Hawkesbury best bets and inside mail for Thursday, June 26, 2025

The Daily Telegraph form analyst Mitch Cohen provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis for Hawkesbury on Thursday.

Le Chocolat can finally break his maiden at Hawkesbury on Thursday. Picture: Bradley Photos

The Daily Telegraph form analyst Mitch Cohen provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis for Hawkesbury and top picks at Lismore on Thursday.

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HAWKESBURY TIPS

BEST BET

Race 2 No.4: WILD THOUGHTS

Lightly-raced talent poised for a big first-up showing to kick off his second preparation.

NEXT BEST

Race 3 No.4: LE CHOCOLAT

First-up from a lengthy 38-week spell, this gelding has trialled up well and is ready to run a bold race fresh.

VALUE BET

Race 7 No.3: TOMBA

Struggled on heavy ground first-up at Newcastle but can bounce back in a big way here with firmer footing.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 2, 5, 9

Race 5: 1, 3, 4, 6

Race 6: 1, 2, 7, 10

Race 7: 1, 3, 6, 9

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

JASON COLLETT is having a super season with another treble last Saturday and has great chances with Cold Brew, Miss Judas and True Amor.

TRAINER TO FOLLOW

Home track conditioner BRAD WIDDUP has had four runners on the card with The Grey and Audrey’s Lane both right in the mix.

LISMORE TIPS

BEST BET

Race 3 No.1: BRAVELY

Scratched from Wednesday’s meeting at Doomben for an easier assignment, he is going to take a power of beating.

NEXT BEST

Race 4 No.9: ALMALIKAT SARAH

Found one better at her past two starts, this filly is ready to breakthrough in a winnable race.

VALUE BET

Race 7 No.10: LUVTOKNOW

She has won two out of her past three on heavy ground and should relish the conditions again here.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 9

Race 5: 3, 4, 5, 7

Race 6: 2, 5, 7, 8

Race 7: 10, 14

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

DANNY PEISLEY has six rides across the card and can take advantage of several gun draws aboard the likes of Barron and Hardley Grey.

TRAINER TO FOLLOW

MATT DUNN dominates in this part of the world and with chances like Bravely, Almalikat Sarah and Dernier Lien all set to line up, he can have a fill up.

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HAWKESBURY INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1: CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE (2100m)

MALBORK CASTLE (1) is a son of trainer Richard Litt’s former Group 1 gun Castelvecchio and is coming off a confidence boosting success last start. The three-year-old relished the step up to 1800m at Hawkesbury and should be well-suited at the same venue over 2200m. He can make it two on the spin here. TWILIGHT ELEGANCE (4) has mixed her form this preparation, breaking her maiden first-up over 1400m at Kembla before failing to fire over the Wyong mile. She’s from the same family as former star Miss Finland so should appreciate the step up in trip. Her stablemate MAIRE DE PARIS (6) wasn’t far off Malbork Castle last time. She can run well.

BET: MALBORK CASTLE to win.

RACE 2: MIDWAY MAIDEN PLATE (1300m)

WILD THOUGHTS (4) was scratched from Saturday’s meeting on his home track at Kembla Grange to line up here. He’s only had the one start to date but looks set to have a decent future. The son of So You Think wasn’t far off subsequent stakes performer Modella in that debut over 1300m back on January 29. COLD BREW (1) has been runner-up in four of his five starts to date. He seems to still be putting it all together but a maiden victory isn’t far away. MOCHIMA (7) and SISTER’S RUN (8) have both trialled up fairly ahead of their respective debuts.

BET: WILD THOUGHTS to win.

RACE 3: SUPER MAIDEN PLATE (1500m)

LE CHOCOLAT (4) is somewhat surprisingly still a maiden heading into the final weeks of his four-year-old season. The Chris Waller-trained galloper returns from a 38-week break with a couple of quiet trials typical of the stable. He finds himself in a winnable race here and a win might just be the confidence boost he needs to go on with it. THE BEAST (6) continues to knock at the door with seven placings in nine starts. He should settle on speed and be in this race a long way. JAMARNI (3) is racing consistently this time while Devoted To You in the unknown quantity.

BET: LE CHOCOLAT to win, quinella 4,6.

RACE 4: MAIDEN PLATE (1000m)

MISS JUDAS (5) has had her fair share of chances to break her maiden and gets another golden opportunity here. A placegetter in five of her 11 starts, the daughter of Microphone produced a tidy trial victory in the lead-up to her first-up assignment. 1000m looks to be the perfect kick-off point. EFHARISTO (2) hasn’t been seen at the races for 83 weeks when she was runner-up to Erno’s Cube in the 2023 Max Lees Classic. If she can recapture that form, she wins this but you have to take her on trust. ZING TO ME (9) had excuses first-up and is capable of bouncing back in a winnable race.

BET: MISS JUDAS to win.

RACE 5: PROVINCIAL BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1100m)

THE GREY (4) looks as his name suggests and is trained on course with Brad Widdup. He finds this race third-up and should be ready to peak after battling on for third at the same track and trip last time. Widdup has added the blinkers again to keep his mind of the job. Father-son team Rob and Luke Price have two chances in ALL MACHIAVELLIAN (3) and MR ROCK IT (1) can both have claims. The former is the clear class runner if he brings his A-game while the latter has been racing well without winning this time in. DESI EMPEROR (6) keeps running into one better but it’s hard to knock his consistency.

BET: THE GREY to win. Boxed trifecta 1,3,4,6.

RACE 6: BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1300m)

AUDREY’S LANE (2) finds herself in the most competitive race on the program. The Brad Widdup-trained mare is first-up from 35-week break with a couple of trials under her belt. She’s performed well fresh before and has loves the 1300m with two wins in a placing in three starts at the trip already. The firm track should be to TRUE AMOR’s (7) liking. He looked like his wheels were spinning on rain-affected going in town but should get firmer footing here in easier grade. The blinkers go on. CALIFORNIA SECRET (1) has won his past two starts and gets in well considering after Braith Nock’s 1.5kg claim.

BET: AUDREY’S LANE each-way.

RACE 7: BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1500m)

TOMBA (3) was a complete forgive first-up at Newcastle when he didn’t go a yard on heavy ground. The market said it all – drifting from $3.70 to $5.50 in betting – before only beating a runner home. Back on good ground here, he can bounce back in a big way over a 1500m trip he’s won over before. KYEEMA (1) was scratched from Wednesday’s Randwick Kensington meeting to target this race. The ex-Hong Kong galloper will take plenty out of his Kenso victory last time and a repeat of that performance undoubtedly has him right in this too. HEAVEN BOUND (6) strips fitter while CRIMSON MISS (9) is lightly-raced with her best in front of her.

BET: TOMBA to win.

Originally published as Hawkesbury best bets and inside mail for Thursday, June 26, 2025