Coffs Harbour best bets, inside mail for Thursday, December 5, 2025

With some handy provincial form in recent starts, Silent Russian looks well placed dropping back in grade and a 3kg claim is an added bonus.

Silent Russian (pink cap) will appreciate a drop in grade and can bounce back to winning form. Picture: Bradley Photos

Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form analyst Adam Sherry provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis at Coffs Harbour on Thursday.

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!

COFFS HARBOUR

BEST BET

Race 2 No. 2: Silent Russian

Has solid form in higher grade. Freshened for drop back in trip and well in with the 3kg claim.

NEXT BEST

Race 6 No. 5: Their Finest Hour

Good efforts to place runner-up in his only two starts. Trialling well and can break through.

VALUE BET

Race 8 No. 7: Sunny’s Girl

Scored a nice win here first-up before a closing third at Doomben.

BEST EXOTIC

Quinella Race 7: 1, 5

QUADDIE

Race 5: 1, 2, 9

Race 6: 4, 5, 10

Race 7: 1, 5

Race 8: 2, 3, 4, 7

Jockey Matthew McGuren has some nice rides for the day. Picture: Greg Irvine, Magic Millions

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Matthew McGuren has a nice book of rides and can pick up consistent points in the TAB Jockey Challenge.

INSIDE MAIL – COFFS HARBOUR

RACE 1

Kennedy Choice found his best form for a couple of years with an impressive win from Meat Pie Artie on a Soft 7 over this track and distance two starts ago before following up with a win under 71kg at Bong Bong. Wet track suit. Barcelona Express was resumed with a close up fourth behind Groovy Day at Grafton before a fifth to Bonavee when dropping back in trip. Winner his only run this track and steps up to his right trip. Ostracised is racing well and likes it wet.

Bet: Kennedy Choice to win

RACE 2

Silent Russian has been freshened since finishing down the track behind Oakfield Hawk over 2130m at Wyong on Oct 31. Previous form was good including a second at Taree over 1615m and a third at Newcastle. Back in grade, drawn well and gets a 3kg claim. Rothesay’s Ruby was runner-up to Intoxel in record time at Grafton before winning a Bm45 at Murwillumbah on a Soft 6 and was under a length away when fourth on the Gold Coast polytrack. Venon Wolf has placed second in two of his three runs here.

Bet: Silent Russian to win

Silent Russian just kept finding and secures his first win!

Reece Jones with a good ride for Richard & Will Freedman. pic.twitter.com/CMkfNHm7DU

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 13, 2023

RACE 3

Corvalist has been restricted to just eight starts but has shown ability placing in six of them. Resumed from a spell with a third behind Thrownunderthebus after leading at Grafton on Oct 22. Counterpart was disappointing when last behind Rolling Magic at Wyong on Sept 20 and has since changed stables. He made ground from last to finish about a two-and-a-half length seventh to Espionage in the Breeders Plate last year. Will find country grade easier. Bellascent is first-up from a spell. Had some handy provincial form last preparation.

Bet: Corvalist to win

RACE 4

Risk For Reward is knocking on the door for his maiden win and gets his chance. Was just behind the placegetters in his first two runs back from a spell before boxing on for second behind Chillcuz at Grafton 10 days ago. Was runner-up at his only run this track and distance. The Riddler comes out of that same two Grafton races when seventh to Hypothermia and sixth to Chillcuz. Has placed four from eight on soft ground. Howzat Harry raced wide when fifth at Muswellbrook last start.

Bet: Risk For Reward to win

Her second time at the races sees Chillcuz gets her first win on the board! @Leesracingpic.twitter.com/9GtmrvYTCM

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 25, 2024

RACE 5

Mr Damage placed in four of his five starts in his first preparation and had excuses for his only failure at Grafton back in February. Returned from a good spell with a second to the in-form Kaiyu, who has since brought up the hat-trick, before leading all-the-way at Kempsey. Drops back 800m but can go back-to-back. Cool Man resumes here also. Won his maiden first-up last time in on a heavy track at Murwillumbah. Ausbred Yahoo is another first-up. Races well on her home track.

Bet: Mr Damage to win

RACE 6

Their Finest Hour ran a gutsy race when runner-up on debut at Lismore back in June when three-wide without early before sitting outside the leader. Followed up with a neck second to South Boambee at Grafton. Resumes off two nice trials and can land his maiden win. Former Victorian Sweet Marlene makes her NSW debut. Placed in three of her seven starts including her last two at Mornington back in April and at Moe in May. Jumbled was a handy third on debut. Resumes here off a second to Their Finest Hour in his Grafton trial.

Bet: Their Finest Hour to win

CECIL STREET LAD wins John Carlton Cup!

A spot in the Ramornie Handicap is waiting for the @kbuchananracing sprinter after a hard fought win at @clarenceriverjc Grafton over Bugalugs with Swamp Nation in third. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/xmVbv2wBVo

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) July 7, 2024

RACE 7

Cecil Street Lad resumes here with plenty of weight and has won just two from seven first-up but he is the class horse of the field with a benchmark of 92. Five of his eight wins have been over the 1000m and was a winner at his last run at the trip at Gosford in March. Likes it wet. Moskeeta will carry 10kg less after the claim of Millie Thompson. Was runner-up to Single Touch in both the Jacaranda Prelude and Jacaranda Cup at her two runs back. She is three from three third-up.

Bet: Cecil Street Lad to win

RACE 8

Sunny’s Girl kicked off her NSW career a near two length win from Bold Bender over the track and distance. She went to Doomben 11 days later for a Class 1 where she finished third after coming from near last. Meghan placed third and second at Port Macquarie and Grafton respectively before breaking through with a nice win at Ballina last start. Key Legend is backing up from his fifth to Break Free last Sunday. Close second to Jo Jo Sun at Port Macquarie before that.

Bet: Sunny’s Girl each-way