Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Kembla, Cowra

A Peter and Paul Snowden-trained mare has more talent than her C.V currently shows is open to plenty of improvement second-up at Kembla. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Racing in New South Wales on Tuesday is at Kembla and Cowra.

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

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!

KEMBLA GRANGE

BEST BET

Race 5, No.9: ILIANA

Snowden Racing-trained mare who is much better than her record reads. Open to vast improvement on her first-up run at Newcastle.

NEXT BEST

Race 2, No.9: TSARINA SOPHIA

Daughter of boom sire Russian Revolution who trialled very well indeed when third to Godolphin duo Portray and Plymstock.

VALUE BET

Race 1, No.1: BOOMSONG

Half-brother to Wandabaa and Malkovich. Ran well on debut at the midweeks and trial was a ripper.

QUADDIE

Race 3: 1,6

Race 4: 3,4,7,8

Race 5: 9

Race 6: 3,4,5

With a strong book of rides, Tommy Berry can give the TAB Joickeys Challenge a shake. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Tommy Berry has some good rides on the day, none better (we hope) than the grey Iliana.

COWRA

BEST BET

Race 1, No.6: VANILLA SKY

Gary Moore-trained mare who gets her big chance to win again. Loves the wet and has the form.

NEXT BEST

Race 6, No.11: JONJO’S COMET

Only won three times in his 40 starts but one of them was on a Heavy track. Has placed 10 times and should run in this field.

VALUE BET

Race 5, No.3: HEAVENLY PROPHET

Last start Nowra maiden winner on the Heavy 9. No reason why she can’t take the next step.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR KEMBLA GRANGE

RACE 1

Boomsong is a promising horse who won’t be a maiden, nor a provincial horse, for long. The Mark Newnham-trained gelding was beaten but brave on debut at Warwick Farm on December 1. Failed 15-days later and was spelled over the summer. Trialled very well indeed in his 735m heat at Warwick Farm. By the way, he is a half to Wandabaa and Malkovich. Speaking of famous siblings, Cataratas is a full brother to dual Doncaster winner Sacred Falls. This Peter Robl-trained gelding is fascinating given that he is a rising seven-year-old having his first start in a race today. Make no mistake, he can win. Another debutante on debut that has trialled like he will have a say is Wategos. Smashing type to look at and moves along really well.

Bet: Boomsong to win

RACE 2

Barring any late surge from one of the others, Russian Revolution is going to be Australia’s next Champion First Season Sire. Here we have one of the stallion’s daughters on debut namely Tsarina Sophia from the Ryan/Alexiou stable. She has only had the one trial and it was a mere 740m spin around on the synthetic but take note that she ran third to the handy Godolphin pair Portray and Plymstock and went at least as well as either of them. Bred to handle the slop. Northumbria has himself trialled really well (twice) in the last few weeks and has run (poorly) in two much stronger races than this. Vinnie’s Spirit is primed, and almost guaranteed, to run a big bold race. Euros has trialled up a treat with plenty on the locker.

Bet: Tsarina Sophia to win

Tom Sherry (picturted) rides Tsarina Sophia for trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 3

Cushy was very good in three of his four starts last campaign and there is absolutely no reason to think he won’t be as good, if not better, this time in. Joe Pride has the knack beyond all others with the Super One breed for starters and the trials have been further indication that he has come back well. Perhaps we might have to wait until Thursday to see King Kapa with Pride having nominated the horse for Hawkesbury. The interesting here, no contest, is Espirito from the Paul Murray stable. This son of Black Caviar’s sire, Bel Esprit, has a tidy little C.V already and there was nothing little about its win here on the Heavy 10 on April 23. That was the best part of seven-lengths between first and second. Triple Crown gelding Daichi has done enough on wet tracks to say he handles them.

Bet: Cushy to win

RACE 4

Chilko Lake was $6 into $4.40 when she won at Warwick Farm on April 18. She won pretty easily too and what makes the win all the more meritorious is that she beat Tavi L’Amour who, for what it may be worth, I think is black-type standard every day of the week - or will be anyway. The same may go for Chilko Lake once she gets out to 2000m and maybe beyond. That’s all for the future but you’d think they’ll have a job beating here in this race. That said, Josephus is sure to fly the flag for the locals. The Gwenda Markwell-trained son of Nicconi has had 20 starts, 10 of them at Kembla for two wins and four placings. PS: He is a last start Heavy 10 winner here. Don’t think Rockover is quite the mudlark as his stablemate Fireburn but he could medal here or be saved for Hawkesbury on Thursday.

Bet: Chilko Lake to

Trainers Peter and Paul Snowden have a filly in Iliana who looks a genuine improver second-up. Picture: AAP Image

RACE 5

There is more to Iliana than meets the eye. First of all, she is a lovely horse to look at being a grey mare. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained daughter of Rubick has raced four times for a third and not much else. Anyone who has seen her trial will know that she can gallop, she just hasn’t really put it all together on race day when it counts. Me? I thought she did enough first-up to go on with it here. John O’Shea has a grand prospect on and off the track here for Champion Thoroughbreds in Denarau. Regarding her lineage; she is a So You Think; her third dam is Jolypha who won the French Oaks and is a sister to Dancing Brave. As for her own ability, Denarau has trialled like there is ‘quality’ there. Misty Dreams is a major player.

Bet: Iliana to win, quinella 2,9, exacta 9 to beat 2

RACE 6

Strombus has been nominated for the Wagga Guineas on Thursday, we’ll know by now if he is being reserved for that. In the event that he is at Kembla, he will be very hard to beat just on the score of his last two runs at Newcastle where he has been the run of the race. ‘Last race Willie Pike’ has a big chance of adding to whatever that particular tally might be thanks to Brad Widdup and Never Cry who has a vaguely similar (recent) record as Strombus leading into Tuesday. Also worth noting that Never Cry has won a Heavy 8 track. Cleverly named gelding Patton (by American Pharaoh) ran a big race here at his first run for Bjorn Baker. Aidenabet is trained here and is unplaced in all four runs at home but they have actually been passable.

Bet: Strombus to win or is scratched Never Cry to win