Orange, Port Macquarie best bets, inside mail on Friday, April 11, 2025

Still Excited, a David Pfieffer-trained daughter of Lonhro from The Galaxy winner I Am Excited, heads to Orange in search of an early career win. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Trainer David Pfieffer heads to Orange with Still Excited chasing an early career win. Picture: Grant Guy

Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass provides his best bets and analysis of the Quaddie legs at Orange and Port Macquarie 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!

ORANGE

BEST BET

Race 2 No. 7: Still Excited

Daughter of a Galaxy winner; fast horse, has to stand up and be counted now.

NEXT BEST

Race 5 No. 10: Onyspeed

Ran a huge race in a Highway before a respectable run at Muswellbrook.

VALUE

Race 7 No. 9: Don Stefano

Backing up here after contesting the Country Championships Final last Saturday.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 2, 10

Race 6: 3, 5, 10

Race 7: 3, 9, 12

Race 8: 5, 7, 9, 15

Claire Ramsbotham could be in for a good day at Orange. Picture: Bradley Photos

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Luke Pepper has gifted Claire Ramsbotham three winning rides.

PORT MACQUARIE

BEST BET

Race 7 No. 9: King Larry

Has been good even when beaten. Ready and able to win.

NEXT BEST

Race 8 No. 5: Solar Power

Up to 1500m and was fourth the in the Grafton Guineas.

VALUE

Race 1 No. 10: Zousilence

Trials are better than they read on paper.

INSIDE MAIL - ORANGE

RACE 5

ONYSPEED is quite a handy mare whose good form early in the current campaign led her to Randwick on March 1 for a TAB Highway where she came from way back to finish eighth of 16 beaten three lengths. Followed up with a respectable run at Muswellbrook. SMARTER THAN YOU is a most reliable mare who resumed with a fast finishing fourth in a Benchmark 66 (1000m) at Wagga. This is perfect for her. Gary Portelli’s lightly-raced filly EXOTIC DANCER has the form and trialled well.

Bet: Onyspeed to win, exacta 10 to beat 2

RACE 6

TULIPWOOD has raced three times; she won at Dubbo either side of her fifth and third. That third was over 1300m on a Heavy 8 at Beaumont. Plenty of merit in that run given where she was on that track; 1400m here. CHECK YOUR SIX was just about the run of the race first-up here on March 23 which was also his first run for Dean Mirfin. Placed to win. Local FEIMAZUO deserves another one.

Bet: Tulipwood to win, Daily Double 1st Leg 10, 2nd Leg 14 (or if scratched) 9

ZARIZATYCOON wins the @Evergreen_Turf CDRA Country Championships!

The @gayna_w_racing gelding powers away at @RacingOrange2 to win the $150,000 feature and book his place in the $1m Final, along with runner-up Don Stefano, while Light Infantry ran third. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/2rw4wv5qS5

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 28, 2025

RACE 7

DON STEFANO has won four races from 15 starts (with four placings). That quartet of wins have been at 1300m up to 2200m so this trip won’t worry him at all. He’s been to Orange before; as recently as two starts ago when he was runner-up in the Country Championship Qualifier which meant he raced in last Saturday’s Final; ran 14th. HELLUVA SOIREE is absolutely flying. She has won three of her last four and was unlucky when she got beat. FUN SUNDAY’s best is good enough.

Bet: Don Stefano each-way, box trifecta 3, 5, 9, 12

RACE 8

FEIMAZUO is a dual acceptor. The Alison Smith-trained local has been costly but she has been very consistent too with one win and seven placings, five of them seconds, some close and some unlucky. LITTLE BIT FLASH was, it seems, building up to that third-up win at Muswellbrook on March 14. Drew 1 that day, has gate 11 this time but doesn’t have to lead. MRS BULL is another one drawn out but she is almost always thereabouts.

Bet: Feimazuo to win or if scratched Mrs Bull to place.

INSIDE MAIL - PORT MACQUARIE

RACE 5

ARCHAIC FORCE is a nice horse with a great pedigree; a $125,000 Inglis Classic Yearling, he is by Cosmic Force out of NZ Oaks winner, and now the mother of multiple stakes winners, Bramble Rose. Bad draw but has Bullock. VALENTINO PRINCE has only won once in 20 starts (with three thirds) but he has raced quite well this preparation, all four of them at provincial level. Got a good draw if he can take advantage. BOLD DESIGN was an emphatic winner on debut.

Bet: Archaic Force to win or if scratched Valentino Prince each-way

RACE 6

SO YOU SUGGEST was a $100,000 Classic Yearling. This one, like the previously mentioned Archaic Force, was bought by trainer Todd Howlett. This So You Think mare has won back $40,000 in just five starts. Won first-up and can keep on winning. CARDSHARP will appreciate the step back in company and step back in distance from that last start in the 1410m NRA County Championships Heat at Lismore.

Bet: So You Suggest to win, box trifecta 1, 6, 7, 12, Daily Double 1st leg 12, 2nd leg 5

King Larry proves he is King on debut!
A tight win in the third at Taree for @Wilkes_Racing. pic.twitter.com/1agOV73XSN

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 9, 2024

RACE 7

KING LARRY has raced seven times so far for two wins, a second and a third, He’s got a couple of fourths on his resume as well, one to Bodhi Boy here at Port Macquarie and the other, on April 1, at Tamworth in a rather strong Class 2. Go well again, always does really. LOVE CHILD, once a Chris Waller-trained mare, ran them off their legs to win on the Beaumont on March 24 at her first run for Glen Milligan. MONTE MAXIMUS one was a third to Headley Grange at 1200m.

Bet: King Larry to win

RACE 8

SOLAR POWER, like the abovementioned King Larry, is by a very handy Taree-based stallion by the name of Sebring Sun. Solar Power has done, by far, more good things than bad in his 14 starts. One good example is his fourth in an extremely strong edition of the Grafton Guineas. TOOTSIE’s last win was at Coffs Harbour over the mile three starts ago with Aaron Bullock in the saddle, as he is here. Can’t ever be ruled out. RED RED WINE wasn’t beaten far at Doomben last start.

Bet: Solar Power to win, box trifecta 1, 4, 5, 12