONO KITORO – WON BIG ODDS ONLY START
1 THE CRIMSON IDOL – WELL PLACED ON BEST FORM
2 ALEXEYEVA – COUNTRY FORM GOOD
RACE 6
1 TRANSLATION – VIC FORM GOOD ENOUGH
6 PRUDISH – HUGE NEWCASTLE WIN
7 PRINCESS OF MEYDAN – VERY QUICK
3 NO STATEMENT – CAN LEAD. CHANCE
RACE 7
1 FENECH – THIS TRIP SUITS. RACING OK
4 REBEL COUNTY – HAS GOOD RECORD
9 ONEHELVASON – FORM HARD TO FAULT
12 OBELOS – READY TO WIN
RACE 8
1 AMORTAL – 2 STARTS A WIN & PLACE
2 FIRST PEOPLES – LEADS EVERY START. HARD TO BEAT
3 SILVER CITY – IMPRESSIVE ON DEBUT
5 CAMPLIN – WON AT BIG ODDS NEWCASTLE
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Wyong here