Sydney: Comprehensive preview of every race at Warwick Farm

A COMPREHENSIVE preview of every race for Wednesday’s meet at Warwick Farm, with Shayne O’Cass.

Horses jump at Warwick Farm. Picture: Phil Hillyard

NOTE: RACES are assessed for a Slow 5. All horses are considered starters unless notified by Monday at 1 PM. (N/R) denotes no rating.

RACE 1

4. ENFIELD OPP (N/R) is a Redoute’s Choice colt out of a mare that is a full-sister to G1 winner and So You Think conqueror All American. It’s a great Strawberry Hills family and continues to be so. This Waller trained 3YO was $9 to $12 on debut mostly as a consequence of the strong support for the fav and winner Isaurian whom Enfield Opp managed to finish 2.5-lens behind in 2nd which means he passed the other three horses in the race. Up from 1100m to 1300m is what could well be the difference this time. Stablemate 5. HIGHER GROUND (N/R) is a colt by the aforementioned So You Think. On debut tomorrow, Higher Ground has trialled five times to varying degrees, perhaps the most salient one is the last one at Randwick on Oct. 17 where he finished 1.5-lens 4th to 1. ASTROFLASH (N/R) from the Les Bridge camp. The main reason why I have the ‘loser’ ahead of the ‘winner’ is that Higher Ground is a So You Think on debut at 1300m with five trials up the sleeve while Astroflash has trialled only once.

RACE 2

8. POPULAR (N/R) is a Commands filly from Godolphin resuming here at home over the thoroughly suitable 1300m. She was tipped out after a super debut here over 1200m on a heavy 8 on Apr. 12 when making up plenty of ground to finish 2.8-lens 3rd to The Mighty Fed. James Cummings has given the filly two trials and they have both been ace. Commands are the best fresh horses in the business. One for the pedigree buffs; Popular is out of a Rainbow Quest half sister to Campanologist and the 2nd dam is a Sadler’s Wells half to Singspiel. Wow. 10. SEMPER FIDELIS (N/R) is a Waller trained filly bred and owned by John (Deploy) Cornish. This daughter of High Chap and a Danehill mare boasts the triple Grade 1 winning US mare Tappiano as her 3rd dam so it is a helluva good pedigree. Trialled twice ahead of the debut and there was certainly enough in them both for her to figure in the medals. I think I have to scale down my wild opinion of 2. BALLET BABY (N/R) until she does something on race day. Granted she can build on that first-up run here from the other day but as it stands, I am very comfortable to have Popular above her and then speck the unraced stablemate unless the market says otherwise.

Horses jump at Warwick Farm. Picture: Phil Hillyard

RACE 3

ANYONE who respects money will keep their hands in their pockets here. This is a Bookies Benefit — it; the deadset Non Winners Classic. The best example of which is undoubtedly 4. WINE BUSH (67). I need my head examined to tip a horse that is 1 from 17 surely! That said, it was jockey error last time in that 2200m race won by 3. THEWAYWEARE (78) who has twice the desire of the Waller horse it must be said. I think the 2400m might be the key to Wine Bush but I wouldn’t personally want $1 on him. He is a very, very costly racehorse. Any of the 8 could win this race, midweekers at the Farm above 2000m are a nightmare for punters, favs get rolled, form gets turned around, you just don’t need to bet in these races. Best of the rest and as good as any in the race really is 1. OLYMPIC ACADEMY (81) who is a last start winner here over subsequent winner and rival Thewayweare. My only little concern with Olympic Academy is that he may be suspect at 2400m, more so with 61.5kgs on his back.

RACE 4

IF I trained 11. MARBLE (62) he would have been in the Brian Crowley last Saturday then back home to prepare for the Coolmore Classic on Derby. Yes, I think you can see, I am quite the optimist. But I am only half joking, I honestly think this colt is G1 class, big time G1 too. I remember saying ages ago that Alizee would be the best filly of the 2014 Darley crop and that Marble would be the best colt followed by Toga Picta and Kementari. Win was enormous, trials have been huge, talent is astronomical. Speaking of G1, 6. BLOWING KISSES (69) trials like a G1 horse but so far has been a little bit disappointing for what we all know she is capable of. This daughter of Redoute’s Choice and Coolmore winner Eskimo Queen is 3s 2-1-0 fresh so that alone is a big. John Thompson has trialled her twice and both time Blake Shinn has pretty much never moved on a muscle. I am sure there is a race in Melbourne for her in the coming weeks. 7. MAGICAZ (N/R) is trained on the track by David Pfieffer, formerly with Con Karakastanis. This honest Magic Albert mare runs her best races here at home and she has been trialling rather well in the lead up. That was precisely the scenario before she resumes last preparation with a win at the t/d at $17. There was no Marble in the race that day though.

RACE 5

CHRIS Waller has four in the race — very dangerous — and I am going for the one that I suspect will be the outsider of the quartet namely 12. LIFFY (65). This daughter of Smart Missile is third-up now and over 1600m off runs at 1300m then 1400m. Liffy was $11 to $21 when she ran a quite creditable 4.2-lens 4th of 8 behind stablemate So Splendid (run here too) on Oct. 11. It was a vaguely similar run to when she was 3rd to another stablemate Dahooil in a 1400m race then she went up to Wyong next time and won a mile C2 beating a good field. Waller’s 11. SMOOTH WHISKEY (62) powered through the line like Usain Bolt when he won at Wyong last start. That was win 1 at start 15 but rest assured, he’s always been a better horse than that. Going to love the mile and you’d nearly back him to get ‘run of the race’ from his alley. 8. OUR BELISA (69) on the other hand will need a Blake Shinn special from barrier 11. John Thompson has this mare going super this prep and this was/is the logical race for her after that booming win at Hawkesbury.

RACE 6

7. MOQUEEN (71) is the most interesting all day outside of Marble IMO. She is an Uncle Mo out of Money Begets Money who I know well because my uncle used to race her. I also know it is one of the best families in the Studbook too. Moqueen is ‘7000x’. Last run was 14/14, 14 throughout, in the Schweppes Oaks over in Adelaide. She also ran 9th in the VRC Oaks last spring. Moqueen is 1 from 14 but at least that win was in a Listed race. She is first start/resuming for Waller and granted he is a hard man to read through the trials but I think from the little we have seen from her that Moqueen can run a bold race. There are a stack of other chances in this really absorbing race. 9. SO SPIRITED (66) is flying this prep but the horse to bet on as a saver is 12. NACHO LIBRE (63). He trialled super at WF on Oct. 9 then went to Hawkesbury 8-days later and ran 7 of 8 in 1250m heat. I’d like to be able to say he went well but he was never in the camera frame! Paul Cave 1, trial watchers nil! I bet there’s money for this bloke.

RACE 7

JASON Coyle has been the form trainer in and Sydney for weeks and weeks now and so it was great to see him get his G3 reward with the now priceless White Moss last Saturday at Randwick. White Moss races in the colours of her owner/breeders, the Esplin family, as does the equally well bred 5. ASSERTIN MISCHIEF (66) whom I am super, super keen on to win the last. She was trialling really well before her return to racing in a Wyong 1200m C2 on Oct. 12. She drew 5 of 6 and went back as expected buy the way the race was run, she was never going to get past Oxford Magic. In fact, for Assertin mischief to get within 1.4-lens was a moral victory. Has won second-up, racing at home this time — just needs a good tempo and way through in the stretch. 2. ZONK (69) was $1.80 for good reason when she won here first-up on Oct. 11. She was a mile too good for the others. Zonk is a classy mare with exceedingly deep form — 2nd to White Moss here at the end of last prep a case in point. Obviously a major player but at the odds, I am very much with the Coyle mare. 4. O’REILLY CYRUS (68) hasn’t drawn terribly well — 13 of 13 — but WF 1200m is straight run in, slingshot round the bound or up the fence.