Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Taree, Bathurst

Into The Blue is in fine form and should provide a very stiff test to the opposition in the opening race at Taree on Friday. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Racing in New South Wales on Friday is at Taree and Bathurst.

Daily Telegraph form analyst Matt Jones gives his best bets and runs the rule over the Quaddie legs at Taree and Bathurst.

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!

TAREE

BEST BET

Race 1, No.2: INTO THE BLUE

He’s hardly put a foot wrong during the past couple of months and will relish the track conditions against a small field.

NEXT BEST

Race 5, No.13: WILLINGA KARISMA

She got no luck on debut with a number of things going wrong. She’ll be better for the experience and if she gets luck on her side this time she’s right in this.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 5, 8, 11, 13

Race 6: 3, 4, 8

Race 7: 2, 4, 6, 9

Race 8: 2, 4, 7, 12

Aaron Bullock has a good book of rides at Taree.

JOCKEY TO WATCH

Aaron Bullock has picked up some handy rides with the likes of Into The Blue, Bugalugs and Dreamdeel looking well placed in their races.

BATHURST

BEST BET

Race 6, No.1: SINALOA

It’s only an 1100m race so we’ll back her in to carry the big weight and get home at those level. She’s never missed a top three finish.

TRAINER TO WATCH

Bjorn Baker loves coming to Bathurst to win races and he can do it again with Sinaloa, Covalent and Loud who are all good enough to get the job done.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR TAREE

RACE 5

Stablemates Little Beginnings and Willinga Karisma debuted together last time out and meet again here. Little Beginnings beat his stablemate home that day but got an easier run the whole race while Willinga Karisma had to go wide around the turn and copped a whack at the business end of the race and cost her momentum. It could be the same set up here with the difference in barriers but we’ll back Willinga Karisma to turn the tables in a pretty weak race. Millennibarr gets the inside gate for her debut and did look the part in a recent barrier trial but beat home mostly unraced types so it’s hard to gauge how well she went but she looked comfortable.

Bet: Willinga Karisma to win

RACE 6

Dreamdeel has his best racing still in front of him and is here second-up after running third at Hawkesbury last start behind a winner that is fairly progressive so that form should stack up here and the winkers stay on. Crown’m has just drawn a little awkward but that happened first-up and he caught the eye when coming from 11th on the turn to run less than two lengths fourth and the extra ground here must suit. Builda Prophet should find this easier and gets the gun run from an inside gate and should be able to produce his best late.

Bet: Dreamdeel to win

RACE 7

The favourite has drawn the carpark without a jockey nominated so we’ll look to Robarge here from barrier three. She’s raced well enough in Highway grade and is on a quick back up here off a fair run last time. Peaks now. Gold Card would’ve won in another stride last start on a wet track but did get an easy run from barrier five and has gate 11 now. Hard To Dismiss showed a superior turn of foot to win and that win was coming after good racing with strong form all around her.

Bet: Hard To Dismiss to win

RACE 8

Continuum has only won once in 35 starts with 13 placings and she’s knocking on the door and if she holds her form she should be in the finish. The winning strike rate is the thing that will put punters off. Ready To Chase has been racing above his odds of late and can sit box seat here. Salad Dodger has been a hard horse to catch his whole career but has won twice here. Discompose didn’t end her last prep well but has a good fresh record.

Bet: Continuum to win

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR BATHURST

RACE 5

Bjorn Baker has sent plenty of horses out to this track to get their first wins and Covalent could be another. She’s first-up off forward barrier trials and just missed out on winning here on debut last preparation. Shrill Whistle has also been sent out here for a kill and has also trialled up well but does have a wide gate so the first couple of hundred metres is key. The Impact probably came out of a fair form race first-up and is placed well now.

Bet: Covalent to win

RACE 6

Sinaloa hasn’t missed a top three finish in six runs to date and will push forward and lead or sit outside the leader and he’s hard to see her not looking like the winner in the final 100m. She goes up 6.5kg but it’s only a 1100m race and she’s back to country level. Bel Suono won last time at Nowra and remains at the same weight here and should run top four. Timperley doesn’t win out of turn but is in form and had little luck when second last time but he likes wet ground.

Bet: Sinaloa to win

Alysha Collett rides Offspring for trainer Keith Dryden at Bathurst. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 7

Offspring has drawn much better now and shouldn’t have to race wide this time. She was still good to run third behind a horse that was then sent to a Stakes race at its next start. Natural improvement brings her right into this and the wet track isn’t an issue. Dee Pee Pee is racing at home and is third-up now and should be running at her best. Cordyceps Eight and Loud have both drawn the carpark so luck is going to be needed for both but they’re good enough.

Bet: Offspring to win

RACE 8

Down To Earth broke through in a good way at this track last start and is bred to get better with age and she’s a lightly-race six-year-old. Black Lavender improves a lot second-up and was running on fresh over a shorter trip so look for a much-improved result now and she’s raced well on heavy ground. Our Blue Moon was the strongest finisher in her race last start here and getting up to 1400m now should be seen as a positive for the locally trained horse.

Bet: Our Blue Moon each way

Originally published as Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Taree, Bathurst