Price check: Shayne O’Cass and Nick Quinn discuss the early betting and best chances for Saturday’s meetings at Rosehill and Flemington

FIELDS/BETTING: THE Sportsman’s form analyst Shayne O’Cass and TAB’s Nick Quinn look at the early betting and the best chances at Rosehill and Flemington on Saturday.

4 min read

September 9, 2015 - 5:01PM

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THE Sportsman’s form analyst Shayne O’Cass and TAB’s Nick Quinn look at the early betting and the best chances at Rosehill and Flemington on Saturday.

O’CASS: G’day Quinny. I’m off the bench for Ray Thomas, no pressure, only got to find the Golden Rose winner. Nine runners this year but I’d say nine chances. I can’t go past the Run To The Rose form only this time it’s Press Statement ($3.60) to get the nod over Exosphere ($3) but, geez, they are two nice big, strong colts.

QUINN: Glad we finally got rid of Ray Thomas and Munzo for the week, Ray is a ripper bloke but he keeps challenging me for the best hair in racing! Disappointing that there are only nine acceptors for the Golden Rose, but just like Nic Ashman on a Saturday night I have got my eyes on the filly and I am sticking with Speak Fondly ($4.40), and I can’t work out why Gold Symphony ($18) is such huge odds, as per usual, no respect for the Victorians.

O’CASS: Speak Fondly has the draw, no doubt about it, but it’s not a fillies’ race. I guess not that many really try, but she’s got to go 1400m at group 1 level against colts and geldings; I don’t think she can do it, Quinny. That Moody colt [Gold Symphony] looks pretty handy and races on the speed but I couldn’t have him.

$1m GOLDEN ROSE

Run Saturday, Rosehill

Group 1 (1400m)

1. PRESS STATEMENT C Waller T Angland 3 56.5kg $3.60

2. EXOSPHERE J O’Shea J McDonald 2 56.5kg $3

3. GOLD SYMPHONY P Moody T Berry 1 56.5kg $18

4. RAGEESE M, W & J Hawkes B Avdulla 9 56.5kg $17

5. SHARDS J O’Shea J Moreira 6 56.5kg $12

6. SEBRING SUN G Portelli J Cassidy 7 56.5kg $15

7. LET’S MAKE IT RAIN R Quinton T Clark 8 56.5kg $31

8. HOLLER J O’Shea S Clipperton 5 56.5kg $14

9. SPEAK FONDLY G Waterhouse B Prebble 4 54.5kg $4.40

BETTING: TAB FIXED ODDS

QUINN: Well, they say great minds think alike, so that more than likely explains why we won’t!

On what is an outstanding program, is there anything that jumps off the page at you where we can potentially build a bank?

O’CASS: There’s some decent sized fields before the Rose. It’s hard to find the winner but the trade off is ‘value’. My best bet actually comes along in one of the 14-horse fields — Laucala in the aptly-named TAB.com.au Handicap. She’s on the up big time, buddy.

QUINN: Yes, she looked super winning at Canterbury, although I would be lying if I said I loved the recent trial. I am confident we can pay for the quaddie and beers for the day with Silverball ($1.90) in Race 2, surely he looks a great way to double your cash.

Flying filly Speak Fondly will tackle the boys in the Golden Rose. Picture: Simon Bullard

O’CASS: Good horse, Quinny, but I think the firm track will see Havana Cooler ($6) be the big improver from the Wyong Cup. He ran last so, as the song says, ‘The only way is up’. James Cummings has had a tough week off the track but how good is he going? Fair dinkum! I loved Sultry Feeling’s win first-up and reckon she’s flying.

QUINN: No matter which horse you bet on or even which horse you pick, if a winner is trained by James or Anthony Cummings in the next month there will be plenty of emotion from all concerned. Can you imagine if Precedence ($101) went on to win the Melbourne Cup? There would not be a dry eye at the track.

O’CASS: Speaking of Melbourne, you guys are kidding with $61 Gust of Wind in the Makybe Diva — did you see her first-up run and the bloke riding is, oh, that’s right, Blake Shinn!!!

$400,000 MAKYBE DIVA STAKES

Run Saturday, Flemington

Group 1, 1600m

1. FAWKNER R Hickmott D Oliver 14 59kg

2. HAPPY TRAILS P Beshara G Boss 3 59kg

3. BOBAN C Waller G Schofield 4 59kg

4. DANDINO (GB) D Weir B Melham 10 59kg

5. SMOKIN’ JOEY W Hunter C Parnham 8 59kg

6. WEARY (FR) C Waller C Newitt 13 59kg

7. PRINCE OF PENZANCE (NZ) D Weir M Payne 9 59kg

8. OUR IVANHOWE (GER) L & A Freedman — 11 59kg

9. ENTIRELY PLATINUM (NZ) M, W & J Hawkes D Dunn 15 59kg

10. MONGOLIAN KHAN M Baker O Bosson 7 58.5kg

11. VOLKSTOK’N’BARRELL (NZ) D Logan C Williams 16 58.5kg

12. MAGICOOL M Kavanagh J Winks 2 58.5kg

13. HI WORLD P Moody K McEvoy 17 58.5kg

14. ALPINE EAGLE T McEvoy M Zahra 12 58.5kg

15. RISING ROMANCE (NZ) D Hayes & T Dabernig D Lane 1 57kg

16. GUST OF WIND (NZ) J Sargent B Shinn 5 56.5kg

17e. AWESOME ROCK L & T Corstens M Walker 6 58.5kg

BETTING: TAB FIXED ODDS

QUINN: At those odds it does not cost you much to find out. What about the fact there are three runners going around in the Golden Rose that opened up $101. Hopefully the ‘overs Gods’ can smile on those on Gold Symphony, Sebring Sun or Let’s Make It Rain.

O’CASS: I can just take all these wide stabs at bolters cause I won’t be here next week to account for myself. It’ll be RT and Munzie and we’ll be back to getting their coffees and donuts for them. Pleasure working with you, buddy. Go luck everyone — enjoy Golden Rose day.

FEATURE RACE MARKETS

TAB Fixed Odds

EPSOM HANDICAP

Randwick, October 3

$6 KERMADEC

$8 PORNICHET, ROYAL DESCENT

$11 WINX

$15 ALPINE EAGLE, BOBAN, CATKINS, HAURAKI, HOOKED, LUCIA VALENTINA, LUCKY HUSSLER, NOBLE PROTECTOR, SWEYNESSE

$26 Others

BETTING: TAB FIXED ODDS