Port Macquarie preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, October 27, 2024

Taree trainer Glen Milligan is upbeat about the chances of his Port Macquarie bound team including as couple of roughies ready to spring a surprise.

Trainer Glen Milligan is bullish about his big team at Port Macquarie. Picture Shane Chalker

Glen Milligan aims to win twice for the O’Donnell clan via a duo who both stem from one Pine Lodge nursery’s most historic and prolific families.

The pair, Kaiyu and Lion Class, are both direct descendants of Pine Lodge’s Century mare Reigntaine and further back, the 1945 Melbourne Cup winner, Rainbird.

First of the relatives to race on is three-year-old filly Kaiyu who lines-up in the Hire Port Class 1 Handicap (1006m) 16 days after her maiden win at the same venue.

“We have always had a little bit of an opinion of her,” Milligan said.

“She has always shown a little bit more in her trackwork than what she produced on the track on raceday but the other day we knew she had improved quite a lot after Taree first-up and we had something on her at the big odds and she won.

Kaiyu gives Mollie Fitzgerald another winner, and upsets the favourite in the first on @port_races Cup Day! pic.twitter.com/AP90fAvbLV

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 11, 2024

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!

“She ran pretty much an identical time as the Benchmark 66 1000m on the same day so that gives you a bit of encouragement.

“And I think she has improved a little bit more.”

Lion Class, meanwhile, aims for what would be a fifth career win in the Char Bar Catering Benchmark 66 Handicap (1106m) nine days after a creditable fifth of 14 in the Krambach Sprint.

“It was a pretty handy field, and he did well. He only got beaten two and a half lengths I suppose it was and I thought his run was really good,” Milligan said.

“I just hope they can make a bit of ground because it has been a little bit leaderish the new track at Port Macquarie.”

Milligan predicted a much better outcome for two of his potential roughies, namely Punch One Out and Wing Nut.

A son of Hallowed Crown, Punch One Out’s eighth of 11 at Taree, first-up on October 18, was entirely excusable it seems.

“He was a bit slow out then he got squeezed and he was spat out the back. Straightening up Teighan (Worsnop) got him to the outside where he was starting to get going and he had one duck out in front of him,” the trainer said.

Lion Class knocks off the hot favourite Never Sorry under Jon Grisedale! pic.twitter.com/Eaj1PAqZGn

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 28, 2023

“He ran up its backside more or less and I thought his last 100m was the best part of his race. I do believe he was does want a bit further but it just looked a nice race, a country boosted race for him.”

Wing Nut too, left Newcastle with a hard luck story at his first outing under the new management on Everest Day.

“His run was very good,” said Milligan.

“We knew it was going to be too short for him but he was an emergency on Port Macquarie Cup Day over 1200m and we had to go somewhere to give him a hitout to get him over further.

”He was a little slow out and he ran into plenty of trouble and Andrew (Adkins) rode for luck and it just never came for him.

“He nearly got put through the inside rail about the 250m and his last 100m of the race he finished off really well and Andrew came back in and said he is just crying out for further.”

The son of Menari gets that extra distance in the Nick Green Our Prince Of Racing Maiden Plate over 1509m.

SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 5 No. 3: I Am Sugoi

Probably good enough to win at the provincials soon so should feel comfortable in this company.

NEXT BEST

Race 6 No. 10: Flyball

Deserves some reward for effort. He’s in the right race with the perfect draw.

VALUE BET

Race 3 No. 3: Rockbarton Island

Gives the impression that a peak is imminent.

QUADDIE

Race 3: 3, 10

Race 4: 1, 2

Race 5: 3

Race 6: 10

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Luke Rolls will be short odds (for good reason) to win the TAB Jockeys Challenge.

Luke Rolls looks hard to beat in the Jockey Challenge. Picture: Bradley Photos

INSIDE MAIL - PORT MACQUARIE

RACE 1

Gustav has accepted for Quirindi on Tuesday but this looks a very inviting race for the son of Jungle Cat albeit saddled with a wide draw. You could make the case to argue that he is the best horse in the race, it might just come down to how far he is off the leaders at the 400m and if horses are able to make up ground which is proving to be not all that easy at the new Port Macquarie track. Trainer Glen Milligan made a compelling argument for Punch One Out to run well here. He could the one at odds, each-way and in the exotics. Lightscameraction is the ‘fast’ horse in the race. Sivo trialled really well the other day.

Bet: Gustav to won, quinella 1, 7, exacta 1 to beat 7

RACE 2

Prince Of Sorts adds a lot of interest to the meeting. The Allan Kehoe-trained gelding paid the price for barrier 10 of 10 on debut at Wyong behind the handy Rip Off. Ten days later he was at Dubbo where he drew 5 of 12 and won easily. He was spelled after that and resumes here without a public trial but it only a 1006m. Trainer Glen Milligan said that Kaiyu has improved again since her win here on Cup Day. For the record, she ran 59.13 in her win, the Benchmark 66 winner ran 59.12. Exorealm was a big winner of his Maiden at Taree last preparation.

Bet: Prince Of Sorts to win

RACE 3

Rockbarton Island has raced 10 times for no wins, two seconds and a third but a fair-minded person would be hard pressed to point to any what would be classed as outright bad runs from the son of Kermadec. You could most likely attribute a lot of the beaten runs to wide draws, tempo, pattern and such. He is third-up and really gives the strong impression that he is peaking. Ditto that bit for the Kris Lees-trained Justice Please who is searching for this longer trip now and more again after that being by Justify out of a Camelot mare. More on Glen Milligan now; he was pretty bullish on the chances of Wing Nut.

Bet: Rockbarton Island to win, Wing Nut to place

It's a Kempsey double for the @Leesracing - Ben Osmond team as Extessive takes Race 6! pic.twitter.com/A0BSikVtsm

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 19, 2024

RACE 4

Crowie’s Shout folded like a card table here on Cup Day in the big sprint but it was a forgive and forget run after he ran his race beforehand. Buck Pharoah is a very reliable son of Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah. One stat that stands out most at first glance is that he has raced at this track and distance twice for a win and a third. Get Some Fun is the new kid on the block. Dying to see how he measures up today.

Bet: Crowie’s Shout to win, Daily Double 1st Leg (2), 2nd Leg (10)

RACE 5

I Am Sugoi is not only a stablemate of Our Kobison, he is in fact his brother. Just a little note on Provincial Championship Final winning trainer Angela Davies, she is on 198 wins at the moment and has a massive strike-rate of 24 per cent for the win 52 per cent the place. Andrew Gibbons rides at 25 per cent for her and Davies has a 31 per cent win rate at Port Macquarie. Wow. I think I Am Sugoi is a provincial class horse so he should be right at home in this. That said, the one in the Gunsynd colours, Lounerse, has a giant X-Factor about him but I wonder if the wide draw and the ‘hard to make ground at Port Macquarie’ are negatives to overcome.

Bet: I Am Sugoi to win

RACE 6

Wonder what price Luke Rolls is in the TAB Jockeys Challenge? We won’t get rich backing him but if he is close either side of even-money, he is the best bet on two legs this weekend on the strict proviso that all of his rides show up. If he hasn’t already sealed the deal, Rolls could do so here on Flyball from the Stephen ‘Crusher’ Farley camp. Surely a repeat of his second to Agirlsbestfriend is good enough to win this. The Young Years has never raced better but has a terrible draw. Xtra Approval and Mallee Boy Express are on the hunt.

Bet: Flyball to win