Warren preview: Tips, best bets and inside mail

Trainer Michael Mulholland is very excited about the prospects of Eva’s Deel in the Cotton Cup at Warren on Sunday.

Eva‘s Deel is set to contest the Cotton Cup. Picture: Mark Evans-Getty Images

It’s always good when your best winning chance on the day is in the feature race and that’s the mindset of trainer Michael Mulholland as he heads to Warren on Sunday.

He has two chances in the Cotton Cup (1600m) with Eva’s Deel leading the way.

The six-year-old mare enters the race third-up off two eye catching seconds over 1400m and 1500m when coming from off the speed at decent odds.

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Off those two runs she naturally looks ideally placed at a mile now and from barrier 11 Serg Lisnyy will ride her in similar fashion to how he did at Muswellbrook last week.

“I think Eva’s Deel will go very close to winning the cup and I think she’s one of my best on the day,” Mulholland said.

“She’s knocking on the door and we’re going to find out how she handles the quick back up.

“There’s not much around for her in the next few weeks which is why she’s on the quick back up and it’s the right sort of race for her and we want to get her up to a mile and she’s got no weight.

“We’ll ride her quiet and let her come at them with one big run and hopefully the go too hard in front.”

Her two runs for Mulholland have been her first two for him since arriving from the Brett Robb yard in average form.

While the change of scenery has clearly befitted Eva’s Deel, Mulholland wasn’t taking much credit for her return to form.

“She’s just had a good spell in the paddock and sometimes a good spell is better than anything for a horse and she’s come back well and healthy,” he said.

Universal Thief is also running in the Cotton Cup and Mulholland said punters, like him, should try and forget his last placing at Dubbo three weeks ago and focus on what he did at his previous two runs.

“He’s more of a miler but he put in a shocker at Dubbo last start,” Mulholland said.

“His other runs before that were good though. He’s run third in an Open race two back and was fifth in a Moree Cup and that race was a lot stronger than this.”

Wunambal will be expected to deliver in the opener as a well backed favourite but that not the only pressure on his shoulders in the Class 2 event as he takes on stablemate Zachariah.

“If he had 59kg I’d be declaring him a good thing but we don’t have 59kg, we have 62kg,” Mulholland said.

“He’s giving them 6kg so it makes it hard and my other horse Zachariah is in the same race and he’s going very well.”

Eva's Deel is set to take on the Cotton Cup. Picture: Mark Evans-Getty Images

If Memories can overcome barrier 14 in the last race she’s in with a hope off a nice last start win.

“I thought she could win had she drawn a gate but she’s out wide. It’s still winnable though,” Mulholland said.

“We will come in a few gates and the horse isn’t going too badly. She is a chance with some luck because she’s go the ability.”

Sea Of Flames wants further than 1200m in the third race today but is fresh where he’s placed at in the past.

“He can sprint well fresh but it’s looking a tough short for him,” Mulholland said.

“It is a long straight thought and he’ll make a run at them from just worse than midfield.”

MATT JONES’ TOP TIPS

BEST BET

Race 3 No.5: HURN COURT

He was always going to struggle from a wide draw in the Highway race at Rosehill last week and he got too far back but he should get the favours this time and the stable have him going well.

NEXT BEST

Race 7 No.1: A MAGIC ZARIZ

The veteran can win this one now that he’s back up in trip and on a track he likes. The wet ground only helps him and he thinks he’s younger than he is.

VALUE BET

Race 4 No.9: SMART AND DAPPER

The barrier trial was very comfortable and the stable confidence about him is high. He should be able to sit outside the speed and run better than his price suggests.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 1, 3, 5, 7

Race 6: 1, 6, 8

Race 7: 1, 2, 3, 8

Race 8: 1, 2, 3, 8

TRAINER TO WATCH

Brett Robb has a huge team going around today and in the five races he has horses entered they are all contenders. Not one of them should be dismissed.

JOCKEY TO WATCH

Clayton Gallagher will be confident of having a day out here with Wunambal, Hurn Court, Smart And Dapper, Morgenstern and Larynx.

Clayton Gallagher is the jockey to follow on Sunday. Picture: AAP

INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1

Wunambal should start short in the opener and will love getting his toe into the ground this time and he’s very fit for this race fourth-up and he’ll have to be as he gives away a fair bit of weight to most of the field. It’s a good time for Zachariah to be tested at a mile and it might suit him with his grinding style and wet ground is a bonus. Yallah Sunrise has only won over 1200m but that’s misleading because she’s a miler who has just struggled to win. She was hitting the line well over the trip two weeks ago at Wagga and must be in the mix here and might be the one to upset the odds on favourite.

Bet: Yallah Sunrise to win

RACE 2

Winning Factor has got the ideal gate to finally breakthrough at start 10 off two placings and if she can just get an easier sectional midrace she can be a bigger force in the finis this time. Camp Cove has been threatening to win of late but will need favours with a hot speed if she’s to come from the back of the field to nab them late. How many win their first race at start 35 though? Edith’s Joy finally draws a gate so she gets her best chance to win and she’s improving.

Bet: Winning Factor to win

RACE 3

Hurn Court is better placed on a quick back up after getting too far out of his ground last weekend in a Highway from a horror draw. This should be easier to win from gate six and in a more winnable race. Hampton Cove is probably good enough to win a race like this but only if he gets a good ride and luck from the wide barrier. Brooklyn Star needs a drying track to be in this. If it stays heavy she’s probably out of it.

Bet: Hurn Court to win

RACE 4

Piece Of Turf drops back from a provincial race to what looks like a pretty ordinary maiden event. She’s shown more than enough at her three runs to suggest she’s going to be hard to beat as long as she doesn’t get too far back on the fence and have slow ones in front of her. Vanoureuce might be race a little green on debut but he looks to have some ability. Tablet also looked the part in her barrier trial and she should be able to settle from a wide gate and run on. Brett Thompson is bullish about Smart And Dapper fresh off a very good barrier trial.

Bet: Smart And Dapper to win

RACE 5

Brett Thomson’s pair Extra Flash and Apollo Star have both drawn out but he says that if you are getting caught wide it might as well be at this track and both horses are in form. Princess Factor also has a double figure gate but has the speed to sit outside the leader. Foxstorm will get a suck run in behind all the speed that’s drawn outside him and it might be the type of race that gives him a much better chance of winning and not running a placing like he has a habit of doing.

Bet: Apollo Star to win

RACE 6

There’s a few in form here and Morgenstern is one of them off two wins to start this preparation and drops 4.5kg in weight for this as he goes up in grade so he’s well placed and liked wet ground. Petain is also going well but probably lacks the class to win in this grade. Jerle is up to this grade but hasn’t been at his best for a while. Seguso won fresh last time in and arrives here first-up with barrier one and in a leading stable.

Bet: Morgenstern to win

RACE 7

Can Larynx run out a mile here? That’s the query for him but he’s in the right form to do it. Eva’s Deel looks set to swoop past them third-up as long as the speed is strong enough in front but all her best form has been on dry tracks. The old warhorse A Magic Zariz just keeps turning up and racing well and is suited going back up in trip now on a track he will enjoy. Brett Robb’s other two Great Buy and All Words can also win this open race.

Bet: A Magic Zariz to win

RACE 8

Despite getting in light you wouldn’t think many down in the weights could threaten in the last. Vital Verse has only won once but is going well and can sit up on the speed and look right in this for a long way. Memories just has to overcome the wide draw to get the job done such is the form she’s returned in. Owhata Crumpet has run less than a length off the winner at her past two and she gets the gun run in transit which could deliver an overdue win.

Bet: Owhata Crumpet to win