Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Coffs Harbour

Cotton Caper has been in great form of late and can keep the good times rolling with another win. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Racing in New South Wales on Thursday is at Coffs Harbour.

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

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!

COFFS HARBOUR

BEST BET

Race 2, No.10: COTTON CAPER

Locally-trained mare who has had the last two of her 25 career for Dan Edwards; finishing runner-up at the first then was an easy winner here at the next.

NEXT BEST

Race 5, No.6: HETTINGER

Kris Lees-trained gelding who is a half-brother to Kaonic. Placed at two of his four runs so far including that handy third at his NSW debut.

VALUE BET

Race 3, No.8: RED INTUITION

Was rewarded for his ongoing consistency with a pretty comprehensive win at home at Kempsey at start 51.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 4,6,9

Race 6: 1,5,6

Race 7: 1,2,5

Race 8: 7,10,12

BEST EXOTIC

Quinella Race 8, Nos. 7 and 12

Jockey Andrew Gibbons will give the TAB Jockey Challenge a shake with a number of leading chances. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Andrew Gibbons has five rides at Coffs Harbour, all of whom could add to his tally in the TAB Jockeys Challenge.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR COFFS HARBOUR

RACE 1

Vilified is a half-brother to Everest winner Yes Yes Yes. This four-year-old son of Press Statement ran last in his one run for the Maher/Eustace stable at Caulfield on December 16 in 2020. Now with Colt Prosser, Vilified resurfaced in a 1000m trial at Kempsey on December 13, 2021, and was held in check when a close second. Market the best guide. Acey is not a guaranteed starter but suffice to say, she is a big chance wherever she debuts in the coming days. Plenty to like about the December 11 trial here from the locally-trained Lisztomania. Pressita is a very quick.

Bet: Vilified to win

RACE 2

Cotton Caper has had the last two of her 25 career starts under the management of Coffs Harbour trainer, Dan Edwards, For the record, the daughter of Mossman was a closing second at the first one then ran right over the top of just four days later. What’s more, it was a Heavy 10 at Coffs Harbour. Hauraki Gulf is a son of Group 1 winning mare, Bel Mer. He has been with Jim Jarvis for two runs only - first and a second, so he is obviously enjoying life on the coast. Just Cosmos has only won twice in her 29 starts but she has placed nine times, runner-up the last two.

Bet: Cotton Caper to win, quinella 3,10

RACE 3

Red Intuition posted just his third career win at start number 51 on December 13, putting his four rivals away like a 6/4 fav should, especially at their home track. Sure, he may not win a lot but he is mostly consistent and seems to favour heavy tracks to some degree. Mandalong Tapit paid the penalty in the Armidale Cup off the outside draw. It was such a brave run under the circumstances. Has a heavy track win. Flying Mojo was never going to lose ‘in the run’ when he beat a handy field at Taree. Placed three of five here at Coffs Harbour and won twice on Heavy.

Bet: Red Intuition to win, box trifecta 1,2,5,8

RACE 4

Racketeering has shown glimpses of being an above-average horse who could win out of his area. He is five-year-old who has only had eight starts but he has won two of those and was runner-up at three others. Only visit to Coffs Harbour before this was a winning one and racing on a Heavy 8 that day. Flying Pretty has finished like a train at all three starts this campaign. The 1315m at home is bang on the money for the Bernardini mare who has compelling wet form. Ditto that and then some for Apache Blue who has raced three times on the slop for two wins.

Bet: Racketeering to win, box trifecta 5,7,11

RACE 5

Hettinger is trained by Kris Lees which presents as an opportune to mention that he has a winning strike-rate at Coffs Harbour of 29.9 per cent which is staggeringly high. As for Hettinger, he is an I Am Invincible half-brother to Kaonic, and like him, will easily run a mile/2000m one day. With that in mind, the 1415m is spot on for the horse second-up. Seaczar has placed at three of his six starts and sent out the right signals with that first-up second of 14 at Lismore. Extra 200 suits big time. Thunder Knob, Bonee and Markievicz are in the mix.

Bet: Hettinger to win, exacta 6 to beat 4

RACE 6

Your Song son Small Town (think John Cougar Mellencamp) is promising horse. We could elaborate but given he is nominated for a host of other races and various venues, there is chance he is saved for somewhere drier where draws better. Will pay to keep an eye on the acceptances. Phule is nominated for Taree on Monday but given he’s picked up barrier 3 (and with 3kg off for Bailey Wheeler), this looks a tasty and doable assignment for the Kris Lees trained filly who is ‘one for one’. Highbury has only won once in 14 starts but he has run seven placings, handles the wet, okay fresh and trialled up well. Cabsav could charge late.

Bet: Small Town to win but, if scratched, Phule to win

Jon Grisedale partners the Joanne Hardy-trained Endangered Species.

RACE 7

Endangered Species is trained here by Joanne Hardy. Four of the horse’s 14 starts have been at Coffs Harbour and he has placed at all of them - three of those were seconds. The son of Hinchinbrook has raced four times on heavy tracks and run second four times. Best of all, he is a last start winner and the win had plenty of merit. Persian Beauty has been given two fantastic rides by Rachael Murray at her last two starts - winning both. Kudos to the horse herself, she showed heaps of desire and just seems to have a sense of ‘how to win’. Luz Long has the draw (and jockey) to offset his topweight.

Bet: Endangered Species to win

RACE 8

Little Prophet still can’t draw an alley. The Colt Prosser-trained filly has been getting back and charging in those two runs to open the summer campaign; both of them were over 1000m at Ballina and Kempsey respectively. You would think the 1315m at Coffs Harbour would give her a chance to make up any deficit in the run. If something other than Little Prophet storms home and blouses everything on the wire, it will be Ramsey’s Law. You just know that Ross Stitt has this fellow in great shape and ready to turn in a big first-up run. Poet’s Performer is a last start Heavy 8 winner.

Bet: Little Prophet each-way, Ramsey’s Law each-way, quinella 7,12