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

Following a close second at the track last start, Angelinthenightsky can give dual licenced horseman Jeff Kehoe his first win as a trainer.

Jeff Kehoe is chasing his first win as a trainer with Angelinthenightsky who he will also ride. Picture: Bradley Photos

Jeff Kehoe is hoping to do on at Taree what he did 27 years ago an hour up the road at Port Macquarie.

It was September 29, a Monday after meeting, where and when the then apprentice jockey Jeff Kehoe notched his first win when riding the Glen Hodge-trained Plum Pickens.

Fast forward to the present and Kehoe is among a rare few in the sport officially licensed to ride and train.

As it stands, Kehoe has two horses on the books, one of them is Angelinthenightsky who accounts for all three of Kehoe’s starters as a trainer.

Her record is the same as his; three starts for a second and a third.

Horse and trainer won’t get a better chance, for now at least, to record their respective first wins than in the Jim Turner Mann Memorial Country Boosted Maiden Handicap (1007m) at Taree.

“I am not saying she is going to go there and just win but she’ll be competitive if she races like she did the other day,” Kehoe said.

“I put winkers on her for the first time because the start before she was up outside the leader and when she sort of half hit the front coming around the turn, she just didn’t really know what to do.

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!

And it won't be the last one...Bob's Last One breaks his maiden in the first from Kempsey! pic.twitter.com/Yvr77r3Tfy

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 18, 2024

“But then the other day with the winkers on, it switched her on a lot more and she only just got run down the last bit after doing all the work in front.

“I thought it was a good run and she has come through the run pretty well. She’s eaten up and I’m happy with her.

“She’s had pretty good luck with the barriers and I think from that gate (2) she will jump and put herself there again.

“Win, lose or draw she’ll go the paddock. This will be her fourth run this time in and I thought she has done well.

“I honestly think she will be a lot bigger and stronger next time in knowing what she is here for and hopefully I can step her up a bit in distance.”

Kehoe’s added workload is no chore for the horseman who is keen to make a career out of training, full-time, whenever that may be.

“Probably down the track I will take out a full-time trainer’s license but (for now) I just want to poke around with a few horses and see how I go,” he says.

“People say (training) is hard but it’s what you put in and how you do it.

“Over the years being a jockey, I have helped my brother (trainer, Allan) out, I worked with Kristen Buchanan when I moved to Wyong and did a bit of work for Kim Waugh so I have learnt a bit off them.

“And one of the best out west, old John Lundholm. He was the one who taught us how to ride, my brother and me.”

Angelinsthenightsky, a $600 Kehoe acquisition and Hayes-barn cast-off, is racing for more than money this weekend.

Not only will she be Kehoe’s first winner as a trainer but she might be the magnet for owners, present and future at ‘Kehoe Lodge’.

“If you can get a half decent horse, it can kick you off and people out there, owners and all that, see your horses racing and if they are performing that’s when you are going to get owners get in contact with you and ask you to take horses on,” he said.

“I’ve had a couple of people ring and ask me to take their horses.

“I take it day by day as it comes and hope for the best.”

SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 4 No. 3: Bestower

Broke her Maiden here at her only visit. Should have won first-up at Wyong or at least gone close.

NEXT BEST

Race 3 No. 1: Rum Diary

Placed at all three starts so far, one of them was a third at Wyong to Bojangles no less.

VALUE BET

Race 6 No. 8: Courageous Queen

Has won twice at home at Taree on a Heavy 9 and Heavy 10 respectively. In good shape.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 1, 3

Race 5: 1, 3, 7

Race 6: 5, 8

Race 7: 2, 6, 11

Aaron Bullock will be hard to beat in the TAB Jockey Challenge. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Aaron Bullock is going to be rightfully popular to win the TAB Jockeys Challenge.

INSIDE MAIL - TAREE

RACE 1

Oakfield Peewee is one of Bruce Mackenzie’s homebreds, this one by the Caulfield Guineas winner Press Statement. Trained at Wyong by Damien Lane, the horse has probably got the best form in the race but the most weight and the worst barrier – literally - all of which is offset by Aaron Bullock. Fighting Daughter has been consistent in every one of her six starts for Glen Hodge. Best of all, she has placed four times from five starts on Heavy tracks.

Bet: Oakfield Peewee to win, exacta 1 to beat 9

RACE 2

Angelinthenightsky could very easily be Jeff Kehoe’s first win as a trainer. The dual license holder will ride the daughter of American Pharoah as well. All things being equal, from barrier 2, you would imagine she is going to be leading or near enough to it which looks a huge advantage on a wet day with the trial out. First starter Kaiyu is a local and a half sister to Courageous Queen who loves a wet Taree. That’s something at least. She did trial well.

Bet: Angelinthenightsky to win, exacta 6 to beat 10

RACE 3

Rum Diary is a Kris Lees-trained gelding who has placed in each of his three starts including the middle one which was at Wyong where he clocked in third behind Bojangles which reads well for a Taree Maiden. Costly to the punters first-up but ran well nonetheless. Chaserlette has Shae Wilkes on board. At time of writing this, she has an 18 per cent win strike-rate and 38 per cent place. Fantastic numbers. Give It A Nudge will be strong late.

Bet: Rum Diary to win

That was his race!

Keysborough with a strong finish from @WyongRaceClub! @[e-mail]/qTXQMVB994

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 11, 2024

RACE 4

Bestower, another of the Kris Lees-trained string, was bred in New Zealand and sold at Karaka for $50,000. Looks a good buy given what she has done already in just three starts and the fact that she is by Contributer out of a Thorn Park mare meaning that there is more to come as time goes by. Could be a Kiwi/Newcastle quinella here given the presence of Incenido who has a tidy little C.V himself and gets the 2kg off for Benjamin Osmond. Highland Raider’s a Class 1 horse in a Class 3 but is at home over the mile.

Bet: Betsower to win, exacta 3 to beat 1

RACE 5

Tough Case was born in Tasmania at the Apple Island’s famous Armidale Stud. This eight-year-old gelding has won one from 27 on Good tracks but goes to a new level on Soft and Heavy tracks. No surprise there given his dam is by Bite The Bullet. Makes each-way appeal. Lunartie (Lees again) has a win and two seconds from six starts. Flew home at Newcastle last start over 1200m; he’s crying out for 1400m now. Bullock and barrier four. Opus is one for one on Heavy; it was here at Taree over this trip and he thrashed them coming from way back.

Bet: Tough Case each-way, quinella 1, 7, Daily Double 1st Leg (7), 2nd Leg (2)

RACE 6

Courageous Queen is trained here by Glen Milligan for Pine Lodge who bred the mare. The daughter of ‘wet-track sire’ Pluck has raced at Taree four times for two wins and a third. Take note that those two wins were on a Heavy 9 and a Heavy 10. Barrier 4 and Grant Buckley means she will be in-line for run of the race. Oakfield Badger has talent no doubt about that but he has never seen a Heavy track and he’s drawn 9 of 11. The ‘best’ Ostracised would win by a hundred yards.

Bet: Courageous Queen to win

RACE 7

Lion Class is another of the Glen Milligan-trained locals and doesn’t he love it here too. This three-quarter brother to the abovementioned Courageous Queen has won four times in his 15 starts, three of those wins are here at home. He is not as good as a muddy as his stablemate in the previous but he’s a provincial class horse on his day. Murwood Wolf’s only win so far was on a Heavy 8 at Coffs on March 11 and to describe it as barnstorming hardly does it justice. Miss Arizona is your typically consistent and well-placed Neil Godbolt horse.

Bet: Lion Class to win, exacta 2 to beat 11