Race day focus: Preview, best bets and inside mail for Nowra on Sunday

My Blue Jeans has been a terrific buy for trainer Danny Williams and heads to the racetrack for the 107th time on Sunday at Nowra.

My Blue Jeans, who made his debut in 2017, will have his 107th start on Sunday at Nowra. Picture: AAP

Danny Williams’ “other money-spinner” My Blue Jeans will tally up his 107th start chasing win No.10 when he takes his place on the grid in Sunday’s Country Motor Company Benchmark 58 Handicap (1600m) at Nowra.

The ghostly-grey hasn’t won nearly as much as his Nature Strip-beating Group 1-winning stablemate Shelby Sixtysix, but few horses in training can match My Blue Jeans return on investment.

“I bought him in Adelaide for $10,000,’’ Williams said.

“I trained the half-brother to his mother, a horse called Fox Lake who I think ran third in a Starlight and a Concorde Stakes and a few nice races.’’

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!

Williams’ $10,000 outlay has turned into a $333,235 profit less food and board over the years.

And it’s been a few years.

To put My Blue Jean’s longevity into perspective, he made his debut on a spring Monday at Goulburn in 2017.

Fast forward to the Saturday and Trapeze Artist won the ­Golden Rose.

Trapeze Artist now lives at Widden and has three-year-old offspring running around while My Blue Jeans will run at Nowra on the weekend and not without a chance of breaking his 283-day drought.

The veteran galloper My Blue Jeans scores for @GoulburnTrainer!

He hasn't won since September 2021, but salutes today at start 97. pic.twitter.com/G54MHLGBYG

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 7, 2023

“To be honest, his runs have been very solid lately,’’ Williams said.

“We put him in the wrong races. It’s not so much we put him in them deliberately for the distances, it’s just that he’s a horse that enjoys his racing and he works so hard on the track that we race him more regularly than we do work him.

“He’s found his last three starts too short and is crying out for 1500m, 1600m.’’

My Blue Jeans will have company on the float from Goulburn to Nowra on Sunday from stablemates Air Play as well as Gypsy Romance and Masters, the latter now rivals for the day in the Kel Campbell Haulage Country Boosted Class 2 Handicap (1400m).

Gypsy Romance (whom Williams also bred) was set a task at Albury last start, jumping from barrier 10 of 10 and still with only two behind at the top of the stretch.

Danny Williams paid $10,000 for My Blue Jeans. Picture: AAP

“The tempo was against her the other day,’’ Williams said.

“She got back in a very slow run race and had to circle the field and obviously gave the winner too good of a run. I thought the run was full of merit because she is better with her toe in the ground and the track ended up being a bit firm for her as well.

“Obviously on Sunday there is going to be a little bit of give in the ground and that will help her.

“Masters has taken those two short 1000m runs to get fit.

“He went very hard the other day and to his credit, he boxed on quite well. I always thought he would run 1400m and the field (on Sunday) doesn’t look any stronger than what he raced against at Goulburn.’’

Williams, meanwhile, is hopeful the extra 100m in Sunday’s ­McDonald’s Handicap (1100m) will see Air Play improve on his March 24th third over 1000m at Goulburn.

SHAYNE O’CASS’ BEST BETS

BEST BET

Race 1 No.8: Tabei

Trial winner making her debut at her home track in a wafer thin maiden. Draw the only obvious negative.

NEXT BEST

Race 6 No.5: Zale

Has run some decent races in town lately. Note that his current PB was here at Nowra.

VALUE BET

Race 2 No.7: Gypsy Romance

Danny Williams trained mare who has only won once in 17 starts but she’s been in some strong enough races.

QUADDIE

Race 3: 3,6,7

Race 4: 1,4,8,12

Race 5: 4,5

Race 6: 5

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Louise Day will be popular in the TAB Jockeys Challenge if they all show up on the day.

INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1

Tabei is a grey filly like her Grade 1 Whitney Stakes-winning father, Frosted. The Natalie Jarvis-trained three-year-old was purchased for $37,500 at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. Tabei makes her debut here in a pretty skinny looking maiden both in terms of quality and quantity albeit with the outside draw. She won her trial at Canberra on March 20 which is obviously encouraging. Guard remains winless after 35 starts and while he has only placed three times, he has run a fair few on the heels of the placegetters. If Tabei fails, he could be the one to step in. Rappelling is an I Am Invincible grandson of Private Steer on debut for “Joe and Gerry”. Market watch advised. Red Niccerz has the home-track advantage.

Bet: Tabei to win

RACE 2

Gypsy Romance is trained, part owned and fully bred by Danny Williams. The mare is by Rothesay out of Tugboat who is a close relative of the Group 1 siblings Canny Lad and Canny Lass. As for Gypsy Romance herself, she has a win and five placings from her 17 starts. One of those placings was a March 21 second at Albury to the handy Wal’s Angel. Note she drew 10 of 10 that day and is two of nine on Sunday. Occhiata has a tidy CV of two wins and four placings from 13 starts. On top of that, she is one for one at the track and distance beating Deni Girl (see race three) by three lengths that day. Will be very prominent for a long way as always. Masters has finished the podium at half of his 18 starts.

Bet: Gypsy Romance to win, exacta 7 to beat 3, quinella 3, 7

RACE 3

Deni Girl has run some really good races in a handful of Highways. If she had a better pattern, she probably would have won a fair few more races than she has but that’s the way it goes. Not sure she was all that happy on the Heavy 8 here last start so let’s give her a get out of jail free card that one and judge her on her run before that when second to the aforementioned Occhiata. If she gets the breaks, she is most sure good enough. Miss Scoop was super impressive when she won here by three on debut. She wasn’t too bad when sixth in a Class 1 at Goulburn after that, she was a month between runs and up in trip and grade. Greaves has improved with each run this preparation. Tokyo Ice has done zero wrong in her four starts.

Bet: Deni Girl to win

RACE 4

Sturty was scratched from a race at Wyong on Saturday to run here in an easier race and with a desirable draw unless the fence is off or something of the sort. This Joseph Ible-trained son of Deep Field hasn’t raced since his fifth of nine in 1000m 2YO Maiden at Kembla back in July. Sturty has trialled twice this month, once at Nowra and the other at Rosehill, and both were good, the last one was very good in fact. Desirous is third-up on the weekend having run second then fourth in two 1000m maidens at Canberra that were both quite reputable standards, certainly stronger than this. Drawn five, Keagan Latham on. Major player. Lulo Rose is a speedy type drawn out but we might lose a few of these on the day.

Bet: Sturty to win, Daily Double 1st Leg (4), 2nd Leg (5)

RACE 5

Promising Prospect is a son of Capitalist who, bar that debut ninth of nine at Kembla’s annual Melbourne Cup Day meeting in 2022, hasn’t put a foot out of place really. That run aside, his record of seven starts for a win and four placings, three of those are seconds. He did an admirable job of going from 1200m to 1600m almost a month between runs from Feb 15 to March 12. The wide draw is a bit of a worry but they might all be nailed to the outside fence anyway – who can say. Patriot Bloodstock/Mitchell Beer galloper Open Sky was a convincing winner here over the mile two starts ago. Failed here next time but it was a Heavy 8. Dancemania and My Blue Jeans have claims.

Bet: Promising Prospect to win

RACE 6

Zale gets his best chance yet to shed his maiden status. The Gary Nickson-trained son of Denman has barrier five and Keagan Latham in a 1400m maiden, all ticks there of course. But on top of that, it is worth remembering that he has run some pretty good races in town as a matter of fact. There’s a bit of a tail to the race too which only enhances Zale’s already bright prospects. Mr Conspiracy has trialled a million times better than they read on paper! Look out that he is not the knockout horse here at odds. Canny Kick is a sharp second run improver.

Bet: Zale to win, Mr Conspiracy each-way, exacta 5 to beat 2, trifecta 5 (standout) to beat 1,2,3 (boxed)