Shayne O’Cass’s Kembla Grange, Taree tips for Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses Tuesday’s NSW racing, presenting his best bets, value selection and inside mail for Kembla Grange plus tips for Taree.

Form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses Tuesday’s NSW racing, presenting his best bets, value selection and inside mail for Kembla Grange plus tips for Taree.

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KEMBLA GRANGE TIPS

BEST BET
Race 3 No.5 EMILIA JANE: Put the writing on the wall first-up in town over 1100m; 1200m now.

NEXT BEST
Race 4 No.4 SAUCITO: Resumes as a gelding. Has a bright future at a mile to 2000m.

VALUE
Race 5 No.5 AUDENZIA: Lightly-raced type, first-up at home over a suitable 1500m.

QUADDIE
Race 4: 4,9
Race 5: 2,3,5
Race 6: 4,9
Race 7: 5,11

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Keagan Latham has ridden 121 winners at Kembla.

KEMBLA GRANGE INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1: Maiden Plate (1000m)

TOO MANY KISSES (8), if successful, will be Jason Coyle’s 100th winner at Kembla out of 541 in total (including 24 stakes wins). Too Many Kisses is unplaced in her three career runs but the two this preparation have both contained hidden merit. Ditto that for BE QUIET (4) who is very sharp indeed for a daughter of Vadamos out of a High Chaparral mare. Has been trialling exceedingly well ahead of this. So too has the stablemate and first starter MISSION GOLD (1) while STILL EXCITED (7) has trialled well too and is bred to succeed.

BET: TOO MANY KISSES (8) each-way, quinella 4,8.

RACE 2: Class 1 Handicap (1000m)

BREMEL (4) was $1.70 into $1.40 in a 1000m Maiden at Hawkesbury on Feb 12, 15 days after her willing debut fourth in town. She won by five at Hawkesbury in pretty respectable time. This is harder of course but the same stands for all the others too. GHIELMI (3) is a Mitchell Beer-trained local who was $13 to $21 here on Feb 8, beating All Saints who was $2.10 onto $1.55 hence the Ghielmi drift. Take note, Ghielmi ran 56.66s which was within sight of the course record. Have to respect and include on that basis

BET: BREMEL (4) to win, quinella 3,4.

RACE 3: Class 1 Handicap (1200m)

EMILIA JANE (5) is a valuable racing and breeding proposition. As far as her breeding is concerned, her fifth dam is Jesmond Lass, the mother of Group 1 winning siblings Canny Lad and Canny Lass. From a racing perspective, the OTI-owned mare landed a plonk ($10 into$6.50) at Newcastle at start two in Australia for handler Joe Pride. Was good at the midweeks first-up over 1100m; 1200m now. INVADE AND CONQUER (2) has been costly and consistent in equal measures. The son of Invader has just one win but nine placings from 13 starts. On the plus side, that win was here at Kembla.

BET: EMILIA JANE (5) to win (best bet), exacta 5 to beat 2.

RACE 4: Maiden Plate (1300m)

SAUCITO (4) races in the same colours as his Rosehill Guineas winning father, D’Argento. He’s a grey too. Saucito was bought by Denise Martin for $70,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in 2023. Saucito’s one and only run so far, back on Oct 23 at Warwick Farm, was a beauty. Gelded since. There’s a lot to like about this horse, short and long term. The Kembla 1300m is a very suitable set-up for the Dundeel/Maid of Heaven filly ELLA HAZEL (9). Wouldn’t be surprised to see her in some black-type 3YO fillies race this preparation. Take note that she and AMREEKIYAH (8) have both accepted for Rosehill on Wednesday.

BET: SAUCITO (4) to win.

RACE 5: Midway Maiden Plate (1500m)

AUDENZIA (5) is a Kerry Parker-trained mare by Brazen Beau, resuming at home, at 1500m. She’s had two trials to bring her up to the mark and both were better than they read. Not only is the track and the trip bang on for her, she has found a very winnable race. David Payne has three in, including GALLANT RUSH (2) who was $91 on debut in a 1500m Super Maiden at Newcastle on Feb 1. Long and the short of it was he was doing his best work late under Keagan Latham who sticks for Tuesday. THAT’S OUTSTANDING (3) has the best form.

BET: AUDENZIA (5) each-way, exacta 5 to beat 2, box trifecta 2,3,5,8, Daily Double 1st Leg (5), 2nd Leg (5).

RACE 6: Class 1 Handicap (1500m)

FULL METAL JACKET (4) has done more good than bad in his six starts to date, notably a very close fifth at Canterbury first-up. Better still, the Gary Portelli trained gelding has a win and (big) third in his only two prior visits to Kembla. Local TAKE YOU THERE (9) beat Oh Diamond Lil here on debut back in the winter of 2024. Third-up now and has the right jockey (Jason Collett) to get the timing right. HARDPOINT (2) was tipped out after a profitable and encouraging first campaign. Trialled well ahead of this.

BET: FULL METAL JACKET (4) to win, TAKE YOU THERE (9) each-way.

RACE 7: BENCHMARK 68 (1300m)

AUNTY RENE (5) is an O’Shea/Charlton trained daughter of the O’Shea trained Don’t Blink who was a handy 3YO filly back in the spring of 2012. Aunty Rene is by So You Think hence the 1600m win on her CV. All in all, she has a good set of numbers apart from her first-up figures but the way she is trialling, we can forgive her that and trust that she is both ready and able. STURN WORDS (11) is flying! Don’t forget he ran a very good race indeed one day when just three lengths off Sir Remlap in a really strong Highway.

BET: AUNTY RENE (5) to win, quinella 5,11.

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TAREE TIPS

BEST BET
Race 2 No.4 SHUTTER: Both runs at the first preparation contained merit.

NEXT BEST
Race 1 No.4 FLEETLY: Trialled well, from an astute stable. Draw the only concern.

VALUE
Race 7 No.6 IN SPADES: No luck with the alley again but has the talent.

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s Kembla Grange, Taree tips for Tuesday, February 25, 2025