Shayne O’Cass’s best bets, inside mail and quaddie picks for Scone on Monday

Form analyst Shayne O’Cass presents his best bets, value selection, quaddie pick, lay of the day and inside mail for Monday’s eight-race card at Scone.

  

Form analyst Shayne O’Cass presents his best bets, value selection, quaddie pick, lay of the day and inside mail for Monday’s eight-race card at Scone.

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SCONE TIPS

BEST BET
Race 6 No.8 CHEAP GAS: Handy enough horse on his best days and Scone layout should suit.

NEXT BEST
Race 8 No.5 MANAGE THE CYCLE: Locally-housed gelding coming off a last start win. Can repeat.

VALUE
Race 2 No.4 HANNAH’S BRIDGE: Turned in a most praiseworthy debut from a horror draw.

DAILY DOUBLE
1st Leg 8, 2nd Leg 5

QUADDIE
Race 5: 1,7,13
Race 6: 7,8
Race 7: 2,5,6,7
Race 8: 4,5

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Aaron Bullock has 121 wins at Scone with a 20 per cent win strike rate

LAY OF THE DAY
Race 1 No.3 CHAMPAGNE TONIGHT: Has competition here but only if numbers 7,9 and 10 all start.

RACE 1: Maiden Plate (1000m)

VINCETIO (10) had won both her May and June trials leading up to her debut on the Kensington track. It was quite an underwhelming run to be frank but to be fair, plenty of horses have bad first days and turn it around quickly. This is a Scone 1000m, remember not a midweeker. IT STAYS IN VEGAS (9) has the talent, the form and of course the advantage of being at home.

BET: VINCETIO (10) to win, quinella 9,10.

RACE 2: Maiden Handicap (1200m)

HANNAH’S BRIDGE (4) trialled well in a deep Heat at Coonamble hence why she was specked $26 into $16 at her debut run at Dubbo on June 29 in a $50,000 Super Maiden. Given she drew 14 of 14 and was 13th on the turn, her run was more than honourable. Drawn 1 this time in a smaller field. KEINBAH’S GIFT (3) ran an even but still pleasing fourth of nine, beaten five and a half at Newcastle behind the above average Oakfield Neptune. Shapes well this grade.

BET: HANNAH’S BRIDGE (4) to win.

RACE 3: Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1400m)

EPIC STATEMENT (6) is a 16-start maiden but is in fact a rather valuable broodmare given she is a daughter of Larrocha and with Robert Sangsters’s broodmare gem Kensington Gardens as her third dam. Even though she is yet to win, her form reads superior to her rivals. ICHIKA (7) has been with Sue Grills for the best two runs of her seven start career. That suggests she might be getting close to a win herself.

BET: EPIC STATEMENT (6) to win, exacta 6 to beat 7.

RACE 4: Benchmark 58 (1600m)

ZELESTIAL (2) is an English-born daughter of our own Zoustar. The Kia Ora Stud owned 4YO is ‘151’ in three runs down here and you could argue that the fifth wasn’t far off the wins in the merit department. This will be her first run at home and regarding the 1600m; barrier 1 and Bullock assist! CROATIAN MADAME (6) is a player for sure but that record of six starts for zero, zero, zero is cause for concern. NOTABADONE (7) was runner-up to Shutter here two goes back. That’s decent form for this race.

BET: ZELESTIAL (2) to win, NOTABADONE (7) to place.

RACE 5: Class 1 Plate (1600m)

ANNOINT (1) has one single win in his 20 starts but he has managed seven placings, five of them were seconds including at his June 20 trip to Taree where he bumped into a midweeker (or better) hence the almost seven lengths margin. This is easier and he gets barrier 4 and Aaron Bullock again. SPANDEX (7) will stretch out to the mile for the first time today but she made easy work of 1400m last start.

BET: ANNOINT (1) to win, quinella 1,7, box trifecta 1,7,9,13.

RACE 6: Benchmark 66 (1200m)

CHEAP GAS (8) has a record that probably doesn’t do him justice. Sometimes he’s been at fault himself but there’s occasions when it has been outside factors that have cost him. So far as Monday goes, Scone should suit him and it also takes a bit of the ouch out of his wide draw. THE PICCOLINO (7) is ‘22211’ which reads incredibly well and that’s before adding in that he is a last start Scone winner.

BET: CHEAP GAS (8) each-way (best bet), quinella 7,8, exacta 8 to beat 7, DD 1st leg 8, 2nd leg 5.

RACE 7: Class 1 Handicap (1200m)

HE’S MY WARRIOR (2) has had a few masters; he started off with Scott Spackman then went to David Payne, then down to Albury to Ron Stubbs and is now at Tamworth with Craig Martin. His two runs under the new management were both good, in fact he was beaten a whisker in a deep 58 last start. SHARPEN THE KNIVES (6) has finished with a medal at 13 of her 19 starts, alas, only one of them was gold. That’s not to say she can’t figure again here.

BET: HE’S MY WARRIOR (2) to win, box trifecta 2,5,6,7.

RACE 8: Maiden Plate (1000m)

MANAGE THE CYCLE (5) is yet to win here at home in eight runs but has three thirds to show for herself and take note that they were at her two most recent Scone runs behind the (respective) winners Calico Miss and Smoke On The Water. There are very, very strong form races which accounts for her own July 8 win at Muswellbrook. EDGE OF MIDNIGHT (4) has some ordinary first-up stats but that could easily change here with Bullock booked. TOO DARN LOVELY (1) is quick.

BET: MANAGE THE CYCLE (5) to win, exacta 5 to beat 4.

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s best bets, inside mail and quaddie picks for Scone on Monday