Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Wyong

A John O’Shea-trained mare broke her maiden when resuming and looks well placed to make it two in a row on Tuesday. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Trainer John O'Shea has lightly-raced five-year-old mare Condrieu ready to notch her second win at Wyong. Picture: Getty Images

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

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!

WYONG

BEST BET

Race 1, No.3: CONDRIEU

A lightly-raced five-year-old who is on her way now so to speak. She was super impressive winning her maiden at Goulburn.

NEXT BEST

Race 5, No.8: OWARI

A half-brother to the triple Group 1 winner Yosei who has finished runner-up at his only two runs so far. Perfect scenario here to break through.

VALUE BET

Race 7, No.2: THE HIMALAYAS

A Wide draw wasn’t helpful to the cause at Newcastle first-up. He trialled well beforehand and expect more this time.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 8

Race 6: 1,2,7

Race 7: 1,2

Race 8: 1,2,4

BEST EXOTIC

Exacta Race 1, No.3 to beat No.5

Ashley Morgan could be for a good day at Wyong on Tuesday.

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Ashley Morgan, the State’s leading jockey by wins last season could be the value bet in Tuesday’s TAB Jockey Challenge

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR WYONG

RACE 1

Condrieu is a five-year-old mare with just two starts under her belt but they were both very good and indicative of a horse that will go on and make something of herself. Keep in mind that she ran third on debut to A Lot More Love at Newcastle and that filly won the Reginald Allen a month later. Condrieu was $1.65 first-up and Goulburn and got the job done. Reliable Man filly Silvakia is a chance to peak here third-up. Drawn to get a good run. Maralago is fit and was a certainty beaten at this track and trip at her only visit. Bring The Boom has claims.

Bet: Condrieu to win

RACE 2

Free Enterprise is a cleverly-named son of Capitalist. He is a four-year-old on debut but nothing says ‘ready’ like a big trial win such as he produced at Randwick 16-days ago. You would imagine that a track like Wyong is going to be advantageous to his pattern, assuming that he is a fast horse. The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Mission Ridge has also accepted for Warwick Farm on Wednesday. Incivility has been trialling well and sent out some really encouraging signs at the first campaign.

Bet: Free Enterprise to win

RACE 3

Eagle Nest is a Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained filly who had her first, and only, two runs so far for Annabel Neasham. Her debut was a creditable on-pace second at Gosford. Eagle Nest was fantastic in her 13 Feb trial where she came from behind and got very close at the finish to Divots who goes well. Royal Empress, the Clarry Conners/Gerry Harvey filly is race fit where many others aren’t in this line-up. On top of that, Royal Empress has finished second at her only two starts, the last of those was at this same track to a Ryan/Alexiou horse as it happens. Daytona Gal and Din are in the mix.

Bet: Eagle Nest to win

Chad Schofield rides the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Eagle Nest. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 4

Hellbetta was a street-corner tip when he made his debut at Muswellbrook on Feb 6 hence why he was $8.50, albeit a drifter from $6.00. Sure, he was pretty much never in the race but he had enough excuses and he has enough talent to get a pass mark. At the end of the day, his trainer Sam Kavanagh summed it up best ‘he is not a $41 shot’. I concur. Regal Inheritance is an infinitely better horse than one with no placings from four starts. The daughter of Capitalist has trialled well prior to her creditable first-up, on-pace, fourth at Kembla. Smart Vengeance and Kementari’s sister-in-blood Moonflower are up to it.

Bet: Hellbetta each-way

RACE 5

Owari is so cleverly named that it deserves some recognition. The word ‘Owari’ translates from Japanese to mean ‘end or final’. Owari is the tenth and foal of a Fuji Kiseki mare whose third foal happened to be the triple Group 1 winner, Yosei. Owari has finished runner-up at his only two starts so far and you would like to think that barrier 5, Brett Prebble and Wyong is the difference this time. Dusty Rubble has much better prospects of winning contrary to his underwhelming strike-rate of no wins and two placings from 19 starts. Likewise, Piccadilly Lass who has the home ground advantage.

Bet: Owari to win

RACE 6

Miss Violet is a very fast mare trained at Newcastle by Mark Minervini. A daughter of Flying Artie, Miss Violet was dogged by wet tracks last campaign but no such problems for her this time. For the record, Miss Violet has raced three times in the summer of 2023 for two wins and a close second. If ever a horse was made for Wyong, it’s this one. Oh, and she drew barrier 1. Nasdaq Dubai was beaten at $1.18 last start. He pulled up 2/5 lame and maybe the Heavy 9 second-up off a long break didn’t help either.

Bet: Miss Violet to win, quinella 1,7

Tyler Schiller will partner The Himalayas for trainer Kim Waugh. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 7

The Himalayas had trialled like a bomb, twice, ahead of what was his eighth career run but his first in 2023 and his first under the new management of Kim Waugh. The son of Zoustar was a big drifter and as usual ‘they’ were right. He ran eight of 12 but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and blame the wide draw. Pharaoh’s Reign is a daughter of the US Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh and true to form has wins at distances ranging from 1750m to 2100m. He is first-up here and has a whole campaign ahead of him but she has been trialling well. Could pull out a big one fresh. Soloist has been consistent (and well placed) throughout.

Bet: The Himalayas to win, exacts 2 to beat 1

RACE 8

Hasten Delight beat Shalatin fair and square down there at Goulburn. It is never easy to win on debut but trainer Peter Robl went into the race confident the gelding would run well off his trials and he was proved right. The best way to sum up the performance was ‘polished’ but you could also throw in professional and determined. Nathan Doyle-trained Capitalist mare Wealth Of Knowledge was a creditable fourth in a very strong Class 1 at Newcastle first-up behind Major Beel and Hawaii Five Oh. Boasts a fabulous second-up record too. Mad Darcey and Notifies are both contenders.

Bet: Hasten Delight to win