3 minute read
Track Good 4 and rail True:
Race 1 COLTS, GELDINGS & ENTIRES MAIDEN HCP (1100m):
The male maiden sprinters get us rolling, and with first use of the inside and peaking third-up, progressive five-year-old 9. Rinnero is the one to beat. Worked home okay when resuming in a handy maiden when fresh before settling further back and hitting the line hard into a place a fortnight ago in a deeper race. Supremely suited dropping 4kg to the limit weight.
Dangers: Watch the betting on Pierro four-year-old 1. Rockapulco who debuts behind a dominant trial win; while both 6. Moggie resuming; and ex-Victorian 8. Le Gagneur also first-up; can fight for the minor prize.
How to play it: Rinnero to win
Race 2 FILLIES & MARES MAIDEN HCP (1100m):
Trickier and even girls' edition, but home tracker 2. Leica Model can strike first-up. Wasn't far away in a deeper maiden over 1400m back in mid June when having her first run in NSW since switching from Victoria. Given time since, a far more experienced and stronger jockey takes over.
Dangers: Resuming with a crucial gear change, 3. Rapidly is right in the mix despite not having publicly trialled. Watch the betting on 1. Vivie's Gaze who led until the final stride here on debut despite being unwanted in betting; while 7. Super Impressive and 10. Serifice can run into the placings.
How to play it: Leica Model to win
Race 3 MAIDEN PLATE (1300m):
Lightly raced improving four-year-old 5. Wanda River looks ideally placed here second-up. Was backed in from a double figure price before working home solidly from midfield in his first run for 22 weeks in a race with more depth. Won't want to drift too far back on a tighter turning circuit, but the extra 100m is a plus, and he has a superior closing 400m burst.
Dangers: Big watch on 8. Suncraft who can join in the finish third-up after sweeping home to beat all but the winner in a provincial maiden 13 days ago. Be surprised if one of those two doesn't win; but keep safe home tracker 10. Wilkie who has been fair to the line in two runs back, and strikes peak fitness here. Include in exotic bets, 1. Backlash who defied a betting drift to run into a place here first-up at big odds; and 7. Hard Truth second-up with gear changes.
How to play it: Wanda River to win
Race 4 BENCHMARK 66 HCP (1300m):
All aboard tough and resuming 1. Rebel's Edge here from a low draw in what is a weakened race with the early favourite coming out. Was consistently in the money last prep through much deeper company, bar one failure in a Highway at Randwick where he worked too hard from a wide draw. Was only a long neck from the winner when hard in the market at Scone before capping the prep with a dominant win in a deeper BM 66. Reliable weight carrier who comes to hand quickly, and top jockey is out to pick up where he left off with him in July.
Dangers: Ultra honest and fit 4. Gobbled rarely runs a bad one, and has been in or around the money in some handy country features over the past eight weeks. Gap to the rest headed by 6. China Grove fourth-up, and in with a light weight after the claim.
How to play it: Rebel's Edge to win
Race 5 BENCHMARK 66 HCP SPRING CUP (1900m):
The feature race sets up nicely at the weights for tough on-speed five-year-old 4. Den Moss who has been competitive all prep in mainly CL1 races, although this is not much harder. Bolted in by more than six lengths two runs back before swamped late by a handy winner at Dubbo over further only 11 days ago. Suited coming back to this distance, and carries the lightest weight of his career after the rookie rider's 3kg allowance.
Dangers: Plenty of respect for 5. Hardyo who is hard fit deep into the prep. Charged home to miss by a long neck in a handy BM 58 last start over the mile, and desperate for this longer trip now. In the best form of her career, 3. Our Girl Eve guns for three straight wins after sweeping home to claim that same BM 58, although not as well treated here at the weights. Both 1. Chocolatier with blinkers back on; and 7. The Polenitsa who has placed in three of her last four; can run home into the minor money.
How to play it: Den Moss to win
Race 6 CLASS 2 HCP (1400m):
Good strong race for this class, and naturally plenty of chances. Trained on the track, lightly raced mare 5. Quick As A Flash can go one better deep into the prep. Easily beat a handy CL1 field three runs black before being ridden too close on a strong speed at Moree, then was heavily backed here before surging home to miss by a long neck in a slightly thinner affair. Drawn to get to the middle is a plus behind what should be a genuinely run race.
Dangers: Emerging 2. Barcelona Express steps up from consecutive on-speed wins in weaker class. Keep safe 3. Come On Eileen who has worked home okay last couple in similar-graded races, and blinkers have been added. Stablemate of the top selection 8. Razzle Dazzle draws to get a soft run with plenty of cover third-up; while 4. Inviva is the best of the rest.
How to play it: Quick As A Flash to win
Race 7 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1100m):
The likely most open race on the program is saved for last, but very well suited is progressive six-year-old 1. Spirit Of Pluto in search of back-to-back wins at this level. Hasn't missed a place in nine weeks including a trio of strong closing runs into the placings before let down with a barn-storming finish here three weeks back to win with plenty in hand. Importantly gets cover back in the field behind a solid speed, and will be launching late again.
Dangers: Big market watch on lightly raced 4. Leopardi who resumes for a strong country stable behind two trials. Keep very safe improving and light raced mare 9. Insightful Award who is ready to win again third-up, and was scratched from a Showcase meeting on Sunday to be saved for this. Include evergreen and still consistent 3. Sir Donald; and 8. The Affirmative; in trifecta and first four plays.
How to play it: Spirit Of Pluto to win
BEST BETS:
R1 9. RINNERO
R4 1. REBEL'S EDGE
BEST VALUE:
R6 5. QUICK AS A FLASH
