Hawkesbury preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, December 8, 2024
Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou have blueblood mare It’s A Wonder ready for another first-up win when she heads to Hawkesbury.
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It’s A Wonder will always be worth more off the track than on but co-trainer Gerald Ryan is intent on building up the mare’s bank balance before she heads off to stud next spring or the one after.
That mission starts at Hawkesbury when the Gerry Harvey-bred, Vinery born, mare resumes in the Clarendon Tavern Class 1 Handicap (1300m).
It’s A Wonder is a member of the sixth crop of Triple Crown and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Dundeel out of Allez Wonder.
Trained by Bart Cummings, Allez Wonder’s blowout win in the 2009 Toorak Handicap coincided with the first Group 1 win for Michelle Payne who would go onto become the first female jockey to win a Melbourne Cup courtesy of 100/1 shot Prince Of Penzance in 2015.
Invincible Spy goes all the way to take out the MTC Guineas at Wagga! @GaiWaterhouse1@RachelK11pic.twitter.com/ejaJAYaqt7
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 3, 2024
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It’s A Wonder kicks off her summer campaign hot on the heels of her eye-catching trial late last month.
“She can trial really well at Rosehill so we took her away this time and trialled her at Warwick Farm and she did trial well,” Ryan explained.
“She hit the line well and she wasn’t under heaps of pressure.
“She hasn’t drawn ideally on Sunday but she does get back anyway so provided they are running on, she’s in there with a chance.”
Ryan and co-trainer Sterling Alexiou saddle up another well-bred and apparently well-named filly in Sweet Future who contests the Woodwynd Group Maiden Handicap (1300m).
A daughter of Irish sprinter Shalaa, Sweet Future sent out some very encouraging signs when a closing sixth of 13 in a 1300m Maiden at Kembla Grange on November 16.
“It was quite pleasing actually,” Ryan said.
“She drew bad, got squeezed out of the gates, got back and didn’t get a lot of room in the straight. She had to keep changing course because she was very wide and horses kept coming out in front of her and I thought she finished off quite nicely.
“She looks really well. She’s got stronger since she raced and there’ll be improvement in her, it having been her first start.”
Ryan has an insight into what makes Sweet Future tick given he trained her mother, Future Reward, albeit for the last of her only two starts.
Hall Of Famer Clarry Conners had her at her debut where she finished well down the order in a Hawkesbury 1100m Maiden behind Takedown who would go onto win the Winterbottom Stakes, Premiere Stakes, The Shorts as well as the Gold Coast Guineas and Black Opal Stakes.
Ryan and Alexiou’s third runner on the card is the New Zealand-bred gelding Creditor in the Auden Australia Maiden Plate (1600m).
Creditor was bred by the Esplin family who nurtured sizeable success over a long period of time via offspring of the Australian-bred, South African Group 1 winning, Super Sheila.
And while Creditor’s dam, Thelittleracketeer, won four times from 1000m to 1200m, Creditor has thrown more to his father, Contributor, the winner of the 2000m Ranvet.
“He’s been a bit disappointing,” Ryan said. “He’s promised a fair bit and he’s trialled good but he hasn’t produced on race days as yet.
“It was an even enough run on the worst part of the track at Kembla and he’ll appreciate stepping up in distance but he does need to lift his game a little bit.”
SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS
BEST BET
Race 6 No. 1: Zaragoza
Well-bred former Godolphin galloper in great form and finds the perfect race.
NEXT BEST
Race 7 No. 4: It’s A Wonder
Barnstorming daughter of Toorak Handicap winner Allez Wonder who could ambush them here.
VALUE BET
Race 1 No. 4: The Pacific
Lightly-raced four-year-old in an astute stable and has trialled well.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 2, 3, 6, 14, 20
Race 5: 1, 3
Race 6: 1
Race 7: 4
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Keagan Latham will have admirers in the TAB Jockeys Challenge.
INSIDE MAIL - HAWKESBURY
RACE 1
The Pacific is a flashy chestnut son of Exceed And Excel out of a half-sister to the dam of Pierro. This Sara Ryan-trained four-year-old has raced twice, once in September last year, the other on March 21. Beaten both times but trialling like a personal best is on the cards. Glory is a Newhaven Stud-bred half to the 1000 Guineas winner Odeum and $1.1m winner Goodfella. Plenty to like about the 1000m debut. She would have won in a few more strides and goes to 1100m this time. Summer Soiree and Prince Harrison have trialled keenly.
Bet: The Pacific to win, quinella 4, 7
RACE 2
Gamp is a filly by the promising young stallion Tassort. She was passed in at the HTBA Yearling Sale in 2023 and retained to race by her breeders Kirk Bridge Farm who gave her to Team Hawkes. Gamp has been very good indeed at the trials, winning both in town, one in July, the other on November 26. Speaking of impressive triallers, the $500,000 Magic Millions Yearling O’Invincible (Snitzel/Viddora) has been outstanding in all four of hers. Magenta has trialled seven times dating back to Dec ‘22. She’s ready to race.
Bet: Gamp to win, box First 4 Nos: 4, 5, 6, 10, 11
RACE 3
Tessy Tee debuted at Scone in June and ran second in what has turned out to be a very strong Maiden. Always shown ability. Oh Diamond Lil has placed at three of her four starts and was fourth at Canterbury at the other. Chased home a couple of handy horses in a really solid Super Maiden last time.
Bet: Tessy Tee to win
RACE 4
Saturdays Girl is a blueblood of epic proportions being by Zoustar out of a half-sister to the unbeaten Triple Crown winner Justify. She is also a half to a Santa Anita Grade 2 placegetter. Form doesn’t read flash but she is a big improver as she goes along. More Than Bubbles needs a few scratching to make the field or she heads to Tuncurry Monday. The debut was full of merit. Monte Braveheart has been all around the money at the majority of his 11 starts. North Terrace was a distant, but encouraging, third her on debut. Drawn well.
Bet: Saturdays Girl to win
RACE 5
Oakfield Prince has quite a commendable record of five wins and 10 placings, seven of them seconds, from his 34 starts. Kris Lees certainly has the son of So You Think in great shape at present. He won at Wyong before getting to the line with purpose there after that when closing on the winner Guzumped. Badly drawn but well weighted after the claim. Tarzino mare Tenniel is one for one at Hawkesbury and those trials (sixth of seven and last of five) are utterly misleading. She went super in both. Decius is getting close to a win, so too How Much Better.
Bet: Oakfield Prince to win, Daily Double 1st Leg (1), 2nd Leg (4)
RACE 6
Zaragoza is the sixth foal of the Ramornie winner Jerezana whose previous offspring include Osborne Bulls and Zapateo. This son of Street Boss has been good all prep, great in fact at his last two. The Price’s have found a beautiful race for him. Got the draw and the jockey too. Could be a Kembla Grange quinella if Close Encounters runs as well as he looks on paper. Interesting; he bookended his last campaign with wins. You don’t see that every day. So did Solutionist who won at Beaumont then at Taree. Blinkers on signal some intent.
Bet: Zaragoza to win, exacta 1 to beat 3
RACE 7
It’s A Wonder is a daughter of the Toorak Handicap winner, Allez Wonder. This mare has raced eight times for a win and three placings. It certainly wouldn’t be unfair to call her one-dimensional in that she is slow early but fast late. Let’s make that very fast late. If the speed is on and the timing is right, she’ll be over the top of them in this. Dumebi is lightly-raced, talented and reliable. On top of that, he is well drawn and sent out some positive signs when resuming. Lights Of Paradise is a massive market watch.
Bet: It’s A Wonder to win
HAWKESBURY
BEST BET
Race 6 No. 1: Zaragoza
Well-bred former Godolphin galloper in great form and finds the perfect race on Sunday.
NEXT BEST
Race 7 No. 4: It’s A Wonder
Barnstorming daughter of Toorak Handicap winner Allez Wonder who could ambush them here.
VALUE
Race 1 No. 4: The Pacific
Lightly-raced four-year-old in an astute stable and has trialled-up well.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 2,3,6,14,20
Race 5: 1,3
Race 6: 1
Race 7: 4
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Keagan Latham will have admirers in the TAB Jockeys Challenge
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