Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for the Gosford program

Form analyst Shayne O’Cass likes the prospects of a promising Godolphin filly who caught his eye in a recent trial. INSIDE MAIL, BEST BETS.

Rachel King will don the Royal Blue silks of Godolphin when she partners Mashrabiya at Gosford on Thursday. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass has gone over the Gosford form and is keen on a Godolphin filly who is ready to break through.

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!

GOSFORD

BEST BET

Race 2, No. 6: MASHRABIYA

Flashy Godolphin filly who was terrific in her only two starts at the first preparation and her recent trial indicates her first win is on the cards soon.

NEXT BEST

Race 1, No. 5: ADULTING

Australian Bloodstock filly by Contributer who finds the right race for her debut off two outstanding trials in town this month.

VALUE BET

Race 7, No. 1: DERBARI

Joe Pride-trained Dundeel gelding who has the talent to overcome his wide draw and big weight. Seems to like the wet.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 4,5,6,16

Race 5: 1,2,5,7

Race 6: 8,10

Race 7: 1,13,14

Josh Parr can end 2020 with a second double for the week

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Josh Parr rode a double at the meeting at Gosford on Tuesday and could easily see out 2020 with a second one today.

NOWRA

BEST BET

Race 7, No. 10: LAYLA OF MONACO

Jason Coyle trained mare who will relish the step to the 1600m after a pleasing return in a 1300m maiden at Kembla 19 days ago

NEXT BEST

Race 5, No. 11: REOFFENDER

Amanda Turner-trained Snitzel gelding who is lightly-raced but has on the heavy and is a winner at the venue. Go well off that recent trial.

VALUE BET

Race 2, No. 3: NO IMPEDIMENT

Another one from the Amanda Turner yard, this gelding has won on debut then ran a huge race here over this trip two starts later.

Amanda Turner has a couple of good chances at Nowra on Thursday. Photo: Simon Bullard/AAP Image

INSIDE MAIL FOR GOSFORD

RACE 4

Solar Apex is a Deep Impact colt trained by Chris Waller and has finished in the placings at three of his four starts. The only time he missed out was in a deep maiden on the Kensington track two weeks ago. Drawn wide but has handled the wet OK. Stablemate Flash Panther is a handsome Dundeel gelding who loomed up on debut at Kembla and while he ended up running sixth, he was less than 2-lengths from the winner. Tailoring is going to relish the mile and more as his career develops. Could be the value runner today. Respecting Exoboom.

BET: SOLAR APEX TO WIN, BOX TRIFECTA 1,4,6,7

RACE 5

Alchermes is a great-granddaughter of Whisked, aka the dam of Tie The Knot. This Ron Quinton-trained mare has been somewhat luckless at times throughout the current campaign but she certainly gave a good account of herself first time to 1900m last start. Savvy Crown is in red-hot form of late winning his last two over the mile then 1850m. Very well placed again today for the hat-trick. He’s A Given is a noted mudlark who has also accepted for a race at Canterbury tomorrow night. Commander Bell and Divine Eleven are in the mix.

BET: ALCHERMES TO WIN

Sahara (right) can break through for a second career win at Gosford on Thursday. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images

RACE 6

Sahra has been costly at times but she has talent. Runner-up to North Pacific at her second career start on a heavy 8. Sahra is third-up today and down in class insofar as she has been at Warwick Farm at her last couple and ran okay. Raison D’Etre is a considerable obstacle just the same. The Godolphin filly was down in Melbourne running in stakes-races in the spring and was very good when she resumed with that third at Canterbury recently. Aeecee Power raced handy and was good late in the piece when he won at Canterbury.

BET: SAHRA TO WIN, QUINELLA 8,10

RACE 7

Derbari has topweight, a wide draw and is unplaced in both fresh runs so far but he looks to be in really good shape ahead of his return today. The Joe Pride-trained son of Dundeel has trialled twice and no matter what the form guides says, they were both very good hit-outs. Land of Valens has always shown a bit of talent and he could easily peak here third-up off two pretty good runs. He has won on soft too. Big market watch here on War Memorial from the Snowden yard. Trials have been good enough to warrant close inspection.

BET: DERBARI TO WIN, QUINELLA 1,14

INSIDE MAIL FOR NOWRA

RACE 4

Philipsburg has one run in New Zealand and it was quite good behind a filly who placed in the Karaka Millions at her next start. This one was up in Queensland with Aquis for a time, never raced, but trials were all good; none of them better than the one for new trainer Jason Ponsonby at Canterbury. Good Deed is not certain to start but has claims off his trial. Nicconi gets heaps of winners; they all gallop - and it looks like it won’t be long before his son Postman Jack delivers for connections (pardon the pun). Stays On Tour is a player.

BET: PHILIPSBURG TO WIN

RACE 5

Reoffender is a five-year-old son of Snitzel who has only had the 10 starts thus far but every time he has raced, and trialled, you can see that there is talent there. Trainer and part-owner Amanda Turner has presented him with the perfect opportunity to farewell 2020 with a win today. Not sure how the track will play and whether wide draws are of any disadvantage on the day which leads up to the very promising Nikohli Beagle who has been out of the world impressive winning his only two runs in NSW, his only two runs for Jarrod Austin.

BET: REOFFENDER TO WIN, BOX TRIFECTA 3,4,8,11, DAILY DOUBLE 1ST LEG (11), 2ND LEG (10)

Trainer Gwenda Markwell has Tic Tick Man ready to strike at Nowra on Thursday. Photo: Simon Bullard/AAP Image

RACE 6

Tic Tock Man has only won once in his 28 starts but has placed 10 times and often in better company than what he lines-up against today. Not that it is a slam dunk by any means for the Gwenda Markwell-trained gelding but he only has to reproduce any of his four runs this preparation and he should win. Hypernicus is having his 85th start today and might be a million to one but this is the type of race - and venue - where he sometimes runs into the placings. Market watch advised on First Footman. Lama bolted in over a mile on debut but this is harder.

BET: TIC TOCK MAN TO WIN

RACE 7

Not many Nowra meetings go past without Jason Coyle training at least one winner and rest assured he has the horse to win the last race in NSW in the year 2020. Coyle saddles-up Layla Of Monaco who had trialled very well indeed ahead of her eye-catching fifth at Kembla. back in grade and up in trip - tick, tick. Jesse James has finished runner-up at all three runs here in Australia for Annabel Neasham; one of them in town. Misty Brook is an 11-start maiden but still pretty consistent.

BET: LAYLA OF MONACO TO WIN