Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Warwick Farm

An exciting mare makes her long awaited return to the races and two impressive trials suggest she is ready to burn. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Trainer John O'Shea has Sneaky Shark ready to resume from a long spell at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

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

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!

WARWICK FARM

BEST BET

Race 6, No.6: DE AN ANDRETTI

Won on debut like a good horse then had major excuses in the Furious after that. Spelled and has trialled liked a bomb twice ahead of her race return.

NEXT BEST

Race 1, No.7: JUST GLAMOUROUS

A $900,000 yearling and daughter of the Waterhouse/Bott-trained dual Group 1 winner who may not be $51 to win the Magic Millions after this.

VALUE BET

Race 3, No.1: SNEAKY SHARK

Was good enough to run second in the Karaka Millions 2YO Classic and also win at his Australian debut for trainer John O’Shea albeit a long while ago. Market the best guide.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 1,2,12

Race 5: 1,2,9

Race 6: 6

Race 7: 9,11,14,17

Apprentice Dylan Gibbons has a good book of rides and can give the TAB Jockey Challenge a shake. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Dylan Gibbons has a neat book of rides at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

TRAINER TO FOLLOW

Chris Waller will use Wednesday’s meeting to take the wrapping off a handful of promising three-year-olds in race two.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR WARWICK FARM

RACE 1

Just Glamourous is the second foal of Gai Waterhouse’s dual Group 1 winner, Global Glamour. This daughter of USA Triple Crown winner Justify was sold for $900,000 at the Magic Millions and has, frankly, trialled like a million dollars. For the record, she was $51 to win next month’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic before Wednesday. Flying Trapeze was a distant fifth in the Breeders’ Plate but he went much better again in the Golden Gift and has won a trial since. He’s All Style has looked good at the trials, so too Autunno who is a smashing type.

Bet: Just Glamourous to win

RACE 2

Step Aside is a striking horse; bay frame with a big white blaze. The Chris Waller-trained gelding has won both of his trials, not by far, but with absolute authority. Note that barriers are not all that important but he’s got a good one. Ocean Honour has been given a good education ahead of his debut with five trials dating back to March. He finished more or less alongside his stablemate Step Aside in the last one at Rosehill. Would have had West Cork if he was here.

Bet: Step Aside to win, quinella 4,8

James McDonald rides debutant Step Aside for trainer Chris Waller. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 3

Sneaky Shark was quite a handy two-year-old in New Zealand. He was placed three times at Ellerslie culminating in the Karaka Millions where he finished runner-up. The son of Capitalist was sent over to John O’Shea and almost a year to day, the horse won a maiden at Canterbury at what was his only Australian start before so far. Market watch advised. Vegas Raider has done some good things in his five starts. He won the Inglis Challenge like a world beater and while he hasn’t won since, he was good behind With Your Blessing at Kembla two starts back. Never Fails was a ‘surprise’ $16 winner here first-up but seems to have come back well.

Bet: Sneaky Shark to win

RACE 4

Socrates has been going great guns this prep with three wins on the trot, two of them in Highways, a third in the Taree Cup and lastly, that solid third at Canterbury the other night. The Sir Patrick Hogan-bred gelding will be nowhere else but in the first couple and he can be counted on to have a dig. Lord Desanimaux lines-up for his 50th start. He has only won three of them but has placed 21 times, 16 of those are seconds. Put that down to pattern, (bad) luck, tempo issues etc. Bottom line is, he can win. Mist Of Battle gave a pretty solid account of himself here in a 2400m Bm72 on December 7. He’ll run two miles one day this horse.

Bet: Socrates to win, quinella 1,2

RACE 5

Nicochet has won just four times in 68 starts but he has placed on 24 occasions, that’s 12 seconds and 12 thirds. A lot of that is his pattern of course, luck, rides, timing, all that and more. Apart from the fact that he was a real eye-catcher up along the fence (in traffic) at Canterbury last start, we have to respectfully direct you to his compelling numbers at the home track and trip. Duke Of Buckingham has crafted himself a really impressive C.V now with 19 starts for five wins and four seconds which is a decent strike-rate. He has won his last two in commanding style and finds himself a midweeker that is well and truly within his reach.

Bet: Nicochet each-way

Nicochet looks a good each-way chance at Warwick Farm. Picture: Grant Guy

RACE 6

De An Andretti could be anything. She won like a Group horse on debut at Hawkesbury which is why she was $4.20 in the Furious Stakes when she resumed. Sadly we never got to see her best, she was forced out by illness soon after but Gerry Harvey and Ron Quinton have done the right thing by her and been patient and it should pay off very handsomely. The only thing that maybe stops her from being a moral is the presence of Junqueira who was herself hugely impressive winning a maiden at her first (and so far only) start at Hawkesbury back on August 8. Two nice trials ahead of this and gets James McDonald on. Good clash awaits.

Bet: De An Andretti to win, exacta 6 to beat 13

RACE 7

Elettrica has been scratched to be saved for Randwick on Saturday. Just for the record, she was beaten a lip at her Australian debut for Joe Pride here and then has zero luck at Canterbury the other night. Cap Estel is also nominated for Randwick on Christmas Eve but is just the type of mare who could pull out a big run fresh as she has done previously. The value runner is Reformist so long as the track remains a Good 4. Unless we lose half the field, there is going to be a suitably fast tempo for this noted barnstormer to do his thing. Royal Merchant is the up and comer of this lot. Comrade Rosa is both consistent and costly.

Bet: Cap Estel each-way or if scratched, Reformist each-way