Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Nowra

Brad Widdup-trained gelding Sky Ace can see off his four rivals in the opener and claim his maiden win.

Racing in New South Wales on Tuesday is at Nowra.

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

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!

NOWRA

BEST BET

Race 1, No.5: SKY ACE

A Brad Widdup-trained gelding out of a High Chaparral mare; stays the trip, small field suits and is rock hard fit.

NEXT BEST

Race 5, No.11: ZOU LOVER

Vieira family filly who put the writing on the wall for a first-up win with a couple of trials at home at Warwick Farm recently.

VALUE BET

Race 7, No.8: MASKED MAREE

Last in two trials but that’s nothing out of the ordinary for the mare. Could be dangerous to her rivals at odds. Don’t sell her short.

BEST EXOTIC

Quinella Race 3 Nos. 1 and 6

QUADDIE

Race 4: 3,4,5

Race 5: 11

Race 6: 4

Race 7: 4,6,8

Brock Ryan can give the TAB Jockeys Challenge a shake at Nowra on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Brock Ryan should at least pick up a few points in the TAB Jockeys Challenge thanks to Greg Hickman’s pair, Packer and Unwritten.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR NOWRA

RACE 1

Sky Ace is a very fit son of the Queensland Cup placegetter and High Chaparral mare, Monaco Doll. In fact, the Brad Widdup-trained gelding’s last four starts have all been over 2000m and best of all, he has placed at three of them and was fourth at another. Just don’t want a Heavy 10 for him maybe. Hombre Grande likewise finds himself in the perfect race. He’ll just get up there on speed in the small field and grind away. That might be enough on the day. Turnaround Time is way down in grade - no Lukey Luke or Velvet Lady here.

Bet: Sky Ace to win, exacta 5 to beat 4

RACE 2

Eve ‘N’ Ruby is trained by Marc Conners who bred the filly along with a couple of her other owners. Her dam, Princess Command, was a handy mare for Conners a few years back. Eve ‘N’ Ruby. She has clearly come back in great shape winning first-up on the Beaumont track prior to an honourable fourth to the unbeaten Audette at Muswellbrook. Papadum is a bit hot and cold but has claims. St Anton has raced at Nowra four times for two seconds. First-up Heavy 8 winner at Moruya but he is unplaced in four second-up appearances.

Bet: Eve ‘N’ Ruby to win

Jockey Jess Taylor partners Eve ‘N’ Ruby for trainer Marc Conners. Picture: AAP Image

RACE 3

Packer has placed at four of his eight starts but he probably should have won his last two. Beaten a nostril at Mudgee then threw the race away at Muswellbrook but still almost came back and won. Just needs to keep his mind on the job and he’ll be winning. Khumbu looks to be building up to an overdue but somewhat deserved first win. One very compelling stat is that this gelding has placed four times from seven Heavy track runs. Manconni will appreciate coming back to Nowra having gone around at Warwick Farm eight days ago.

Bet: Packer to win, exacta 1 to beat 6

RACE 4

Unyielding Spirit can chalk up another winner for the combined tally of Gwenda Markwell and Keagan Latham. Last time we looked it was 44. This daughter of Cox Plate winner Adelaide, has done some good things, namely a win and two placings from only six starts. Not sold on her on a very heavy track however. Contrast that with Amazing Nicci who broke her maiden in barnstorming style at Orange on April 8 on a Heavy 8. She was runner-up prior to that at the same venue to Sinaloa who goes pretty well. Delicately has a win and seven placings from 11 starts and trialled extremely well here on a Heavy 9 on April 17.

Bet: Unyielding Spirit to win or of scratched, Amazing Nicci to win

RACE 5

Zou Lover is a Vieira family filly by Zoustar. Her grandam is Love To Dance who won the Manawatu Sires’ Produce in New Zealand in 1995. Zou Lover was scratched from a race at Gosford on Monday. Long story short, she has come back in very, very good shape and could be ready to go through her grades from here on. Bondadosa ‘s best run so far was her last one where she was beaten a nose here at Nowra and over this same trip. Was a heavy 9 that day too and it was her first time racing on anything worse than Good/Soft. Ma Lionne is open to natural improvement off a creditable debut.

Bet: Zou Lover to win

Greg Hickman has two terrific chances in Packer (race 3) and Unwritten (race 6). Picture: Grant Guy

RACE 6

Unwritten made his debut 10 starts ago in the 2020 Breeders’ Plate finishing five lengths behind Shaquero et al. The Greg Hickman-trained gelding has won once since together with three seconds but he also ran a huge race on the Kensington one day behind Flying Crazy. Bottom line is, unless things go against him, he should really be winning a Nowra Class 2. Tip Top Timing is something akin to the track/distance specialist here having raced at the Nowra mile twice for a win and a third. On his way to another win. Aurora Florentina has won just once in 15 starts but on the upside, she has placed at two of her three Heavy track runs.

Bet: Unwritten to win

RACE 7

Masked Maree has raced eight times and finished last at half of them. She has trialled twice in recent weeks and ran last on both of those but there’s just something about the way she sets up here that marks her as dangerous. It’s not like Anthony Cummings hasn’t done stuff like this before; only a million times. Clarry Conners’ mare Kariba is from a great old Newhaven Park family; she’s no Burst but this is no Golden Slipper either. Taylor Be Swift’s biggest hits have come on heavy tracks.

Bet: Masked Maree to win, quinella 4,8

Originally published as Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Nowra