3 minute read

The Kris Lees-trained Scarlatti is one to bank on this Monday with race two at Cessnock, the Coca Cola Benchmark 55 Handicap (2125m), at his mercy.

A son of Oratorio, Scarlatti has shown good ability in just half-a-dozen career starts to this point, winning once and placing on three other occasions.

The win came on debut here at Cessnock over 1350m. On testing ground he out-stayed his rivals and gave every indication that his best form would come when he got to the mile and beyond.

That was the case with a close up Scone effort at start number two bettered when he got out to the Wyong mile next time, narrowly beaten into second having had to work to take up a position early.

He was below form last time out but that was in stronger company at Newcastle and he had returned this campaign with a pair of good efforts short of the mile.

He is well fancied to bounce off latest and back up to his best here up to this longer trip for the first time.

Where he has good upside the rest of this field has limitations. From eight rivals only two have winning form in their last half-a-dozen starts with several beyond 15 starts without success.

Those with winning form, Solid Effort and Our Clementine, have it in modest races and on RAS Ratings have 1.5 and 5kgs to find on Scarlatti respectively.

Further in favour of Scarlatti is the Lees/Gibbons combination, currently striking at 18% with Gibbons having his best season in recent times from a s/r perspective, striking at 11% overall against an average of 8% in recent seasons.

The Lees stables record with favourites is another boost. Lees strikes at 58% with horses <$2 and returns a just a narrow loss of -1.8% on turnover.

This season he is two from two and today he can make it three from three unless layers are feeling particularly generous.

For those playing multiples Ferguson and Baabulu are the two with the best numbers away from the selection.

They haven’t done a lot of winning (16 and 10 runs without a win respectively) but they are both capable of being around the mark in this company.