Best bets, inside mail for Gundagai and Tamworth on Tuesday August 6, 2024

The Keith Dryden-trained Acheson has won two and finished runner-up in his only five starts to date and looks ready an able for another podium finish at Gundagai on Tuesday

Jockey Jay Ford and trainer Keith Dryden

The Daily Telegraph’s Shayne O’Cass previews racing at Gundagai and Tamworth on Tuesday.

FIELDS AND FORM GUNDAGAI TUESDAY

GUNDAGAI

BEST BET

Race 7 No. 3: Acheson

Lightly-raced, promising and talented all in one. Will make it to a higher level.

NEXT BEST

Race 5 No. 5: Straight Fire

Likely the ‘best horse’ in the race but the draw brings her back to them a bit.

VALUE

Race 2 No. 1: After The One

Entitled to win one and the step to 1400m, in the field, leaves no room for excuses.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 1,2

Race 5: 5,7

Race 6: 1,4,7,8

Race 7: 3

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Nick Heywood has several ‘good rides’ on the card, none better than Acheson in the last.

GUNDAGAI INSIDE MAIL

RACE 4

Brial Rose is a Ron Stubbs trained mare by Denman who boasts a win, a second and a third from her three starts. She won by absolute panels when she won ar Narrandera on July 14 and the time she ran second, she was run late stages by Gundy Guy no less, Great form, bad barrier! Speaking of deep form, Aqualina’s Star was runner-up at Wagga, albeit a distant one, to Martini Mumma. No wonder she won next start. Motorboat has the draw and the talent.

Bet: Brial Rose to win, box trifecta 1,2,4,6

RACE 5

Straight Fire is the best horse in the race. The Todd Smart trained daughter of Vancouver has a whirlwind finish. If this was Wagga or Goulburn, she would be close to a good thing but how she gets around Gundagai remains to be seen. Raider Eightyeight, the horse named in honour of Laurie Daley, ran a huge race at Gundagai first-up and was a lot better than it looks when he went home to Queanbeyan after that. Ditto that last bit for You Wish who has finished first or second five times in nine starts.

Bet: Straight Fire to win, Daily Double 1st Leg (5), 2nd Leg (3)

RACE 6

Mount Hotham was eating into the deficit when runner-up to Lafilio at Wagga last start. The barrier situation makes it very interesting on Tuesday given the likely-leader Lafilio has drawn 14 whereas the chaser Mount Hotham is in two. Now that does mean of course that BOTH horses will need luck now. Fifi Blue is one for one at this venue and actually beat Lafilio home when they placed behind Cyborg at Narrandera on July 14. Classy Hoe has won 10 races which is no mean feat.

Bet: Mount Hotham to win, quinella 7,8

RACE 7

Acehson is a very nice horse with a future well beyond country racing. The Keith Dryden trained son of Churchill has a current C.V of two wins and two seconds from his five starts and that unplaced run was a highly creditable fifth at Warwick Farm to Ducasse no less. Has the draw to win and the ability too. Joe Cleary and Gerry Harvey mare Single Attraction was out of this world impressive when she won here on June 29. She went to Grafton and ran much, much better than it reads in her Class 3 on Ramornie Day. Total respect for her.

Bet: Acheson to win, exacta 3 to beat 8, box trifecta 3,6,7,8

TAMWORTH

BEST BET

Race 4 No. 3: Steel Claws

Was eating away the margin last start over 1280m and gets to 1450m now.

NEXT BEST

Race 2 No. 3: Spirit Of Pluto

Has been running well in much better races than this one. Deserves a win.

VALUE

Race 1 No. 4: Joshua

Ready for the step-up to 2000m and this is by far the ‘easiest’ race he has been in for a while.

FIELDS AND FORM TAMWORTH TUESDAY

TAMWORTH INSIDE MAIL

RACE 4

Steel Claws has turned in three honourable runs; in fact the last one at Muswellbrook was as good as anything in the race and better than most. Like most horses, he seems to be getting better with the experience. He’ll win more than one race, that’s for sure. Gigaton has placed at half of his 10 starts which is a noble effort but not so much when you look at some of SP’s! Costly yes, but you can’t deny his consistency and this is a lovely race for him (again, again and again). Obviously Good is not as bad as his form reads. Maybe?

Bet: Steel Claws to win, quinella 1,3, exacta 3 to beat 1

RACE 5

Sanzeno is a Country Championships type horse. The son of Trapeze Artist has reasonable form in Victoria for Grahame Begg and is ‘213’ in three runs for Mack Griffith, that’s the wildly in-form Mack Griffith! Good draw, good jockey, good horse. Luke Pepper’s Legolas has been to Tamworth twice before for a second and a third. That third was behind Lonhro’s Queen. Peaking. Epic Time has done some good things in his 12 starts. Moon Zone was runner-up to Compelling Truth at Dubbo a little while back.

Bet: Sanzeno to win, exacta 2 to beat 1, Daily Double 1st Leg (2), 2nd Leg (3)

RACE 6

Smart Shot bucked himself out of the race at Warren on July 23 which was a hard-lesson for those of us (that is I) who thought he was an absolute moral! No such thing. Anyway, he went back and trialled and won. They moved this meeting from Quirindi to his home track too. Kalahari Heart is a replica son of the mighty Queenslander Show A Heart. The Todd Payne trained mare has won six times in 29 starts including one here and her last one at Inverell last time to the races. Stock The Rose has a win and two places from four runs here.

Bet: Smart Shot to win

RACE 7

Keitany is trained at Newcastle but it is well worth noting that both of her career wins are here at Tamworth. Better still, the Patrick Cleave trained mare beat the aforementioned Legolas in a 1000m Class 1 here on July 19. This is a much easier race than she won last start IMHO. The Affirmative has raced at this same track and distance seven times for a win and two seconds. She also handles all track conditions. Serifice was fifth in the Keitany race last start and could well lead again if circumstances permit.

Bet: Keitany to win

Originally published as Best bets, inside mail for Gundagai and Tamworth on Tuesday August 6, 2024