By Neil Evans
Track Soft 5 and rail out 5m from 1000m to 350m into a Cut/Away & True the remainder:
Race 1 2YO HCP (1215m): |
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The babies get us underway, and Epaulette filly 11. Imposant is narrowly on top from the leading provincial stable. Has won both lead-up trials, and gets first use of the inside on a surface that will continue to firm up.
Dangers: Plenty of respect for progressive second-up winner 2. Invincible Alf who again draws to find a trail stalking the speed. Gap to the rest headed by 3. Himeji who resumes for his second prep off a narrow trial win over the border.
How to play it: Imposant to win
Race 2 MAIDEN PLATE (1415m): |
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Like the peak second-up value here around Foxwedge mare 10. Edgewise going up significantly in distance. Ran home okay from a long back resuming over way too short a trip, and her provincial form last prep stacks up well for this, especially getting on to a suitably bigger track.
Dangers: Plenty of them starting with early favourite 9. Diva Carolina who finds a very winnable race fourth-up with blinkers being added. Drops back from a slicker provincial affair, but still shapes under the odds drawn off the track. From a soft trailing draw, keep safe Gold Coast filly Fiddler Onthe Roof deep into her prep; while improving 5. La Cache A Vin is over the odds.
How to play it: Edgewise to win
Race 3 MAIDEN HCP (1012m): |
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Wide and testing race. Settled on Casino Prince three-year-old 2. Gandolfini having only his third start off a 41 week break. Was good at both ends in a recent soft track trial win, and blinkers going on is an important gear addition.
Dangers: Watch the betting on home track filly 4. Cool Fizz who resumes in blinkers with no public trials. Lightly raced local 5. Mumma Sue returns for only her third start off a very quiet trial. Include 8. Freewheeler hitting peak fitness fourth-up; and 15. Miss Mazerati resuming behind a quiet trial; in trifecta and first four plays.
How to pay it: Gandolfini to win
Race 4 CLASS 1 HCP (1012m): |
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Over the same sprint trip augurs well for talented three-year-old 3. Supidoman third-up. Very little has gone right so far doing too much work early when resuming before failing to run on a fortnight ago when anchored back in slower inside ground. Drawn to get cover just off the speed, but the big key is getting on to a bigger track and far longer straight where he'll have more time to balance up in the run for the judge.
Dangers: Improving 1. Uncertain Terms is well placed from this draw, despite sneaking a little further up in weight. Comes through the same maiden race as the top selection. Big watch on resuming 2. Powder Man who normally comes to hand quickly; while 6. Cavent fitted with blinkers for the first time ahead of his sixth start in nine weeks; can run into the minor money.
How to play it: Supidoman to win
Race 5 TREVOR HARDY SPRINT (1215m): |
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A lack of depth and quality in this year's edition, but that is a plus for provincial seven-year-old 3. Ventura Ocean who drops sharply in grade second-up. Held his ground okay across a somewhat blanket finish in a metro BM 72 in his first run for 21 weeks. Looks nicely treated at the weights here coming back to this class, and he will relish the long run home.
Dangers: Resuming with winkers coming off, 8. Field Regiment is a first-up winner and looked very forward in a recent Ballina trial. Include both home track mare 9. Boncasse first-up; and Qld-based 10. Kosciusko dropping back from BM 78 metropolitan company; in exotic bets.
How to play it: Ventura Ocean each way
Race 6 SAWTELL CUP (1515m): |
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Plenty of chances in this one, but it shapes best for ultra honest mare 6. That's Molly second-up off a shorter break. Powered home from midfield to win the Wingham Cup at Taree two starts back before being ridden quieter and finishing hard in a provincial BM 64. That run came off a month freshen-up, and two weeks between runs here, and slipping down to a luxury 53kg, she's primed to take her winning strike rate to around 30 percent at only her 17th start.
Dangers: Locally trained 1. Mikado is over the odds from a soft draw after running home okay in the stronger Maclean Cup. More good value is on offer with 2. Casirina who charged home from near last to win a feature Cup at Mudgee, and carries only a half kilo more here. Must respect 4. Zoukina third-up for the leading Ballina stable; while 3. Kapsali with blinkers going on; and 8. Baglioni down sharply in weight; head the rest at each-way quotes.
How to play it: That's Molly to win
Race 7 CLASS 3 HCP (1415m): |
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Another open battle to finish, but keen to back progressive three-year-old 4. Passionate Rebel who can make it three straight wins. Showed his versatility when coming off a dominant front-running maiden win to settle well off the speed and power over the top in a handy BM 58 field 17 days ago. Down 2.5kg for the rise in class, and the top country jockey sticks like glue.
Dangers: Improving filly 7. Agirlsbestfriend is over the odds third-up and drawn to get cover; while 1. Swift Charm has more than enough ability dropping back from Highway company deep into her prep, but faces a task under a big weight from a wide barrier. Include 5. Binkou and 8. Kennysing, both third-up; in trifecta and first fours.
How to play it: Passionate Rebel to win
BEST BETS:
R4 3. SUPIDOMAN
R6 6. THAT'S MOLLY
BEST VALUE:
R2 10. EDGEWISE
All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Coffs Harbour meeting