Best bets and inside mail for Tamworth and Bathurst on Monday December 23, 2024

Palentino daughter Apparently looks ready and able to post her first career win when she steps out at her new home track at Tamworth on Monday with Ash Morgan in the saddle.

Ashley Morgan will ride the now locally trained Apparently at Tamworth on Monday Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images

Form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses Monday racing at Tamworth and Bathurst, presenting his best bets, value selections, quaddie picks and jockey to follow.

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TAMWORTH TIPS

BEST BET
Race 3 No.8 APPARENTLY
Has run three good races in her four starts. Resumes for the new yard off a trial win.

NEXT BEST
Race 6 No.11 DASH BY
Middle distance type who hit the line first-up; 1400m suits at this point.

VALUE
Race 5 No. 2 DRIVING FORCE
Six time winner who is one for one at the home track and this distance.

QUADDIE
Race 4: 4,9,10,11
Race 5: 2,6,8
Race 6: 9,11
Race 7: 1,2,4

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Clayton Gallagher will be popular in the TAB Jockeys Challenge

TAMWORTH INSIDE MAIL

RACE 4: COUNTRY BOOSTED MAIDEN PLATE (1200m)
XERXES (11) is a really racy chestnut from the Brett Cavanough stable on debut. The first trial was fantastic and he was no more than asked to ‘follow them around’ in that second one the other day. Will win races. PENINSULA (9) owes his fans big time, having been beaten in his only two starts, one at $1.33, the other at $1.45. Odds again, one for the loyal and the brave. RONNY BEE (10) ran well above his $31 SP at Dubbo on debut.
BET: XERXES (11) to win, quinella 9,11.

RACE 5: BENCHMARK 82 (1000m)
DRIVING FORCE (2) is a good old-fashioned ‘bush horse’, you’d love every horse you owned to be like him. He’s raced 37 times, won six and placed at 11, seven of them are seconds. You really would be hard pressed to find a bad run on his CV. Great trial at Dubbo the other day. YUKAN ROSE (6) is unbeaten in her two starts for Glen Milligan. Drawn wide again but she is fast! AQUARTER (8) has won two from four first-up. Wishing that IN SPADES (12) drew better.
BET: DRIVING FORCE (2) each-way, box trifecta 2,6,8,12, DD 1st Leg (2), 2nd Leg (4).

RACE 6: COUNTRY BOOSTED CLASS 2 HANDICAP (1400m)
DASH BY (11) could be in for a good campaign. She’s very much her mother’s daughter, her mother was a Scott Singleton-trained winner over ten furlongs (twice). Dash By is a better horse IMHO, and that’s after only three starts, all of them very good. Just hope the 1400m isn’t too short but it is the logical next step out in trip. Tuncurry mare CANTOLAGO (9) was scratched from Taree on Sunday to run here from a much better draw. Last-start winner who could go on.
BET: DASH BY (11) to win.

RACE 7: CLASS 3 HANDICAP (1200m)
UP THE COUNTRY (4) could win the right Highway if it came along – that is, unless the horse wins too many beforehand! The daughter of Sooboog has been very good indeed in her six starts for Holly Williams. She was four seconds in a row before a very admirable ninth of 14 in a Highway. Of course we can say she has come back in great order given that first-up win at Gunnedah. POWER BEAU (1) is a huge player (if he comes). Cody Morgan-trained TORNADO EXPRESS (2) thrashed a 66 field here at home on December 2.
BET: UP THE COUNTRY (4) each-way.

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BATHURST TIPS

BEST BET
Race 1 No.1 HARD TOO IMPRESS
Runner-up at three of his four starts – always in much better races than this one.

NEXT BEST
Race 3 No.3 BRUTAL LOVE
Above average filly who was honourable in defeat last time.

VALUE
Race 5 No.11 LUNA FLIRT
First-up eye-catcher at his first run for local trainer Angus Stewart.

BATHURST INSIDE MAIL

RACE 4: MAIDEN HANDICAP (1200m)
SWEET FUTURE (9) is a Gerald Ryan/Sterling Alexiou-trained filly who gets her chance to win now, more so given the scratching of Needing Attention who won by panels at Dubbo on Saturday. As for Sweet Future, she was a closing and pleasing sixth of 13 at Kembla on debut then went to Hawkesbury and was midfield again in quite obviously an infinitely stronger race than this is. SAN GAVINO (2) looks the biggest obstacle given her solid ‘country form’.
BET: SWEET FUTURE (9) to win.

RACE 5: MAIDEN HANDICAP (1400m)
LUNA FLIRT (11) is a grey like some of the better known males in her family including her father, Puissance De Lune, as well as 1977 Epsom winner Raffindale and influential WA stallion Jon George, As for Luna Flirt, her form was pretty ordinary in Victoria but she turned in a new PB at her first run under Angus Stewart’s care. CROWN ESTATE (7) is a much better horse than that record would suggest.
BET: LUNA FLIRT (11) to win, CROWN ESTATE (7) each-way, DD 1st Leg (11), 2nd Leg (9).

RACE 6: CLASS 2 HANDICAP (1200m)
ZARIZATYCOON (4)’s presence is the highlight of the card, probably both of the NSW meetings actually. He is a very exciting racehorse. He is most assuredly Country Championships quality. The long story short is that he won his first two starts then bled in a Rosehill Highway on July 20 priced $5. His two main rivals, STRATIFIED (2) and WANDERING JACK (3), both have the advantage of race fitness and both have won two each at their current campaigns.
BET: ZARIZATYCOON (4) to win.

RACE 7: BENCHMARK 58 (1300m)
GIOVANNA STAR (9) was bordering on a good thing at Warren 10-days ago. She was superior to her nine rivals on form and had put the writing on the wall with those three previous efforts. She won and won easily. This is harder, she’s drawn 10 of 10 as well, but with any luck in running, she can win again. BEAUTY EDGE (1) was decisive in that all the way win at Dubbo. Up to 61.5kgs now but has a good draw in the right race again. MIDNIGHT DREAM (2) and SHADOW DANE (3) are both contenders.
BET: GIOVANNA STAR (9) to win, quinella 1,9.

Originally published as Best bets and inside mail for Tamworth and Bathurst on Monday December 23, 2024