Goulburn races: Preview, inside mail and best bets

Gerald Ryan is confident Flying Crazy will be peaking in the Goulburn Cup on Sunday as Shayne O’Cass runs the rule over the meeting.

Gerald Ryan has Flying Crazy ready to peak in the Goulburn Cup. Picture: Getty Images

Trainer Gerald Ryan is aiming for Golden Eagle absentee Flying Crazy to catapult himself into another million dollar feature via Sunday’s Goulburn Cup.

The son of Flying Artie missed the cut in the $10m Golden Eagle but remains on target to add to his wealth this campaign either north or south of his Rosehill base.

Flying Crazy is timed to peak in Sunday’s coveted Goulburn Cup, a race which Ryan has twice finished runner-up in.

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Already a multiple stakes winner, Flying Crazy has clocked in 10th spot at his two runs in the 2022/2023 season, one in Toowoomba‘s famous Weetwood, the other in Sydney’s $1m Silver Eagle.

“He drew in close at Toowoomba and was hemmed up on the inside and didn’t appreciate it there,’’ Ryan said.

“I thought the run in the Silver Eagle wasn’t that bad actually. He got back from a wide barrier and they slowed up in the middle stages and he worked to the line well.

“His last 100m was quite good and he ran, if it wasn’t the quickest, it was the second quickest last 600m of the race, so I thought his run was good.”

Flying Crazy, a $40,000 Inglis Classic Yearling purchase in 2020, makes his Goulburn debut on Sunday but should feel right at home given the layout of the track.

“He is a backmarker and they usually tend to run along there, especially in this race,’’ says co-trainer Ryan.

“He is going into the race peaking so I thought he would run quite well.’’

Flying Crazy’s post Goulburn Cup assignment will be in a million dollar race on either November 12 in Newcastle’s Hunter or a week later in The Gong at Kembla.

“He is probably more suitable to The Hunter because I have a question mark against his name at 1600m. He is probably better in a 1300m/1400m race where they are running along,’’ Ryan said.

Flying Crazy takes on Sunday’s Goulburn Cup. Picture Katrina Partridge.

Flying Crazy will have company on the float from Rosehill to Goulburn on Sunday with stablemate Ruberto making his race day debut in the RJ Sidney Craig Showcase Maiden (1600m).

Ruberto is a son of Ryan’s former speed machine Rubick who won the Blue Diamond Prelude at just his second race start.

Rubick has turned into a stallion of considerable worth thanks to Everest winner, Yes Yes Yes and 2022 Everest participants – Jacquinot and Shades Of Rose.

“Ruberto’s got no speed (but) since I have increased his work out over ground a month or five weeks ago, he has improved,” Ryan said,

“He trialled the other day at Hawkesbury in a heat that has a stakes-winner in it and a few city horses so as a maiden, I thought it was more than a pass mark for him.

“He won’t be that far away (in the run on Sunday). I would imagine in a 1600m maiden there he wouldn’t be worse than midfield, he would be just behind the pace up front.”

BEST BETS

BEST BET

Race 7 No.5: FLYING CRAZY

Multiple stakes-winner which has had excuses, and ran quite well regardless, at his two runs this preparation. Peaks here.

NEXT BEST

Race 3 No.8: SAVEADATEFORME

Was in another league to his rivals when he won at Kembla. On his way to better races this prep and all the ones after.

VALUE

Race 4 No.10: LADY KAH

Hugely impressive winning her maiden here; jumps to a Class 3 but is a fair bit untapped.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 2,8

Race 6: 4,10

Race 7: 1,5

Race 8: 7,8

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Keagan Latham won the Canberra Guineas on Flying Crazy and can add the Goulburn Cup to their show reel.

INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1

Associate is trained at Goulburn by Danielle Seib, fresh from her double at Wagga on Friday. This (typical) son of Star Witness has shown above average ability in his two trials, winning one and finishing a close second at the other. Just needs to overcome the wide draw. Atmospheric Rock was a beaten favourite on debut but a close second nonetheless. Resumes on a big day at home so consider him to be both ready and able. Fifo Filly has trialled super.

Bet: Associate to win, box trifecta 1,10,14,15

RACE 2

Poetic Drama is a Team Hawkes-trained daughter of their own former crack three-year-old Proisir. This four-year-old mare has finished second at four of her 11 starts and pretty much always in better company than this. Go well. In de Sun Iwilcome has a fair whack of weight but her best would be good enough to carry it to victory, Note that her only win was on debut. The Herald should be prominent throughout. Vakdelay Style is primed for a bold bid.

Bet: Poetic Charmer to win

RACE 3

Saveadateforme is a replica son of Savabeel and was nothing short of a moral at Kembla last start – and won accordingly. In fact, it is worth labouring the point because he was just so impressive that day that you could imagine him winning better races in time. Tillman has raced 10 times for a win and eight placings; consistency like that almost demands that he goes in here somewhere. Laya Of Monaco and Starmoss are somewhat enigmatic but could get into the medals.

Bet: Saveadateforme to win

RACE 4

Lady Kah was firm at $18 when she made her debut in a maiden here on October 4. She ended up winning like a $1.50 shot. The daughter of Duporth was back and wide for the most part but came down the outside into the straight and ran right past them. That said she goes from a Maiden to a Class 3 but is worth following. Midnight Oasis is worth a lot of money as a broodmare. Has city potential. Ditto that for the Eight Carat descendant Tavi L’Amour.

Bet: Lady Kah each-way

RACE 5

Flexing is a superbly bred gelding; for starters he is by Xtravagant but then out of a mare by Curlin no less. The John O’Shea-trained three-year-old was specked $18 into $11 on debut here over 1400m and ran what we can only describe as a ‘good eighth’. The Gerald Ryan / Sterling Alexiou trained Ruberto is on debut at a mile but he’s more Zabeel than Rubick. That is to say, he has more stamina than speed and not much tactical speed. Trialled okay though.

Bet: Flexing to win

RACE 6

Selfie Time is a handy Savabeel mare from the Richard and Will Freedman stable. That much is clear from her current C.V of five starts for a win and two seconds. That win by the way was at Kembla and she beat them by the best part of three lengths. Flying Sultan was scratched from Saturday’s Highway at Rosehill. The Mitchell Beer-housed gelding has won three times in six starts and trialled up well at Wagga albeit back on September 7. Market watch advised.

Bet: Selfie Time to win or if scratched, Flying Sultan to win

RACE 7

Flying Crazy is s multiple stakes winner who is timed to peak here third-up at a suitable trip on a track that should play to his strengths. The Ryan/Alexiou gelding has opened his current campaign with back to back 10ths, one in the Weetwoood and the other in the Silver Eagle. To be fair to the horse, he actually went quite well each time. Massive watch here on Baby Rider, the French import now trained by Bjorn Baker. The stakes-race that Baby Rider won in France in 2021 was won in 2020 by Gold Trip.

Bet: Flying Crazy to win, exacta 5 to beat 1

RACE 8

Almahero is trained by Danielle Seib who has picked up two doubles in the space of six days this last week and could get another one here with Associate in the first race and Almahero here in the Get Out Stakes. As for this son of Al Maher, his record at his home track is two starts for a win and second and he will no doubt appreciate coming back to familiar territory from a Highway last start. Still In Fashion was super impressive winning at Wagga. Lumber Dream has claims.

Bet: Almahero to win, exacta 7 to beat 8