Summary of best bets:
Next Best: R5 (2) Man Of Worth
Best Bet: R1 (2) Our Huntress
Turf Talk:
- Rail +5m 1000m–W/Post and +3m the remainder.
- With the dry track and rail out, on-speed horses should have a slight advantage overall.
- Tempo will be key to the overall outcome of races.
Race 1
Open event to kick off proceedings here. Happy to side with the current favourite in OUR HUNTRESS. The Michael Freedman-trained filly brings consistent metro form to the event and maps to find the front. The big watch is on PEPE, who has had back-to-back quiet trials but has worked through the line strongly and is right in this. ERIN JO stays at 1400m here third-up, peaking fitness-wise. Better gate today and should be handy in transit. MISS LOLA rounds out the numbers.
(2) Our Huntress
(7) Pepe
(5) Erin Jo
(3) Miss Lola
Suggested bet: (2) Our Huntress (Win) / (7) Pepe (Each-way)
Race 2
Tricky little contest. I respect the first-up SP of MANUKAU and do expect sharp improvement second-up. Intriguingly, she gets the tongue-tie off now as well, maps ideally and is the horse to beat. Loved the tenacity late of MISS SUPERNOVA when savaging the line, peak fitness and has that against plenty of fresh horses. LIPSTICK is the market watch, smart booking of McDonald and looked good at the trials. NANDINA is next best.
(6) Manukau
(14) Miss Supernova
(12) Lipstick
(15) Nandina
Suggested bet: No bet
Race 3
Plenty of winning chances here but a real lack of speed up front. INFUSION was sent around as a $4.20 chance fresh in a harder event. Happy to forgive the one bad outing and trust the trials and SP. BEREZKA has one career win in 11 starts, which came first-up. Loved the recent Gosford trial and she does map to get an ideal run here. I respect the market move for ELLIPSIS but do think that price is rock-bottom odds now. In the mix. SISTER DAAE and KOMODO DRAGON are next best.
(9) Infusion
(4) Berezka
(5) Ellipsis
(6) Sister Daae
(2) Komodo Dragon
Suggested bet: No bet
Race 4
The market has suggested it’s a race in two on paper and I tend to agree. I expect STRAAND BEAUTY to take sharp improvement here second-up while enjoying the drop in class. Sticks to 1000m and gets James aboard. RUNRANIRUN ran a career peak last start over the 1000m at Hawkesbury and a repeat of that has her going very close here. Outside of that, ACTION KING is next best.
(1) Straand Beauty
(4) Runranirun
(3) Action King
Suggested bet: No bet
Race 5
The penny dropped last start for the Chris Waller-trained MAN OF WORTH with a dominant win over the 1600m. He brings a sharp form line around Hereward and now gets the solid addition of James McDonald in the saddle. Both SISU SPIRIT and MIRRA IMPACT savaged the line last start at Canterbury. Both rise 50m, but of the two MIRRA IMPACT draws better. LUGARNO gets the aggressive Alysha Collett in the saddle from a smart gate and has upside to come third-up.
(4) Man Of Worth
(7) Sisu Spirit
(2) Mirra Impact
(10) Lugarno
Suggested bet: (4) Man Of Worth (Win)
Race 6
On paper, it’s OUTTA LINE’s race to lose. Dominant fresh win at Kembla and has since been kept up to the mark with a strong tick-over trial. She maps ideally to take up the running and looks ready for 1600m. O CARA MIA is the danger. Tricky gate, but she has a lovely turn of speed on her day. I respect the consistent form of EMBALLEE, peak fitness now and has to go in the mix. KINGSTON CHARM is next best.
(6) Outta Line
(11) O Cara Mia
(9) Emballee
(4) Kingston Charm
Suggested bet: (6) Outta Line (Win)
Race 7
Wide open event to round out the program. Tricky, tricky race. The consistent HOW MUCH BETTER gets in light at the weights with the claim and will appreciate the firm conditions here. Clare Collett has ROUSSILLON in good order, strips fitter second-up off a freshen and should land handy from the gate. COPACABANA comes here off a forgive run last start when ridden too hot and I expect a slightly more conservative ride from the draw. HOUSE OF CARDS and CONVERGENT round out the numbers.
(12) How Much Better
(7) Roussillon
(13) Copacabana
(9) House Of Cards
(11) Convergent
Suggested bet: No bet
