Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Goulburn

A Pierro filly from the John O’Shea stable is ready to kick off her autumn campaign on a winning note. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Racing in New South Wales on Thursday is at Goulburn.

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

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!

GOULBURN

BEST BET

Race 6, No.8: AUNT ROBERTA

A John O’Shea-trained Pierro filly who is bred for Guineas and Oaks races. She resumes over 1500m which is ideal and her trials have been very good.

NEXT BEST

Race 1, No.5: RAIDEREIGHTYEIGHT

A lightly-raced three-year-old who has finished runner-up at two of his three starts so far. Tries hard.

VALUE BET

Race 7, No.7: OUR BAEZ

A handy mare who strikes an ideal race here at home over the right trip and is in form.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 1, 3, 8

Race 6: 5, 8

Race 7: 6, 7

Race 8: 4, 8

BEST EXOTIC

Quinella Race 3, Nos. 2, 5

Keagan Latham has a good book of rides at Goulburn and can give the TAB Jockey Challenge a shake. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Keagan Latham has some top rides at Goulburn including the above-average Aunt Roberta for trainer John O’Shea.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR GOULBURN

RACE 1

Raider Eightyeight is trained by Raiders tragic Joe Cleary and named in honour of the great Laurie Daley. The horse himself is yet to score but he has finished runner-up at two of his three starts. He’s a little goer who will give his all, just so long as the barrier doesn’t beat him. Stormy Witness is one of several winning chances on the card for local hero Danny Williams. This filly made noticeable improvement from one run to the next at her first prep.

Bet: Raider Eightyeight to win

RACE 2

I Am The Empire is a son of the English and Irish Derby winner Camelot and has a tidy C.V of seven starts for a win (an easy one at Scone), two seconds and three thirds. You would have to think that this is the easiest race he has yet contested but that’s not to suggest that it will be ‘easy’ for him, but he should be winning. Inti has only won once in 21 starts but he has finished second at two of the last three outings. Poker Dice is very fit and has claims.

Bet: I Am The Empire to win

RACE 3

Atmospheric Rock, another of the Danny Williams string, is a handy horse. That much is obvious from his resume of four starts for a win and three seconds. The most recent of those seconds was in a November 19 Highway at Kembla on The Gong undercard where he was close up behind Tap ‘N’ Run. Last thing; he’s one for one at the track and trip. John Sargent trains a lot of winners at Goulburn. No surprise at all if The Sevens Seas adds one more to the tally.

Bet: Atmospheric Rock to win, quinella 2,5

Tyler Schiller will partner the Mark Newnham-trained Troika on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images)

RACE 4

Troika is a Laurel Oak-owned gelding from the Mark Newnham stable who started at $4.20 first-up on the Beaumont track on Jan 30 but clocked in fourth on that occasion. Long story short, he had a few excuses, it was wholly forgivable and in fact when it is all said and done, it wasn’t a bad run. Just Wai, the horse bred by his trainer Jason Coyle is better than his record would indicate. He led first-up at Newcastle where they ended up running 50.59s.

Bet: Troika to win

RACE 5

Namid deserves a whole lot of praise for that win on debut. So too her trainer, Danielle Seib, for the part she played and most assuredly Hannah Williams too given the ride. Just to recap, Namid drew barrier 9, crossed over to lead, wins of course but ran 50.88s. Never easy to take that next step but Seib’s giving her every chance to pull it off. London Gal has some compelling numbers, the most appealing of which is that she has placed twice over this same track and distance. Desi Girl and Tablet have claims.

Bet: Namid to win

RACE 6

Aunt Roberta is as classically bred as they come. She is by Pierro and her dam won an Adrian Knox and is a half-sister to Bonneval who won the ATC Oaks. This is the same family as Champagne and NZ Derby winner, St Reims. It is a long way short of impossible that Aunt Roberta will be in an Oaks of some description before the season is out. Stablemate Domingo is son of Contributer who was also trained by John O’Shea. Handy horse who is in the right race, distance-wise, and the right track, size wise, to kick off the autumn campaign.

Bet: Aunt Roberta to win, exacta 8 to beat

Shaun Guymer rides Our Baez for trainer Pat Murphy. Picture: Grant Guy

RACE 7

Our Baez is trained at Goulburn by former jockey Pat Murphy who has found the perfect race for this Bernie Howlett-bred and owned mare. She’s a real barnstormer this one but she has drawn in quite close so hopefully, if she gets away all right, she won’t have to do anything heroic to post what would be a well-earned win. Reggie’s Folly, a son of Bagot Handicap winner Reggie and thus a half-brother to Coolmore Classic winner Heavens Above gets his chance to get some confidence, not to mention a win, back in this style of race.

Bet: Our Baez to win

RACE 8

Zabellsareringing is handy. Simple as that. All four runs have been very good, his win at Wagga was out of this world impressive. He deadset won like ‘Kiwi’ that day, back last and just charged down the outside. That pattern of his probably cost him the win there at Wagga on Australia Day. Why wouldn’t a mile at Goulburn suit him? Love the wide barrier for him too. Arts Object is a Widden Stud-bred Zoustar granddaughter of NZ-mare Black Mamba who went to America and won a Grade 1. As for this filly, she is progressive and very well placed.

Bet: Zabellaseringing to win, quinella 4,8