Canterbury, Gundagai best bets, inside mail Friday, November 15, 2024
Team Hawkes can start the Canterbury night racing season on a high note with four strong chances including lightly-raced mare Liberty State.
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Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis for Canterbury and best bets for Gundagai and Ballina on Friday.
The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!
CANTERBURY
BEST BET
Race 5 No. 3: Liberty State
Won back-to-back races in Victoria last prep by big margins. Trialling well.
NEXT BEST
Race 7 No. 2: Scorch
Handy type on his day who resumes in the right race with the right draw.
Scorch comes out on top in the photo!🔥📸
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 24, 2022
Willie Pike gets the best from the debutant for @HawkesRacing. pic.twitter.com/SblzhgiYzz
VALUE
Race 2 No. 10: Zan
Ready for this after a couple of Kembla seconds. Has the talent.
QUADDIE
Race 5: 3
Race 6: 4, 6
Race 7: 2
Race 8: 3, 4, 6, 7
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Last week’s Five Diamonds winner Kerrin McEvoy has some gems at Canterbury.
GUNDAGAI
BEST BET
Race 2 No. King Taurus
First run for Danny Williams here. Looks a really nice prospect.
NEXT BEST
Race 7 N. 4: Asgarda
Country Championship Final winner at this trip. Drawn well.
BALLINA
BEST BET
Race 3 No. 1: Pierre Cardinnigan
A Matthew Dunn-trained son of Pierro who went close on debut at Ballina.
INSIDE MAIL - CANTERBURY
RACE 1: SCHWEPPES MDN HCP 1250M
Call Me Mojo was tipped out after a moderate debut at Kensington in June in what has turned out to be a fairly strong 2YO Maiden thanks to the winner, Clear Proof. Granted, Call Me Mojo is a ‘good trialler’ but she has been nothing short of outstanding in her two October heats. Ditto that for the first starter Hopper and by the way, he is a dead-ringer for Snitzel. Love that draw (3) for him on debut. Point And Shoot has raced well and trialled well.
Bet: Call Me Mojo to win, exacta 10 to beat 4
RACE 2: OOSHMAN MDN PLATE 1550M
Zan is from a family that just keeps on delivering and the majority of time it is for this filly’s owner/breeder, Kim Harding. Zan is trained by Craig Carmody who has the filly ready for a Friday night win off consecutive seconds at Kembla. Altair I Am gave away what turned out to be too much of a headstart at Hawkesbury but savaged the line over 1300m; 1550m now. Kotaishi has claims. Big watch on $525,000 yearling Bluepinot.
Bet: Zan each-way
Sakima lets down powerfully! @SnowdenRacing1 and Jason Collett are on the board early at Randwick Kensington 🤠pic.twitter.com/mmEFOrSJkL
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 17, 2024
RACE 3: NICK’S GROUP MDN HCP 1100M
Queen’s Rhapsody ran a fantastic race on debut when second on the Kensington track on June 17. She was spelled and has been tuned-up for a winning return with a couple of lovely trials with Jason Collett on both times. Drawn to win. Hard to know with any certainty but it could be that Regimental Colours pings the lids and tries her best to run them off their legs which is entirely possible. Blanc De Noir and Indefensible are two others from the trials.
Bet: Queen’s Rhapsody to win, box First 4 Nos: 1, 6, 11, 12, 16
Angel Of Light is out a very good broodmare; apart from him, there is the ATC Derby winner Angel Of Truth as well as this horse’s Team Hawkes stablemate Enotis. Angel Of Light has raced at this track and distance four times for a second and a third. Drawn 4 and is 1kg over the limit. Celestial Fury should be at the peak of his powers now. Vaguer looks absolutely purpose-built for Canterbury, especially if we get an on-fence/on-pace night.
Bet: Angel Of Light to win
A great win to Newfoundland gives @clarkyhk a double at Warwick Farm!@GaiWaterhouse1 | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/61arnwoEO1
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 16, 2024
RACE 5: PICCOLO ME (BM72) 1250M
Liberty State races in the same colours and with the same trainers who housed Shania Dane back in the day. This daughter of American Pharoah has raced in Victoria five times for two wins and a second. By the way, those wins came with margins of seven and a half lengths and then five lengths - wow. Trialled super at Rosehill. Chris Waller is a master, nay genius, with Zoustar progeny so if he thinks Valetudo should be here, then so do we.
Bet: Liberty State to win, exacta 3 to beat 6
RACE 6: JAMBEROO ACTION PARK SPRINT (BM78) 1100M
Dehorned Unicorn struck a few Heavy tracks when new trainer Mark Minervini first got him; the horse is a borderline duffer. Fast forward to more recent times and Dehorned Unicorn has run two crackerjack races on Good 4s at Warwick Farm and Rosehill. His ‘best’ is better than these with the possible exception of Kerguelen only because he is so lightly-raced and does have a nine and a half length win on his resume. Navy Blood is trialling well.
Bet: Dehorned Unicorn to win
Pisanello wins easily at Warwick Farm for @JamesCummings88 and @mcacajamez!@godolphin | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/l61FfjJ0Bo
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 23, 2024
RACE 7: KIA EVENING STAR (BM72) 1250M
Scorch (another one of the Team Hawkes crew) is a good barrier horse; that is to saw, he mostly draws favourably and tonight is no different. This half-brother to In Her Time is a city-winner in Sydney and Melbourne and his trials are very good in incredibly good heats. Demiana’s numbers tell the story; two runs at the track and distance for an easy win and a close second to Ningaloo Star. Good draw. Lancaster Bomber is 10 starts for three and three placings at track and distance.
Bet: Scorch to win, Lancaster Bomber to place
Inquiring Minds won’t have any issues with running 1550m first-up; he won on debut in England over 2011m. On top of that, he went within inches of winning his Australian debut in a 1500m race at Kembla. This is a lovely race for the son of Kingman that got lovelier when he drew gate 4 and got 3kg off his back. Dreamdeel has accepted for Newcastle tomorrow and is a chance there too. Bat Out Of Hell has placed twice on his three runs at Canterbury and we all know two out of three ain’t bad.
Bet: Inquiring Minds to win
Lismore, Gosford tips: Dunn to cap a big day with Maurizma
Trainer Matthew Dunn is chasing another Country Championship Qualifier with three leading chances and has several other leading contenders on the day including Maurizma.
Lismore, Gosford previews: Volcanic Love set to explode
Grafton trainer Scott Henley has talented gelding Volcanic Love is peak form and ready to pull off a long range plan in the Country Championship Qualifier at Lismore.