Wyong preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, June 8, 2025

Hall Of Fame trainer Clarry Conners has achieved many milestones during in his career and can add another if Iceman can score at Wyong.

Iceman can give trainer Clarry Conners his 150th winner at Wyong.

If only Hall Of Famer Clarry Conners could count on the equine Iceman as much as he did his two-legged namesake, he would be sure of tallying up his 150th career win at Wyong.

Conners, a four-time Golden Slipper-winning trainer among other things — bought, part-owns and of course trains Iceman.

It was only natural that we asked him if his name is a tribute to the Champion trans-Tasman jockey Grant Cooksley — aka ‘The Iceman’.

“I wish he was,” Conners joked.

“But no, he was a pretty easy horse to name after his mother (Ice Girl).

Mention Conners, and the first jockey that comes to mind is Shane Dye, but it was in fact Cooksley who holds the singular honour and distinction as judged by Conners himself.

Photo! 📸

Iceman gets there in a photo for Clarry Conners and Andrew Adkins!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/WPVXVLtNqi

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 16, 2024

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!

“Grant Cooksley rode the best horse I ever had,” Conners said. “And Cooksley reckons he was the best horse he ever rode.

“I’ll never forget him.”

That horse is Mouawad.

A year younger brother to Octagonal, Mouawad won seven of his eight career starts and was widely acknowledged as a certainty-beaten at the other in mid-January, 1997 at Royal Randwick.

“He was on the fence and he never got out,” Conners recalled.

After that, Mouawad and Cooksley were never beaten, sweeping the Debonair, Australian Guineas, Futurity Stakes and George Ryder in succession.

Then a sensation.

“He was the favourite for the Doncaster but the day before, he bumped himself in the pool, it was nothing but the owners decided to send him to stud which was stupid,” Conners said.

Mouawad served 32 mares in the spring 1997 but 29 of the mares failed to go in foal.

The three that did, all delivered dead foals.

With his stud seemingly over before it started, a racetrack return was on the radar.

“I tried to buy him back and I ran out of money,” Conners explained.

Grant Cooksley and Mouawad winning The Debonair.

“I formed a syndicate for half a million dollars and that was as far as we were going to go and then Y. P Cheng from Domeland bought him for $550,000 and took him to China to go to stud.

“If you can work that out, I can’t.”

Conners, meanwhile, has had his work cut out working the somewhat enigmatic Iceman out but is getting there.

“He is still a work in progress,” Conners said.

“He is a bit of a dumb horse. I put the nose-roll on him because he gets his head up and he’s looking around but the penny will drop one day I hope.”

The nose-roll has, it seems, to be propelling Iceman closer to adding to his single Warwick Farm victory with back-to-back thirds, one of them unlucky, during May ahead on his quest in The Enterance Leagues Club Class 1 Handicap (1600m).

“His last two runs have been pretty good and he has drawn a barrier so that will help a little bit,” he said.

“It is a nice race for him on Sunday.”

SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 2 No. 10: RAINBOW GODDESS

Daughter of Zanbagh placed at four of eight starts in superior company, most times.

NEXT BEST

Race 1 No. 1: GOLDEN STRAAND

Blue blooded Snitzel colt in the Gerry Harvey colours. Trialled well enough to win.

VALUE BET

Race 6 No. 3: MIZELLA

Kim Waugh-trained local who looks ready and able to see out the 2000m now.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 3, 9, 11, 12

Race 6: 3

Race 7: 2, 4, 9

Race 8: 5, 8

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

ALYSHA COLLETT has a decent book and will be popular with punters across the day.

INSIDE MAIL - WYONG

RACE 1: EZY PROJECTS - BUILDING MADE EASY MAIDEN HANDICAP 1100m

GOLDEN STRAAND (1) is a Gerry Harvey-owned and bred colt by Snitzel out of Kryptelon who was a nine-time winner including the Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich. A half to VRC Sires’ placegetter, Fling, this colt has trialled well enough to suggest a winning debut is well within reason. SWEXAN (2) is bred to get two miles (his dam is by Melbourne Cup placegetter Jakkalberry) but could easily run well here on debut.

Bet: Golden Straand to win

RACE 2: CENTRAL COAST 4 X 4 WRECKERS SUPER 4YO&UP MAIDEN PLATE 1200m

RAINBOW GODDESS (10) is a valuable daughter of Exceed And Excel out of Zanbagh who was well known to this mare’s owners, the Taits, and trainer John Thompson. Rainbow Goddess has placed at half of her four starts, three of them seconds. Been in much better races than this one. INNCOURT (1) makes his Australian debut off two recent trials, winning the last one over 1200m. Miler but could run well fresh.

Bet: Rainbow Goddess to win

RACE 3: COLORADO HOMES MIDWAY CLASS 1 HANDICAP 1000m

PRATT (2) had three starts for Chris Waller prior to him changing hands for $45,000 online in Feb, 2025. The now Mark Minervini-trained three-year-old had trialled well prior to his booming three-and-a-quarter length win at Newcastle on May 26. Can’t vouch for the beaten brigade but he thrashed them just the same. HARLEX (1), who shares the same third dam as Yes Yes Yes and In Her Time, has come up with a favourable draw here. Ran well in a deep Class 1 on Scone Cup Day.

Bet: Pratt to win, quinella 1, 2

RACE 4: THE ENTRANCE LEAGUES CLASS 1 HANDICAP 1600m

BRAVE CALL (1) was $17 into $14 when he made his Australian debut at Scone on Cup Day. The Kris Lees-trained gelding had the race snatched away right on the line by one of the locals. Mile again here, drawn 3 compared to 14 at Scone. Beautiful race for him. DIAMOND SHOW (4), a mare in-bred to Eight Carat no less, was miles too good when she won at Hawkesbury over the mile at Hawkesbury third-up. Only one word to describe her, progressive. ICEMAN (3) has claims.

Bet: Brave Call to win, exacta 1 to beat 4

RACE 5: SEASCAPE DENTAL PROVINCIAL MAIDEN PLATE 1600m

MATETE (3) is a son of Dundeel out of Kimillsy who, like Matete, was trained by Kim Waugh for husband Mark and others. Matete’s resume says he is unplaced in his four career starts but two are fourths, two are fifths and pretty respectable they were too. REVERBERATES (12) is a very well-bred Brad Widdup-trained filly who chased home an even better bred Brad Widdup mare, Diamond Show (see above) in that mile maiden. Peaking for this and hard to beat.

Bet: Matete to win, quinella 3,12 box trifecta 3, 9, 11, 12

RACE 6: AUSTRALIAN OZTAG BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP 2000m

MIZELLA (3) is a Kim Waugh-trained local by Winx’s soon to be 2025 spring partner, Too Darn Hot. Mizella has won three of her 12 starts. Those wins were at 1000m, 1500m and 1600m which is a nod to her versatility but 2000m here looks both suitable and doable. Dundeel gelding WHETU (2) has raced at Wyong twice and won both times. One of them was over 2000m and he won by three-and-a-half lengths. Rock hard fit.

Bet: Mizella to win, box trifecta 2, 3, 6, 8, DD 1st Leg 3, 2nd Leg 5

RACE 7: SCAPE PROPERTIES CG&E BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP 1200m

FRENCH MARINE (2) is a rising eight-year-old and just two starts shy of 50. That said, the Kris Lees-trained son of Epaulette posted his seventh career win at Newcastle this time on May 26 and it would have to rank right up there with one of his easiest. Just need some luck late from the rails draw maybe. Not so DIVINE BENE (4). He can be counted on to be right up there on the speed throughout. Purpose-built for these Central Coast tracks.

Bet: French Marine to win, quinella 2, 4, box trifecta 1, 2, 4, 9

RACE 8: TEAMWORK TROPHIES F&M BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP 1200m

COCO DREAMING (5) has one win and three seconds from her eight starts but to be fair to the mare, she could have at least one or two more wins added to the present tally had it not been for circumstances beyond her control. We know that when she does have even luck, how good she can be. Keep in mind that the Angela Davies-trained chestnut has raced at Wyong twice for a win and a second. The last preparation of CANDY WOMAN (8) was short and a wee-bit sour but she is handy and the trial the other day was a sweet one.

Bet: Coco Dreaming to win, quinella/exacta 5, 8

BEST BETS

WYONG

BEST BET

R2 No.10: Rainbow Goddess

Daughter of Zanbagh placed at four of eight starts in superior company, most times.

NEXT BEST

R1 No.1: Golden Straand

Blue-blooded Snitzel colt in the Gerry Harvey colours. Trialled well enough to win.

BEST VALUE

R6 No.3: Mizella

Kim Waugh-trained local who looks ready and able to see out the 2000m now.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 3,9,11,12

Race 6: 3

Race 7: 2,4,9

Race 8: 5,8

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Alysha Collett has a decent book and will be popular with punters across the day.