Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Canterbury

A Richard Litt-trained mare won her first three starts in her opening campaign and can kick off her second preparation with a win at Canterbury.

Trainer Richard Litt has Essonne trialling well ahead of her return to racing at Canterbury on Friday night.

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass gives his best bets and runs the rule over every race for Canterbury.

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!

CANTERBURY

BEST BET

Race 7, No.8: ESSONNE

Has won three of her first four starts including a Midway and is trialling well ahead of her return.

NEXT BET

Race 2, No.2: HI DUBAI

A daughter of Highland Reel who has impressed at the trials, winning all three. Her draw is the main negative.

VALUE BET

Race 5, No.8: RICHON

Runner-up to Promitto on debut. Resumed with a very soft win at Gosford. Nice colt.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 8,9

Race 6: 2,3

Race 7: 4,8

Race 8: 3,4,7,8,10

Nash Rawiller can build on his great record at Canterbury. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Canterbury is the track where Nash Rawiller has ridden the most of his 2,500+ winners, currently numbering 191.

SCONE

BEST BET

Race 1, No.6: BETTER JUDGEMENT

A metropolitan placegetter at her first campaign and it won’t be long before she’s back in town again.

MURWILLUMBAH

BEST BET

Race 4, No.2: MR MONEGASQUE

Big, strong gelding from the Matthew Dunn stable on debut at home off two outstanding trials.

DUBBO

BEST BET

Race 5, No.4: YEHBUT

Lightly-raced three-year-old on his way to the winner’s stall, soon, after that closing third at Coonamble second-up.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR CANTERBURY

RACE 1

Pantech is one those Fastnet Rocks that will be more a mile-plus horse which accounts for why he will have raced 1200m, 1600m and 1900m at his first three starts. It is entirely possible that he could race handier than he has been given the added trip and the favourable draw. Classic Deel is fourth-up and has been looking for a trip like this her whole life actually. El Bravo is fit and consistent. Mickey’s Pride is a ‘staying’ Sebring who has been given a lovely foundation into this race.

Bet: Pantech to win, quinella 3,5

RACE 2

Hi Dubai was one of 105 foals from the first crop of the mighty Highland Reel. She is bred to win Guineas and Oaks races and may do one day, who knows, but she certainly has shown some speed and class in her trials; winning all three. Not sure that Triples is a ‘debut winner type’ but mid to long-term, she is going to make a really nice filly. Chris Waller and Debbie Kepitas’s Deep Field filly Pozesana is back in great order at the start of her second campaign.

Bet: Hi Dubai to win, exacta 2 to beat 8

Sam Clipperton rides Asva for Peter and Paul Snowden. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 3

Asva is a Snowden Racing colt by their Golden Slipper winner, Capitalist. Bought for $90,000 in New Zealand, Asva has finished third either side of the break and wouldn’t have to improve a lot on what he did last start to win here. Cadetship did some good things at his first preparation and has trialled quite well. Chilli Jam is promising. Episcus handed in a decent debut behind a very good horse in Invictus Lad who is $51 to win the Magic Millions Guineas.

Bet: Asva to win, Chilli Jam each-way

RACE 4

Whanga Wonder has shown improvement after every one of her four runs for Kim Waugh. The former New Zealand-raced daughter of Proisir was so clearly building up to a win and it happened to be a Saturday Midway in town no less. Socrates won three on end including two Highways prior to his brave third in the Taree Cup albeit where he had every chance. Barrier 2, Canterbury - tick, tick. Youthful has her confidence up and is in the right race.

Bet: Whanga Wonder to win, quinella 5,6

RACE 5

Richon was runner-up on debut at Newcastle back in February beaten only by the subsequent Skyline Stakes winner, Promitto. Richon was tried in the Todman but failed, it was a Heavy 10 for one. Fast forward to the present and Richon was the gift of the season to punters going around at $2.50 at Gosford in a maiden. This race is immeasurably more difficult given the presence, to mention just one, of Capital Theatre who is another three-year-old on the way up.

Bet: Richon to win, exacta 8 to beat 9

Mach Schnell is racing better than his form suggests this campaign. Picture: Grant Guy

RACE 6

Mach Schnell has done some good things since he came over from New Zealand. The Joe Pride-trained gelding has finished ‘598’ in his three starts this campaign but it is worth having a look at the beaten margins, his own splits and the standard of opposition in all three. Makes for compelling reading. Freedom Square has had 14 starts on the C.V for five wins, two seconds and a third which is an honourable strike rate. There was enough statistical merit in his first-up run behind deep snow to warrant consideration here.

Bet: Mach Schnell to win

RACE 7

Essonne was bred at Westbury Stud by Gerry Harvey whose decision to retain the daughter of Reliable Man looks like a masterstroke now. The Richard Litt-trained four-year-old won three of her only four starts including a 1200m Midway at Randwick in the winter. Trialled twice ahead of this and both were rippers. Austeja is one of the better mares racing up around the mid-north coast. She’s got a really good turn of foot which is why she has won five from 14 and should be six. Mystic Mermaid is as costly as she is consistent.

Bet: Essonne to win

RACE 8

Lord Paramount has also accepted for a race at Randwick on Saturday. All we can say is that the Dynamic Syndications, Maher/Eustace grey sent out all the right signs that he is ready to win when he finished midfield at Warwick Farm first-up. Kir Royale could also be saved for Randwick on Saturday. Good horse who is flying at the trials. Let’s just leave it at that. Able Willie took a few of us down with the ship first-up at Kembla on The Gong Day for no apparent reason. Often pays to forgive a good horse one bad run. Huon has the right ‘numbers’.

Bet: Lord Paramount to win or if scratched Kir Royale to win