Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Gosford

A Mark Newnham-trained gelding will appreciate the extra distance in his upcoming assignment on Thursday and will prove hard to hold out. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Mark Newnham has Aramis primed to peak third-up at Gosford on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass gives his best bets and runs the rule over every race for Gosford.

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!

GOSFORD

BEST BET

Race 2, No.1: ARAMIS

Gets his big chance here; third-up, 1900m, small field. He just needs to stay close enough to pounce late.

NEXT BEST

Race 4, No.4: SMASHING EAGLE

Half-brother to Anders resuming and having first run for Team Hawkes. Trialled super at Warwick Farm 13-days ago.

VALUE BET

Race 3, No.12: OUR LADY STARDUST

Ryan/Alexiou filly on debut in the right style of race at the perfect track. Has the pace and the talent.

BEST PLACE

Race 7, No.4: RICCOS

Finds himself in the ideal race, distance-wise, so expect him to be strong late as is his custom.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 6,9,10

Race 6: 8,10

Race 7: 3,4,7,9

Race 8: 5,6,10,14

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Kerrin McEvoy has a 20 per cent winning strike-rate at Gosford and 51.4 per cent when placings are added.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR GOSFORD

RACE 1

Nickelback is a Team Hawkes-trained son of Nature Strip’s sire, Nicconi, with a current C.V of two seconds and a fourth from his three starts. Beaten at $3.20 first-up but he got very close to the winner, Shirshov, who goes alright. Fitter horse, drier track, extra trip suit him too. Lasting Promise is a typical Choisir and is a three-quarter to two of that stallion’s best horses namely Divine Prophet and Proisir. Resumes here off two very nice trials. Foolish has placed five times in seven starts. Has to go ‘in’ on consistency alone.

Bet: Nickelback to win, exacta 1 to beat 7

RACE 2

Aramis is in the perfect race but perhaps the imperfect track. That is to say, the son of Contributer has been giving away some pretty sizeable head starts in the majority of his races but out to the mile this time - and in a small field, you would think if he can stay in touch, he might be too good. Donegal Lights has come back in great shape to be sure to be sure. The Paul and Martha Cave-trained gelding is crying out for the mile and more after that. Annabel Neasham pair Capital Elle and Dirty Merchant are both last start winners.

Bet: Aramis, exacta 1 to beat 3

Kerrin McEvoy rides Our Lady Stardust at Gosford. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 3

Our Lady Stardust is a sister to her stablemates The Face and Mr Mosaic and like those two Rubick sons, she is blessed with plenty of pace. Co-trainer Gerald Ryan made the salient point of the century when he said that Our Lady Stardust harnesses her speed better than the other two. Emirates Park have a hugely valuable filly/mare in Shenthara who is out of Sunlight’s stakes-placed half-sister Sheika. The debut was okay, the trials have been way beyond okay. True Crime won a trial here so will be familiar with the venue. San Lucido can gallop.

Bet: Our Lady Stardust to win, quinella 12,18

RACE 4

Smashing Eagle has three stakes-performed siblings, the best of them being the flying machine Anders. This son of Shalaa was tipped out after his debut at the Sunshine Coast on Dec 22 when John Moore had him. Smashing Eagle is now with Team Hawkes; the last trial was a beauty too. Costa De Oro is a neat and racy little Pierro filly with a great action. She has impressed at the trials, winning one and then finishing a neck second to Cosmic Minerva (runs here too). Have to admit to declaring Lady Fraulein first-up. Ouch. Let’s see what happens this time.

Bet: Smashing Eagle to win

RACE 5

Superargo is the one for the breeding buffs in this race. Why? His dam is a Galileo granddaughter of TJ Smith’s Sires’ winner, Rhythmic Charm who was ridden at her 13th and last start in the Furious by the Duff! Cutting to the chase, Superargo has placed three out of four and this could/should be his day. Elegant Poetess probably should have won a race or three by now but her pattern has often worked against her. Little Bit Yours turned in a career best performance when a distant second at Scone nine day ago. Another Sonette can place.

Bet: Superargo to win

Sam Clipperton partners Superargo for trainer Stephen O’Halloran. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 6

Fairey Barracuda is a rising six-year-old mare with a massive pedigree but you can see why Phillipa Duncan resisted the temptation to send her to stud. To be fair, Fairey Barracuda was bordering on a moral first-up off the trials and in a pretty skinny maiden here but she blitzed them. One word for her - untapped. That said, the Kris Lees-trained granddaughter of the Max Lees-trained Shindig meets a much better field here; Quantum for one, the trials say his is flying. Then there is Famous Pedrille who has finished runner-up at both track/trip runs.

Bet: Fairey Barracuda to win, quinella 8.10

RACE 7

Roccos can’t get to 1900m fast enough. The Janelle Shapter-trained gelding has run three eye-catchers in the time that he has been housed at Cessnock. The first two were at a mile then the last one at 1800m. Amazing to see that he started at $61, $51 and $61; for what it is worth, he should be favourite this time in my opinion. Suspect that Piccini is another one looking for this trip. She is like a lot of Pierro’s, and her dam also happens to be a three-quarter-sister to Streama. Portnoy has drawn a bit sticky for where she might need to be in the run. Sneaky Island has obvious claims but has been costly.

Bet: Riccos to win

RACE 8

Humble Star is a good horse. The son of Star Witness beat Kiss Sum on debut in the Star Kingdom at Muswellbrook in April last year then went down to Canberra and walked in. Had excuses to some degree for his short summer preparation. First run for the new stable and if he doesn’t run well off the trials then what hope is there. Lady Brook ran in four very strong races at her first campaign for Joe Pride and she went well in three of them. Unbeaten in all three first-up runs and trial was a beauty. The Neon Knight has the draw, the jockey and the talent to win.

Bet: Humble Star to win

Originally published as Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Gosford