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Moree races Sunday: Preview, best bets and inside mail

Apprentice hoop Mitch Stapleford’s career has got off to a flyer with trainer Scott Singleton, and the pair have four top chances at Moree on Sunday.

Race 5 - Muswellbrook, 30/07/2023, Winner-Royal Charge. Picture: Bradley Photos
Race 5 - Muswellbrook, 30/07/2023, Winner-Royal Charge. Picture: Bradley Photos

Racing’s most deadly trainer/jockey combination can add four more to their collective total when they front-up with a quality quartet at Sunday’s Moree Cup meeting.

Scone trainer Scott Singleton has saddled up four winners from his last six starters including the Country Championships contender Melody Again in the final TAB Highway of August.

Singleton’s apprentice Mitch Stapleford, meanwhile, has made a stunning opening to his career with three winners from his first four rides.

As it stands, Singleton and Stapleford boast a winning strike-rate of 75 per cent.

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!

Stapleford’s skill, not to mention his 4kg claim, gives Singleton’s Moree-bound foursome something of an unfair advantage, particularly the red-hot favourite Outishka who resumes in the Hayman’s Showcase Handicap (950m).

“I’d expect her to go there and win,’’ Singleton said.

“She has been working the house down.

“She just seems to be going a lot better since she has been back this time

“Admittedly, we have had a couple of little set-backs with her, just small things, and it has taken a bit longer to get her to the races this time than would be ideal but she gets there, touch-wood, in pretty good shape for Sunday.

“Realistically for mine, if she takes to the races what she has been doing at home, she is too quick for them.”

It might not be a slam dunk for Outishka’s “cousin” in the opener, but it will take a very fast horse to beat him.

“I saw that race there and thought it was a terrific race to kick him back off in,’’ Singleton said.

“Just the distance more than anything and the fact that he gets into that race pretty well with Mitch’s claim.

“He won here at Scone on the Saturday over the carnival in a 78 so he is sort of up to (city) grade but the thing with him is that he is a better 1000m than he is an 1100m horse so those 1000m Saturday town races are few and far in between.’’

Trainer Scott Singleton. Picture: Mark Evans
Trainer Scott Singleton. Picture: Mark Evans

Past Highway runner-up I’m Not Slew opened her current campaign with an honourable fourth behind Mogo Magic in a July 1 Highway and placed at Gosford 12 days later.

The daughter of Sooboog was rewarded for her efforts with an easy all-the-way win at Muswellbrook on August 11.

I’m Not Slew’s weekend mission comes in the HDO Class 3 Showcase Handicap also over 950m.

“She is a good short-course horse, the shorter the better, so the 950m is right up her alley,’’ Singleton said.

Stapleford seemingly has his work cut out for him on Singleton’s last-start winner Den Moss who has drawn gate 14 in the Orica Class 1 & Maiden Plate (1600m).

“The draw is probably not ideal but he pushed forward from an outside barrier at Tamworth the other day and held on quite well so I don’t see it being much different there on Sunday,’’ Singleton said.

SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 1 No.9: LUCKY DAY

Made up plenty of ground on debut over 1280m bearing in mind that this is 1400m now.

NEXT BEST

Race 3 No.1: DEELBREAKA

Has raced nine times for a provincial win and five placings; most of those too were in better company than this assignment.

VALUE BET

Race 4 No.3: OUTISHKA

Was always going to be the one to beat in this line-up, only more so now after she drew 2.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 2,5

Race 6: 1,3

Race 7: 3

Race 8: 3,6,9,10

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Boom apprentice Mitch Stapleford could be in for another (note the word) big day at Moree on Sunday.

INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1

Lucky Day has also accepted for a race at her home track at Scone on Tuesday. While this one involves a little bit of travel, it does look considerably easier for the Arrowfield-bred mare. She was very good late on debut when third at Muswellbrook over 1280m bearing in mind this is 1400m. Chookster remains winless after 24 starts, in fact, he only has three thirds to show in all that time. Racing quite well at present and is crying out for 1400m now. Glorien and Prince Carlos have minor claims.

Bet: Lucky Day to win or if scratched Chookster each-way

RACE 2

Just In Reach is a Sue Grills-trained gelding who has raced 11 times for four wins and six seconds which is a pretty good strike-rate all said and done. We haven’t seen him in competition since Christmas Eve when he won a Highway at Randwick. Market watch advised. Comonic is a very fast horse who has drawn ideally in barrier 3 and even though it is only 950m, Mitch Stapleford’s 4kg claim could/should be significant. Poita is unbeaten in three starts at this track and distance!

Bet: Just In reach to win

RACE 3

Deelbreaka is with his third trainer now with just nine starts under the belt. That said, he hasn’t done anything to displease any of those trainers, past and present. For the record, his record is a win, four seconds and a third. Costly in defeat at Narromine but can atone here. Den Moss drew 11 of 11 but won at Tamworth last start regardless. He led throughout in fact. Thus it will be fascinating to see how things work out - or not - for the son of Denman given the (very) wide gate again on Sunday. Dyecast Missile was brilliant here on debut.

Bet: Deelbreaka to win

RACE 4

Outishka is a big chance to start the shortest-priced favourite on the Moree Cup card and it’s easy to see why. Not that she is a moral, nothing is, but she would only have to run up to that debut third to Once Again My Girl on debut back in March or the near nine-lengths trial win atr Muswellbrook, albeit as far back as July 30. Loads of interest here in Harbour Gold, the Brett Cavanough trained three-year-old whose two trials back in February were most encouraging to say the least. Eighty Eight Stars has placed at three of his four runs.

Bet: Outishka to win

RACE 5

I’m Not Slew is another of the Scott Singleton-trained horses headed to Moree on Sunday to be ridden by his gun apprentice Mitch Stapleford. I’m Not Slew has a decent CV of three wins, three placings from 11 starts. She is a Highway runner-up, she was fourth to Mogo Magic first-up, third to Lovero after that then won quite easily at Muswellbrook. The Hanger Cat has two wins and three seconds from seven starts and will absolutely be on the podium here if he can reproduce that last run at Scone where he split Very Sharp and Pure Fuego.

Bet: I’m Not Slew to win, quinella 2,5

RACE 6

Calgary King is trained by Peter Sinclair and it would be a rare occurrence when and if he didn’t train at least one winner on his hometown card. Calgary King has only managed to win once in his 25 starts but he has placed six times, one of them was here at Moree. Why him? Banking on his last three as being good runs in good races. Big watch on Spirit Of Vomo. He ran seventh of 10 at his first run for Sur Grills but he was mathematically pretty good on the day.

Bet: Calgary King each-way

RACE 7

Royal Charge is flying. That much is obvious given he is on a hat-trick having won the Bengalla Cup and Livermore Cup at his last two. Me? I thought the wide draw was a big negative before speaking with his trainer Lou Mary who intimated that it was actually a net positive for the horse all things being equal. Red Beryl has found a whole new lease on life since he moved in with Jane Clement. He has raced at Moree twice for a win in the Gwydir and a second in the same race the following year. Tim’s Principal is a major player.

Bet: Royal Charge to win, box trifecta 2,3,4,6

RACE 8

All Creeds is another one of the Peter Sinclair horses racing on Cup day so let’s just reiterate that point about him nearly always striking at his home track. All Creeds won her maiden here in fine style and then went to Inverell and won a Class 1 which is no easy feat. There were good signs last start that another win may be close at hand. Behind The Storm will appreciate this drop in class having squared off with some handy enough horses of late.

Bet: All Creeds to win

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