Raceday focus: Preview, best bets and inside mail for Sunday’s meeting at Coonabarabran

Watch Me Rumble will contest her third country cup in four starts at Coonabarabran on Sunday and trainer Clint Lundholm believes she’s close to a win. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Clint Lundholm likes his chances of winning the Coonabarabran Cup on Sunday.

Leading Country trainer Clint Lundholm aims for a clean sweep of Sunday’s town Cup and Sprint at Coonabarabran’s biggest meeting of the year.

Lundholm saddles up Brazen Beau gelding Beauchamp in the Showcase Sprint (1100m) while the well-bred mare Watch Me Rumble tackles her third country cup in the space of four starts.

“I think she is getting close to a win,’’ Lundholm said.

“She is just that type of horse that is always thereabouts.

“She was great over the mile in the Dubbo Cup and then obviously she backed it up at Coonamble.’’

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Sunday’s Coonabarabran Cup will be led out by Garry Lunn-trained Knife’s Edge who will be at Royal Randwick on the first Tuesday in November chasing a much bigger prize than this weekend’s $75,000 Cup.

“Obviously the horse to beat is the topweight, Knife’s Edge, he has been racing very well and is headed towards The Little Dance,’’ Lundholm said.

“But in saying that, Watch Me Rumble has got no weight on her back and she has been very competitive in the last two Cups over the mile at Dubbo and Coonamble which were both Big Dance qualifying races.

“If you take the city horses out of the Coonamble Cup, she wins the Coonamble Cup.

“She ran fourth and it took three city horses to beat her home and now she steps back into a race where there is not much depth only that Knife’s Edge has already qualified for a Big Dance.’’

Lundholm’s Sprint aspirations rest ably with Coonamble Crystal Slipper placegetter Beauchamp who has been gifted what could yet turn out to be a winning draw.

“He was super again at Coonamble the other day over 1200m,’’ Lundholm said.

“The 1200m sees him out and he doesn’t want a yard past 1100m or 1150m.

“He has drawn the rail on Sunday so he can jump and be there and he makes his own luck. He’ll be hard to beat.’’

Lundholm has numerous aces to play on the undercard this Sunday, none better than one-time Victorian housed galloper, Skyforger.

A son of the speed merchant, Deep Field, Skyforger’s first two dams are both daughters of Golden Slippers winners namely Sebring and Luskin Star.

Skyforger has had a Dubbo address for the last six of his 16 career starts.

In that short space of time the gelding has posted both of his two career wins together with two close seconds.

His “worst” run was riddled with excuses with horse and trainer’s long trip from Dubbo to Sydney spoiled by bad luck.

“He looked a beaten horse before the corner but young Dylan (Gibbons) thought if he had of ridden him before, he would have known what he was like and thought he was a horse that was beaten in that race by a bit of bad luck,’’ Lundholm said.

“He came home and has done well and raced very well at Coonamble the other day

“He hit the line strongly from well back so we are taking him up there thinking he is a great chance in that race on Sunday.

“He is a horse that is on the way up who should go through grades quite well out this way.”

SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 1 No.1: A TENT HUT

Luke Morgan-owned/trained gelding who looked good in his unhurried fourth of five in an Armidale trial.

NEXT BEST

Race 3 No.3: SKYFORGER

Finished on the podium at nine of 16 starts, very unlucky in a Highway two runs back.

VALUE

Race 4 No.1: A POUND OF SALT

Impressive winning at Bathurst on Cup day then made a good fist of it at Coonamble after that in the Class 1.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 1, 4

Race 6: 1, 4

Race 7: 1, 2

Race 8: 1, 2

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Ben Looker has some great rides at Coonabarabran on Sunday including Osman in the Cup.

Ben Looker has a good chance in the Coonabarabran Cup on Sunday.

INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1

A Tent Hut finished fourth of the five runners in his Armidale trial over 1000m on October 9 but he certainly wasn’t out there to win by the looks of things. It is all a bit subjective but he did seem to trial up pretty well in fact and his owner/trainer Luke Morgan has found a suitable race to debut in. Specula looks a bit green maybe but is in a good yard. Barrier two then must be a double dose of help to her. Break Over has serious claims.

Bet: A Tent Hut to win

RACE 2

Tabata Set was fourth of 16 at Flemington on Cup Day behind Charm Stone! She ran in two Listed races and a MM Classic at Ballarat after that. Debuts here in NSW for Luke Pepper. Look at the pedigree! By Snitzel, third dam is Alizee, fifth dam is Triscay. Brett Robb-trained debutant Deion ran an encouraging and impressive close second in an 800m Heat at Narromine albeit back in April. Rockin’ Edition was closing fast at Dubbo on debut.

Bet: Tabata Set to win, quinella 1,14

RACE 3

Skyforger heads into Sunday’s race with ‘1202’ as his last four starts. That ‘0’ was his 11th of 13 in the TAB Highway but keep in mind that he was only beaten three lengths and was getting a go on again late. Titled Tycoon is as costly as he is consistent. That said, he has to be afforded “major player” status in this style of race. For the record, Titled Tycoon was about a half-length behind Skyforger when they met at Coonamble 14 days ago. Fact Finder’s read reads a bit hot or cold but his hot might see him in the medals.

Bet: Skyforger to win

RACE 4

A Pound Of Salt is a lightly-raced son of Godoplhin's Kindergarten Stakes winner Furnaces. This four-year-old has only had three starts. He was seventh of 14 and fifth of 14 either side of the Bathurst win but the two losses were actually pass marks or probably better than that to be fair. Shubick has only managed one win in his 15 starts but he has placed five times and he rarely turns in a bad one. Has the talent and make no mistake, he has the draw! Foxy Baroness has finished off well in two strong races at Dubbo.

Bet: A Pound Of Salt to win, quinella 1,2

RACE 5

Ezekeil won the Armidale Newmarket and $300,000 Magic Millions Country Cup last preparation. The Cody Morgan trained bay was beaten four lengths by Tristate and co at Rosehill. Now take a look at this second-up record – four starts, two wins and two seconds. As hard as he will be to beat, he does have genuine competition in the Sprint from the Brett Robb pair Morgenstern who has an exceptional first-up record. Ditto for stablemate Moetta. Foreign Brother is on a hat trick. Beauchamp has the draw he needed to win.

Bet: Ezekeil to win

RACE 6

Amicus Curiae is the best horse in this race. That has to be the case given that he won the CDRA Country Championships Heat at Mudgee this year among other things. The son of Choisir was very good on either side of the Panorama which was a very, very strong race this year. Simply Xtravagant is clearly on an upward trajectory. She could potentially have won all four starts for Brett Robb. Impossible to knock. Calagary King has in red-hot form coming into this and has Aaron Bullock on.

Bet: Amicus Curiae to win, exacta 1 to beat 4

RACE 7

Knife’s Edge will be at Royal Randwick on the first Tuesday in November on Big/Little Dance day. He is such a good horse, one of those old-fashioned good bush cups horses. Another accurate description of him is “defending champion” given his win in last year’s Coonabarabran Cup. Osman is tracking well into Sunday’s Cup. He has won six from 18 (should be seven) so he is a winner. He looks pretty close to Knife’s Edge at the weight to my eye. Too close? Scorched Land is almost always thereabouts. So too Watch Me Rumble.

Bet: Knife’s Edge to win, equinella 1,2

RACE 8

Exonumia will be ridden by Aaron Bullock who, if he hasn’t won the TAB Jockeys Challenge by now, will probably arrive in time for his multitudes of fans here in the last aboard Exonumia. The Cody Morgan-trained chestnut beat subsequent Queensland Oaks winner Amokura when he won his maiden at Scone. Third-up now, he will be so hard to beat. Dirty Merchant will be right up there the whole way again. Midnight Dream is consistent. So too Smart And Dapper.

Bet: Exonumia to win

Originally published as Raceday focus: Preview, best bets and inside mail for Sunday’s meeting at Coonabarabran