Nowra preview, tips and inside mail for Sunday, February 9, 2025

Canberra gelding Mountain Chatter will have his first look at Nowra on Sunday ahead a likely return visit for a Country Championships qualifier. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Mountain Chatter with trainer John Nisbet after a win in Canberra last November. Picture: Bradley Photos

Canberra gelding Mountain Chatter will have his first look at Nowra on Sunday, two weeks ahead of a likely return visit when the venue hosts the SERA Country Championships Qualifier for 2025.

Mountain Chatter already has a 50 per cent strike rate with three wins from his six starts together with two thirds and an honourable fourth on his CV.

“He’s been a good horse,’’ trainer John Nisbet said.

“He was probably a bit unlucky a couple of times last time too.

“He’s a genuine little horse.’’

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Mountain Chatter has come a long way in a short time and managed to clear every hurdle so far.

The bar will be raised again this weekend when the 64 rater takes on a pair of Benchmark 76 types among others in the Lighthouse Plumbing Country Boosted Championship Preview Class 4 Handicap (1200m).

“We bought him back for the Country Championships so he has to aim up in a race like that,’’ Nisbet said.

“I think there is a bit of rain down there (at Nowra) and he doesn’t mind it soft either.”

He's too good!

🗻 Mountain Chatter goes to new heights in the first from Canberra! @nisbet_kaylapic.twitter.com/I5GLTGUtsp

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 12, 2024

Mountain Chatter put the writing on the wall for a big return to a big campaign with his recent fourth behind Kosciuszko horse Mogo Magic in an 800m Heat at Goulburn on January 28.

“(Jockey) Jack (Martin) gave him plenty of room in the trial, he covered a bit of ground but he couldn’t have trialled much better and he has come on since then too,’’ Nisbet reported.

Mountain Chatter is a son of the Doncaster Handicap and George Main Stakes winner, Kermadec.

But it is his dam-sire who generates the most interest.

Mountain Chatter was bred by and is part-owned by Brian Roddy who will be forever remembered as one of the owners of Mountain Chatter’s dam-sire, Murphy’s Blu Boy.

A great grandson of Mr Prospector on one side and our own Bletchingly on the other, the then Goondiwindi trained Murphy’s Blu Boy was hailed as “The New Gunsynd” after his epic seven-length win in the 2003 Blue Diamond Prelude.

The win prompted winning jockey Damien Oliver to declare Murphy’s Blu Boy as “the best two-year-old I have ever ridden”.

Nisbet will have a second runner on Sunday’s Nowra card with Pushalot contesting the Wobbegongs WSC CJB Benchmark 58 Handicap (1100m).

The mare has finished on the podium at nine of her eleven starts so far.

Granted she has only managed one win but her four seconds all came with a margin under a length.

“She’s a genuine little thing,’’ Nisbet said.

“She probably went a bit quick the other day and got run down but she always does her best.

“I think the barrier (one) will help her and she likes it wet too if it rains.’’

NOWRA TIPS

BEST BET

Race 1 No.7: Bernen Win

Came from last on 11 at the turn to finish third at Warwick Farm last start.

NEXT BEST

Race 7 No.11: Leovanni

Resumes in a winnable race; bred to get better each passing day.

VALUE BET

Race 4 No.10: Flaming Moon

Trials are better than they look. Generates interest at the odds.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 7,10

Race 5: 1,3

Race 6: 4,5

Race 7: 1,2,11

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Alysha Collett is going to be very popular with punters throughout the day.

NOWRA INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1

Bernen Win is a direct descendant of a highly influential New Zealand broodmare, Lovenvain, best known over our side of the Tasman thanks to that magnificent chestnut miler Golden Sword. Bernen Win is trained by Anthony Cummings who has granted the gelding his best opportunity yet to win, bearing in mind he was placed at Warwick Farm last start. Frankel son Fernao resumes over the right distance but with only one trial. market the only and best guide to his chances. Stablemate Scoundrel looks like he wants a mile now.

Bet: Bernen Win to win

RACE 2

Rose Aye is a Matthew Dale bargain buy. He forked out a mere $13,000 for the daughter of Supido at the 2023 Inglis Classic Sale. She’s won $14,100 in her first three starts last prep, one of them was a ripper seventh of 16 in the $200,000 Inglis Challenge at Scone. Lombardi Lass and Performing Div are both first starters from different (astute) camps based at Goulburn and both have trialled well enough to play a big role in the outcome. Maybe have to lean to Performing Diva on the score of the draw?

Bet: Rsoe Aye to win

RACE 3

Mountain Chatter has won three of them, was twice third and came from a fair way to finish fourth at the other one. All in all, the John Nisbet-trained gelding has also had to contend with a little bit of bad luck at times which only adds to his merit. Good race to resume in but he’s as good as any of these. Craving Magic finished sixth of nine in the Bega Sprint the other day but he was eating into the margin and that’s not easy to do sometimes at the Sapphire Coast. Fourcade has claims.

Bet: Mountain Chatter to win, exacta 6 to beat 1

RACE 4

Flaming Moon, an $80,000 Inglis Classic Yearling, is a Too Darn Hot half-sister to five winners including MRC Debutant winner, Moonlight Hussler. The Anthony Cummings-trained 3YO has trialled five times, twice for son Edward, and while they look underwhelming on paper, a couple of them have been quite OK. Newhaven Park’s well-bred mare Glory went within a neck of winning a 1400m maiden here last start. Just has to go in. Bedda Mia and Cigar Man are best of the rest perhaps.

Bet: Flaming Moon each-way, quinella 7,10, box trifecta 4,7,9,10

RACE 5

Missile Maiden has posted three wins and five placings from her career total of 13 starts. No doubt the most pertinent and compelling point to make is that his last win was as recently as Feb 2 and that was also over the 1400, his first run at the trip. Gets 4kg off and a favourable alley. Jamacri trounced a $1.30 fav when winning at Port Macquarie first-up. Placed here on debut but was a bit meek and mild that day. No knock. Impressiero has lost 27 of his 20 starts but hang on, he is one for one at the Nowra 1400m.

Bet: Missile Maiden to win, DD 1st Leg (1) 2nd Leg (10)

RACE 6

Deni Gal was scratched from what would have been her 10th TAB Highway appearance on Saturday at Randwick. There have been times when she has been simply not good enough in Highway grade but times too when she has been unlucky or not well-served by her pattern of racing. She has tended to race well at the top of a campaign and this is no Highway! That said, it is no slam dunk for her either. If the Petawata that won for Matthew Dale at its first run for the yard shows up here, look out.

Bet: Deni Gal each-way

RACE 7

Leovanni was scratched from Canberra on Friday and has also accepted for Bathurst on Monday so is worth keeping an eye out for if she happens to be saved. She is by one of New Zealand’s best stallions, Proisir, out of a mare by Colombia who was the slowest of all Eight Carat foals, legend has it, which is why he retired without racing. This filly has a future beyond 1200m. Simply Just has raced three times for a second and two fourths. The Ryan/Alexiou trained son of Headwater has loads of pace and placed in a very, very deep heat at Rosehill on Jan 23. Have to respect Istolea Merc.

Bet: Leovanni to win, quinella 2,11, or if scratched Simply Just to win