Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Wyong

Flashy filly Sirius Girl was unlucky not to have won her first start but should have no such issues this time when she resumes at Wyong. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Trainers Wayne Hawkes (left) and John Hawkes (right) prepare Sirius Girl along with co-trainer Michael Hawkes. Picture: AAP Image

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass gives his best bets and runs the rule over the Quaddie legs at Wyong and Wagga.

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!

WYONG

BEST BET

Race 1, No.5: SIRIUS GIRL

Team Hawkes filly who was a huge run on debut from her wide draw. Resumes on Tuesday with a much better alley and has trialled super.

NEXT BEST

Race 5, No.5: KUNG FU MUSHU

Didn’t race again after her first-up win in late October. Can only go on her trial the other day which was a beauty.

VALUE BET

Race 7, No 8: PER IVY

Super impressive when she won her debut here. Can’t knock her in defeat at Canberra a month later. Goes well.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 1,3,4,6

Race 5: 1,5

Race 6: 2,3,6

Race 7: 5,8

Jason Collett can land the first and last races at Wyong on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Jason Collett is a big chance to booked the meeting on Sirius Girl and Per Ivy in their respective events

WAGGA

BEST BET

Race 5, No.1: MERRY BEACH

Wears the same colours as close relations Happy Clapper and Thankgodyou’rehere and should uphold the family honour on the score of the trial.

NEXT BEST

Race 7, No.4: GALACTIC WARRIOR

Had more than a few excuses for the first-up run at Moruya which was actually outstanding in the end. Nice horse.

VALUE BET

Race 3, No.2: AURORA FLORENTINA

Blueblood mare who charged home at Wyong last start. Suitable race on so many levels.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR WYONG

RACE 1

Sirius Girl is a Team Hawkes-trained daughter of their former sprinter Deep Field. This flashy chestnut three-year-old turned in a huge run on debut at Hawkesbury in quite a deep maiden at the time. If she hadn’t drawn 11 of 11 that afternoon, she probably just wins. Trialled up a treat again. Godolphin filly Arbitration was a five-length runner-up to Fangirl at Goulburn before the spell. Has talent and trial was quite good. Brad Widdup’s regally-bred All Too Hard filly and Bint Marscay descendant Verzenay tried hard at Orange on debut. This is harder but there is nothing to suggest that she couldn’t easily measure up.

Bet: Sirius Girl to win

RACE 2

Beckons is a stunning type with a great pedigree being an Easy Date descendant. What matters more is that he looks like he has come back in good shape for the new campaign. Been kept in check in his two trials, debut run in the winter was a good one. Just A Tiff was crazy odds $71) first-up at Gosford. Granted, he probably wasn’t a huge chance of winning but he was always going to ‘run a race’. Can keep progressing. Chief Conductor is the huge watch. If he gets over and has no pressure applied, he might keep going. For the record, Chief Conductor is the I Am Invincible colt out of Snitzerland.

Bet: Beckons to win

Koby Jennings has a couple of good winning chances in Bellplaine (race 3) and Rivaq Del Sol (race 6). Picture: Getty Images

RACE 3

Belleplaine has strung together a couple of thirds at her last two runs; the downside is that the beaten margins were circa five lengths each time. On the bright side, Royal Ballet beat them easily in that Beaumont race eight days ago. Mile suits on paper. A Real Riot tried valiantly at Gilgandra in the 1600m maiden on January 2. Trained here but he has well and truly been dealt the visitor’s draw. Amber One is the ‘interesting’ horse here first-up at a mile in a race not exactly dripping with future Doncaster winners.

Bet: Belleplaine to win

RACE 4

Fenech has won four times in 10 starts and has at times overcome wide draws and carried big weights. Barrier is no issue here with gate one which brings us to his weight. He originally had 62kg but trainer Kim Waugh has since managed to book Jackson Searle which means the son of Redoute’s Choice goes around only 4kg over the limit. American Salute has also accepted for race one at Wagga. Consider him a big chance whether he goes north or south. Acoustix led throughout to win the Xmas Cup at Lismore a month back. Dud draw here but is flying this prep. Rejoiced is obviously a major contender.

Bet: Fenech to win

RACE 5

Kung Fu Mushu is a Triple Crown/Snowden Racing mare who was in and out very quickly last prep; she won that race at Hawkesbury on October 21 first-up and didn’t race in 2021. She resurfaced in a Canterbury trial on December 21 and was ‘best on ground’ in her heat. Confessed got a long back first-up at Gosford, not entirely unexpected, but found the line better than anything bar the winner Evening Bride. Has won second-up. Tanzimat beat the aforementioned Royal Ballet on Boxing Day and that’s good form now.

Bet: Kung Fu Mushu to win

Tommy Berry rides Kung Fu Mushu in the Triple Crown colours for trainers Peter and Paul Snowden. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 6

Riva Del Sol is an untapped and exciting filly who is unbeaten in her two starts either side of a spell. She beat the handy Zetarita when she won on debut at Taree on August 31 then resumed at Nowra on New Year’s Eve and won by the same length and a half margin. Harder here but has the gun draw. Telluride is a James Cummings-trained filly who has raced five times for a win at The Valley and two seconds, one at Flemington. Have to concede that she has got the ‘deep form’ compared to Riva Del Sol. Stormborn basically shadowed Telluride the whole way in that Gosford 1000m benchmark 64 race on December 29.

Bet: Riva Del Sol to win

RACE 7

Per Ivy is a Matthew Smith-trained filly who races in the same colours as the best Per Incanto in the business - Lost And Running. Per Ivy probably won’t make it to an Everest but connections would have to be pleased with what she has done in her two starts so far. Striking chestnut gelding Fluctuate was quite an easy winner on debut at Gosford. You get the sense that he will have picked up a fair bit from the whole experience. Nice horse with a great barrier/jockey. Hot Press is a Press Statement filly which probably accounts for why she has come back so well as a three-year-old.

Bet: Per Ivy to win

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