Raceday focus: Bets bets, inside mail for Hawkesbury

Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou unveil a superbly-bred son of Snitzel who is ready to kick off his career with a win at Hawkesbury. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Gerald Ryan (right) and Sterling Alexiou unleash well-bred debutant Nasturtium at Hawkesbury on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

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

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!

HAWKESBURY

BEST BET

Race 1, No.2: NASTURTIUM

Half-brother to four stakes winners including an Oakleigh Plate winner. Trialled like a good horse back in mid-July.

NEXT BEST

Race 2, No.1: STARBORETA

Flashy daughter of Star Witness who placed at Newcastle at her final run for Team Hawkes. Won both trials for Nathan Doyle; right horse, right race.

VALUE BET

Race 7, No.9: EMBELLER

Has mixed and match it with better opposition and sent out some pretty encouraging signs in her two Randwick trials last month.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 3,5

Race 5: 2,3,7

Race 6: 2,5,7

Race 7: 3,9

Tom Sherry has a strong book of rides at Hawkesbury. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Tom Sherry could go close in the TAB Jockeys Challenge should all his rides turn up on the day.

COROWA

BEST BET

Race 1, No.8: GRACIOUS GRACIE

Gets her best chance yet to shed her maiden status in a fairly skinny line-up and with the luxury of 52kg on her back.

NEXT BEST

Race 2, No.3: VICTORY CHUCKLE

Former Hayes galloper about to have his first run for Craig Weeding and does so off a nice trial in a deep heat at Albury.

VALUE BET

Race 3, No.6: KENTUCKY DREAM

Ran a huge race over the 1175m at Albury two weeks back. Up to 1300m is bang on for him.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR HAWKESBURY

RACE 1

Nasturtium has an Oakleigh Plate pedigree in that both his sire Snitzel and half-sister Mrs Onassis both won the 1000m Group 1 feature. Nasturtium is the 12th foal of his dam who has thrown four stakes-winners. His grandam is Lady Jakeo who won a Blue Diamond and Australia Stakes. In short, he is very well bred and if he runs to his trial - he just wins. This race tapers off dramatically after Nasturtium, bearing in mind that our second pick has finished last of 7 and 8th of 11 namely Kyalla. That said, she is not hopeless by any means and could easily improve into the medals. Kiarra Dane needs to do a Glastonbury to win - unlikely but not impossible.

Bet: Nasturtium to win (best bet)

RACE 2

Starboreta is a flashy chestnut mare very much her father’s daughter - she’s a Star Witness from nose to tail. Aged five, the mare has only raced three times so far, all of them for Team Hawkes. Her best run was her last run back in July when third at Newcastle. Fast forward to the present and Starboreta is set to make her debut for Nathan Doyle who has her primed for the occasion off two fabulous trial wins. Mister Ripley has gone 23 runs without a win but the Wyong based gelding has placed 11 times, some of them by the barest of margins. Should be in the finish again. Italian Informant ran into a star last start at Newcastle.

Bet: Starboreta to win

Koby Jennings (pictured) rides Starboreta for trainer Nathan Doyle. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 3

Bedford Square was bred in New Zealand by Sir Patrick Hogan and is a daughter of the mighty Tavistock. The Matthew Smith trained four-year-old has placed six times in her first nine starts prior to that on-pace and compelling maiden win at Wyong over the mile. Steps up to 1800m (with a good draw again) and that should be ideal. Count On Me has the makings of a handy middle distance/staying type. He is in every way a Reliable Man and you can bet that nothing will be stronger at the post than this grey gelding. Gerardjoseph is a very fit horse who has had three runs at the mile on his way to 1800m here.

Bet: Bedford Square to win, quinella 5,7

RACE 4

Famous Pedrille deserves a change in fortune after a couple of luckless runs at his last two, one of them was a second to the above-average Godolphin gelding, Capo Strada at Gosford. Famous Pedrille was a shade unlucky again at Newcastle last start finishing a distant but closing third to Black On Beauty who could be anything by the way. Mark Newnham would have been rightfully thrilled with the debut of Roma Avenue who was the eye-catcher in his Warwick Farm maiden on December 1. Nice horse. Wizard Of Oz is not a certain starter but is a major player if he shows up.

Bet: Famous Pedrille to win, quinella 3,5

RACE 5

Nicochet is an eight-year-old son of Nicconi who has only won four of his 55 starts but has placed 19 times, 11 of them are seconds. Anyone who knows the horse can point to any number of times that several of those seconds could have just as easily been wins. Long and the short of Nicochet is that he needs circumstances to go his way, but when they do, that’s when he wins. You could say the same for Catapult. On his day, you’d back him to be winning Midways and midweekers and Friday night races, all of those, so if he turns up in the right frame of mind - why not? Safado has his name written all over this - at his best though. Can Mr Bond ‘sprint’ well fresh? Probably.

Bet: Nicochet to win

Nicochet (outside) can notch another win at Hawkesbury on Thursday. Picture: Grant Guy

RACE 6

Racing NSW tipped us all off that Brad Widdup is closing in on 200 wins. The popular local trainer is on 195 at present and there is a good chance that Short Shorts will edge him closer to his double century. The NZ-bred daughter of Iffraaj was too good for the others when she won on debut at Newcastle late last month. This is decidedly harder but she looks a raw talent. Little River has placed twice in three runs since coming down from Queensland to Joe Pride’s Warwick Farm base. Should be super prominent throughout up to 1400m. Stablemate Awesome Choice has drawn well and has trialled up okay for this.

Bet: Short Shorts to win, quinella 2,5

RACE 7

Trial watchers will be lining-up to back Joe O’Neill’s mare Embeller here. Granted, her first-up record is somewhat inconclusive - one third from three fresh runs - but she has mixed and matched it with some handy types along the way and as alluded to, her trials have been really good. This will be a good test for Dragons Breath who has a tidy C.V of three wins, two seconds and a third from his 10 runs, most of them down on the south coast. Sticky draw but other than that, makes appeal. Rumpshaker and Passistas have claims as does Oakfield Arrow who sadly hasn’t fared well in the barrier stakes.

Bet: Embeller to win

Originally published as Raceday focus: Bets bets, inside mail for Hawkesbury