Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Murwillumbah

Trainer Matthew Dunn looks set for a huge day at his home track on Friday with numerous chances on the card led by the lightly-raced and talented Feirme Prince. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Racing in New South Wales on Friday is at Murwillumbach where the Cup is the highlight.

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

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!

MURWILLUMBAH

BEST BET

Race 2, No.1: FEIRME PRINCE

Matthew Dunn-trained gelding who has placed at four of his eight starts and looks closer to that first win than ever before.

NEXT BEST

Race 4, No.3: I AM GOOD AT THIS

I Am Invincible son of Les Bridge’s stakes-winning mare, Jersey Girl. Trained here by Matthew Dunn, he strikes a winnable race.

VALUE BET

Race 8, No.9: SQUEEZE DIS

Matthew Dunn (again and again) via this four-year-old mare who was fourth to Frumos at Newcastle two runs back.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 2,5,7

Race 6: 2,7,11

Race 7: 1,4,9

Race 8: 4,9

Brodie Loy is in for a big day with a number of good chances including Badoosh in the Cup. Picture: Trackside Photography

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Brodie Loy will make his racetrack debut at Murwillumbah on Friday with the ultimate aim of winning the Cup aboard Badoosh.

TRAINER TO FOLLOW

Matthew Dunn would be $1.01 in any TAB Trainers Challenge with a host of winning chances at his home track on Cup Day.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR MURWILLUMBAH

RACE 1

Tattletale is a Matthew Dunn-trained mare who drew 1. led, ran fast (of course) in that 800m maiden on debut at Ipswich and won, albeit narrowly. The daughter of Spill The Beans is at home here in Benchmark 58 grade and worst of all, has barrier 10 of 11 but when we rang Matthew Dunn yesterday, he nominated her at his best. That prompted me to change my tips around given I originally had the last start winner In Fiore ahead of Dunn’s mare. September Girl was unlucky not to have finished on the podium first-up at Grafton and likes this trip/track.

Bet: Tattletale to win, quinella 1,7

RACE 2

Feirme Prince has raced eight times and placed at four of them. This will be his hometown debut but trainer Matthew Dunn has found the horse the perfect race. Never been closer to a win but will just need a ‘good ride’ from the ‘good rider’ Ben Looker. Velvet Star is a Brett Cavanough-trained mare who has placed at five of her 12 starts, four of those are seconds including that close one at Coffs 15-day ago. Marlou Millie was close up behind Cav’s mare that afternoon.

Bet: Feirme Prince to win, exacta 2 to beat 12

RACE 3

Rose Bouquet has had 18 starts for two wins but she has placed 10 times and often against superior opposition than pretty much all of her rivals here. Daniel Bowen has her at the peak of her powers now and surely barrier 3 is the icing on the cake. Magic Mikey is by Zed who is best known as the sire of Verry Elleegant. As for this Queensland-housed galloper, he is very, very fit and was only beaten a length and a half at Doomben last start. Think High, who is one for one at the track and distance, was beaten the same margin at Eagle Farm on August 3.

Bet: Rose Bouquet to win, box trifecta 1,2,4,5

James Orman rides I Am Good At This for trainer Matthew Dunn.

RACE 4

I Am Good At This is a Gerry Harvey-bred gelding by I Am Invincible out of Les Bridge’s stakes-winning mare, Jersey Lily. Just for the pedigree buffs, this horse’s third dam is the mighty Perth filly, Paklani. As for what counts most, form, I Am Good At This was not up to city standard but ran two respectable races when he moved north to Murwillumbah towards the end of the last prep. Flying Deputy, a stablemate of Hard Empire, has placed at three of his four outings and has ‘a winning draw’ if he is good enough., which he seems to be.

Bet: I Am Good At This to win, quinella 1,3

RACE 5

Noble Cat, out of a mare named Tabby, has a tidy little C.V of four starts for a win and two seconds. her ‘worst’ run was her last run and it was, make no mistake, a very good one finishing two and a half lengths fifth at Eagle Farm to Podium. Drawn the perfect gate and has the services of Kyle Wilson Taylor. Honour Me came from last to finish third to Ambitious Prince in the Ken Howard Cup at Coffs Harbour last start. Go well again. The ‘best’ Stuck With You would just about win but he is ‘000’ coming into this.

Bet: Noble Cat to win

RACE 6

Parksville looked like being anything early on. There is still time for him to win a good race; in fact, he almost did exactly that at his August 4 run at Grafton where he finished runner-up in the Daniel Baker. Barrier 4 and has one of his fans, Kyle Wilson Taylor, riding for his old boss. Daniel Bowen-trained mare Amirykal has some compelling numbers. First of all, she has raced at the track/distance two for a win and a second. This is her absolute pet trip, she excels fresh and her trial (fifth of six) was bang on. In Awe of Me went very close to winning at Doomben last start.

Bet: Parksville to win

Giannis (right) can book his spot in The Big Dance with a win in the Murwillumbah Cup. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 7

Giannis is the sort of horse that if he made it the post for the Big Dance, he could win it. The hard part is getting there. Or maybe not, because with the notable exceptions of the two Matthew Dunn runners, Badoosh and Impasse, and maybe Spanish Point, this is hardly a vintage Murwillumbah Cup let alone one of the better Big Dance qualifiers. It all comes down to how he manages under the 63kg but when you look at the actual spread in the weights, he is not badly treated on a weight to talent ratio. Reckon the Dunn duo are his dangers, if any.

Bet: Giannis to win

RACE 8

Squeeze Dis is a Matthew Dunn-trained mare who has raced 11 times for a win, three seconds and two thirds. She is at home here from a favourable barrier and off a trial win after her fading sixth to Kokoro at Grafton. Worth noting that she was fourth, albeit seven and a half lengths behind Frumos at Newcastle before that. Stablemate Wudducuddashuddahas a shocking draw but is well up to figuring. Has some real ‘depth’ to her form. Queenslanders Amphawa and Pushkin have claims.

Bet: Squeeze Dis to win