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

Kentucky Miss with jockey Blake Shinn. Picture: Robert Pozo.

NOTE: RACES are assessed for a Good 3. All horses are considered starters unless notified by Monday at 1 PM. (N/R) denotes no rating.

RACE 1

THE market and flucs will be the ultimate guide to the chances of 5. SWEET ADALINE (N/R) who debuts here. The Chris Waller trained filly first came to our attention after an absolutely brilliant trial win at Rosehill on Jun. 28. She next appeared there in a Sep 26 heat eating up the ground late to run fourth. She looks like your typical neat little Lonhro filly and the dam was super handy. Her name was Adaline and she beat the great Katie Lee in a G2 over in NZ and was also G1 placed. Obviously the race experience favours Sweet Adaline’s stablemate 3. IN TIMES OF WAR 9N/R) who has finished 0.10-lens and 0.2-lens second at each of her two runs and behind good fillies — A Mist Opportunity and Spright. I concede, she’s the ‘obvious’ here but I’ll chance the arm on the longer priced Sweet Adaline unless she blows like a gale in the betting. Of the rest, 2. ECKSTEIN (N/R) has some deep form — a second to Impending no less — and was 2-lens behind In Times Of War first-up.

RACE 2

I’LL level with you; this selection is a cross between a ‘guess’ and a ‘hope’. That is to say I am guessing 1. BRIAN THE GUN (N/R) is better than his trial looks on face value and I am hoping he doesn't just get run of his legs and gets beaten half a furlong. This Craig Carmody trained son of Benfica looks like a draught-horse on the tapes, he doesn’t seem to have much early speed but once he gets into his rhythm he seems to build up some momentum. On his trials, you’d have to say ‘later on, more ground’ but what’s there to lose having something small on him at big odds? 4. PALLADIAN (N/R) was runner-up to Niccobelle at Wyong first-up then ran second again to Niccolance; two Nicconi’s beat him in two weeks! That’s great form, Niccobelle was very unlucky next time out and of course Niccolance won at Randwick on Saturday. 7. SILVERWIN (N/R) creates interest here on debut. The James Cummings trained colt is an Exceed And Excel half to NZ Champion 2YO (2011-12) in Warhorse and the trials have been quite adequate.

RACE 3

NOT many horses go from a maiden to a class 2 and win both. Few do it with the authority and ease that 11. PUMPKIN PIE (62) has done. The maiden win was good, the C2 was great. The turn of foot Pumpkin Pie showed at Nowra last start was quite remarkable — you don’t see them race away like that every day of the week and not at their second. If anyone knows when to bring them to town it’s Pumpkin Pie’s trainer Danny Williams. 3. QUANTRILL (64) has only won 1 from 13 but he has placed 7 times and often in better company than what he lines-up against tomorrow. The son of his trainer Matthew Smith’s untapped Krupt was pretty good there at Canterbury last Wednesday finishing about 4-lens behind Super Maxi in an 1100m Bm67. Rarely far away and is at home for this. Another of the locals who could run a race — and at odds in his case — is 4. MONTIRO (63). There’s been nothing wrong with his two trials and he is a first-up winner in the past — that was his debut through so maybe it doesn’t count?

RACE 4

THESE middle distances races at WF in particular are nightmare-ish for punters, anything goes. While they are a tough way to make money, I think there is an opportunity to cash in big time with a quinella bet namely 5. DON PELLIGRINO (64) and 6. CATON (63). The pair come through the My Giuliano race at Rosehill from Sep 28 (a midweeker) where the Don was beaten 0.5-lens while Caton was 4.1-lens behind him. They were basically alongside each other at the top of the straight so obviously there was much more merit in Don Pelligrino’s run than Caton. That says, it is about now that Caton is ready to hit his peak — he’s been building up to a big run and this is his sixth run in at a trip he will relish at a track he has won at. 1. DOC HOLLIDAY (70) and 4. ALLISION (68) are going to have admirers and rightly so.

RACE 5

COULD 5. LIAPARI (65) be the most interesting runner of the day? I reckon there are three, her, Sweet Adaline and Firsthand in the last. As for Liapari, here’s the background. She is 9s 1-0-3 back in NZ and has her first run for Chris Waller tomorrow. His form in NZ was rock solid and included a 3rd to Xtravagant and Dubaiinstyle in the Guineas trial. He also ran in the G1 Levin Classic and while he finished 7th of the 12, he was only beaten 3.1-lens and bear in mind this is a midweek Bm70. The trial (6th of 8) is impossible to read but unless the market says otherwise, I am happy to be with this son of Nom Du Jeu who happens to be out of an Al Akbar mare — just like Winx! 2. DREAMFORCE (68) is a lightly-raced and superbly bred Fastnet Rock — Eskimo Queen stallion trained by John Thompson who also has the full-sister and gun filly, Blowing Kisses. Dreamforce is 4s 2-0-2 so far and beat a very good C1 field at Kembla first-up. 6. LUCKY FISH (65) went back to the trials (after running okay at Rosehill (in a deep Saturday race) winning that heat here at WF last Friday by 3-lens. Be in this for a long way.

RACE 6

2. ZELDA (69) is a very low percentage mare with only 2 wins from 20 starts. The reason for the lack of wins is her pattern, she gives away huge starts on most occasions and when you do that, you need an assured tempo and clear running. You can't fault the company Zelda has raced in — last prep she was up against (winners) like Ravi, Elle Lou and Harlem Lady as well as Extensible and Frill Seeking. Zelda’s two wins have been first and second-up so that’s a positive given she resumes here interestingly with no trial but she’ll be ready. Going to need Tim Clark to pull out a Dixie Blossoms ride on Zelda though — gate 1 is not good, not good at all. 5. NASSAK (66) is ‘171’ at present — the two wins are both at Kembla, one was pretty soft, the other was ahead of Wild Ava who goes rather well. Nassak failed in town in the middle but it was soft and he was basically second-up. 4. BELLA GALEANO (67) was $31 first-up at Hawkesbury but ran second to impressive type Meiner Freccia. Has won second-up and is 3s 1-0-1 at the venue.

RACE 7

3. NEW TIPPERARY (71) was $13 to $21 first-up in that very deep midweeker at Rosehill on Sep 28. The Joe Pride trained galloper was back last until the turn but worked to the line in most pleasing order to finish 3.3-lens behind Morton’s Fork who was heavily backed. I am assuming that there is considerable scope for improvement in Pride’s horse given his is 2s 2w second-up. He is a progressive horse with a little dash of quality racing at home in the ideal race. I liked 4. ZOURKHAN (71) fresh-up here on Sep 21 and wasn’t alone because he was $11 into $7 at one point. He has barrier 11 of 14 and 60.5kgs so I guess it was a bit of ask in hindsight. The horse finished 8th of 14 beaten 3.6-lens but he had a checkered run up the straight and maybe could have finished a fraction closer. Second-up winner and drawn 1, I think he’ll race much, much, much closer. 11. HIGH OPINION (64) was having his first start for new trainer Kris Lees in a 1400m Bm72 on Sep 21. A well performed horse down in the Riverina before joining Lees, High Opinion got back (as expected) and ran on big time (as expected).

RACE 8

WHAT a super race to end the day, this is easily Saturday company and almost Listed quality, almost. The best system in racing is ‘Joe Pride in the last — and even better one is ‘Joe Pride in the last at Warwick Farm’. How about Joe Pride in the Last at home with a last start stakes-winner? Of course I talk of 9. KENTUCKY MISS (76) who won the Cap D'Antibes at Flemington on Sep 10 with 18 of 18 up the straight six. She’s been home since and trialled like a bomb there at WF last Friday. She’s a 3YO taking on open class mares and males but you can’t fault her form. 7. FIRSTHAND (71) is the danger. This Team Hawkes trained galloper is 2s 2w, one at Wyong, the other at MV. The 4YO Star Witness gelding last raced on Jun. 18 but boy did he look the goods winning that Randwick heat on Sep 20. Promising type. 11. UPSCALE (71) was so darn good beating Super Maxi here first-up and we all saw what Super Maxi did at Canterbury last Wednesday. How can I leave out 11. FAITH’S ENCORE (72) you ask? Yeah I agree — this is one red hot race.