Raceday preview, best bets and inside mail for Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie trainer Neil Godbolt hopes recent stable acquisition Into The Blue can continue his revival on Sunday.

Port Macquarie trainer Neil Godbolt (left) likes his gelding Into The Blue’s chances on Sunday.

Local trainer Neil Godbolt isn’t giving himself any credit for the turnaround in Into The Blue’s form ahead of his fifth run for him at Port Macquarie on Sunday.

The Dundeel five-year-old has found success since arriving in Godbolt’s yard in the winter with two placings and a last start win at Tuncurry.

He runs in a Benchmark 58 Handicap (1506m) on Sunday and should be right in the thick of it again at the business end of the race.

“He’s done well for me and I know his last win was only a Class 1 but it was a good, solid win,” Godbolt said.

“He gets through the ground without any worries and the horse is going very well and the wide gate (10) won’t matter than much for him.

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“He just seems to have kept stepping up to the mark. I would think he’s my best chance on the day.”

A more relaxed day to day lifestyle has been the key to Into The Blue and Aaron Bullock is his new rider and he should be getting onto the better part of the track from a wide draw.

“He came to me in good shape from Michael O’Neill who is one of the owners and he just asked me if I’d take him for a while,” Godbolt said.

“Michael trained up at Long Flat and he had to float him into the track every morning and he thought that the travelling every day might have been affecting him a bit.”

Nashian runs against him in the same race and has also drawn out in 14 but when the track is wet at Port Macquarie they generally always fan wide so being drawn out isn’t the worse thing.

Nashian has improved with each run this time in and just missed out on winning a country cup race last week.

She’s not won on the heavy yet but has placed five times for 10 heavy track runs.

“Her past couple of runs have been quite good and she was a bit stiff in not winning the other day at Bowraville,” Godbolt said.

“She just knuckled over when the gates opened and it just put her back a bit further which you don’t want to be at Bowraville.”

Into The Blue will have his fifth run for Neil Godbolt.

Godbolt said Sippin Season, in the second race, would need the run while De Lovely Lad is possibly his second best winning chance on the day in the third.

“He should race well and I think he’s one of my better hopes although he is a maiden,” Godbolt said.

Condover Hall is in the feature, the Port Macquarie Cup Prelude, but needs to find new form to win after running ninth and fifth at his past two.

He did run second here three runs back and has experienced jockey Grant Buckley on from barrier four.

“He’s drawn well (4) but on the way he’s been racing he’ll struggle a bit but I hope I’m wrong,” Godbolt said.

“His form of late has been pretty ordinary and he’s starting to get a bit old for it.”

MATT JONES’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 2 No.1: SIR RAVANELLI

He has the ability to throw a race away but he’s well placed here to just beat them on class alone from a good draw.

NEXT BEST

Race 1 No.3: GOLDEN BUTTON

He was most unlucky not to nab them late last start at Taree and is bred to handle the heavy ground here fourth-up and at a suitable trip.

VALUE BET

Race 6 No.8: INTO THE BLUE

He’s up in grade here with a lot of rivals to beat from an awkward gate but that shouldn’t matter on a heavy track here and he won last start in soft fashion.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 4, 7, 11, 12

Race 5: 3, 4, 6, 10

Race 6: 3, 6, 8, 11

Race 7: 3, 4, 5, 8

TRAINER TO WATCH

Local trainer Paul Shailer hasn’t been dealt the best of draws for all his horses today but has placed Cherokee Cherry, Laphroaig and Sassy Choice to win with even luck.

JOCKEY TO WATCH

Andrew Gibbons has a bunch of Kris Lees horses to ride with Extessive and Daysan looking good chances while the Terry Evans horse Sir Ravanelli looks very hard to beat in the second.

INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1

Golden Button has been racing like he wants the 1500m here and is well placed to peak at the trip fourth-up and he is by Dissident so he should handle the heavy at his first go on it. He was unlucky not to win last time and would’ve in another stride or two. Ocean Flyer is also be a noted wet track sire in Ocean Park and is also building towards a breakthrough win and he swam through the Heavy 10 at Tuncurry last start so this is her chance. Cherokee Cherry won’t have any issues in the ground and off two 1000m barrier trials I like his placement at 1500m here at his home track.

Bet: Golden Button to win

RACE 2

Sir Ravanelli knows how to throw a win away but he’s well suited here on a quicker back up after he somehow got beat last time on a Heavy 10 at Tuncurry and who could forget when he gave away certain victory in a Highway three runs back when racing erratic late at Rosehill. He must be the one to beat here on class alone. He will be giving Honour the Crown a head start you’d think and it’s been super to kick off its career with two seconds and a win last start on a Heavy 9. Jockey Kody Nestor got Vilified out of trouble first-up with a top ride on a bog track and he might need another good one up in grade from the gate. Gus Lightning might need the run but isn’t out of it.

Bet: Sir Ravanelli to win

RACE 3

Edge Of Reward couldn’t have done it more easily in his latest barrier trial for new trainer Nathan Doyle after coming up from Victoria and those types generally go well when they come up to race in the NSW country, especially in this region. The heavy track is the query as is the wide gate. De Lovely Lad wasn’t brave first-up and handles the wet conditions and a senior rider now jumps on from a good enough gate to possible sit outside the leader. Chain Of Gold had also drawn cushy and this is his easiest test to date after running at the provincials and in town last time in.

Bet: Edge Of Reward to win

RACE 4

Is the trip too short for Topender even though she’s first-up? She’s got a top team behind her and has raced well here before so will attract plenty of support. Stablemate Extessive just found the 900m too short on debut at the provincials so should be better not only for the experience but for 1100m now. Denarvi can put herself on the speed here which will prove important in today’s conditions as will Queen Of Elegance despite the wide draw and she should be fit enough to test them off a six-week freshen up.

Bet: Extessive to win

RACE 5

Laphroaig looks primed for the 1812m here after running on well over 1700m off a four-week freshen up on the Gold Coast two weeks ago and prior to that he beat the in form Mister Smartee here on a Heavy 10 so look for him to go very close. Credit Crunch has won three times on the heavy and running this right out will be no issue at all and she drops 3.5kg in weight off a Goulburn win a fortnight ago over a mile. Daysan is fresh here which shouldn’t bother him as he looks for more ground after this and he’s had two 1200m barrier trials to be ready.

Bet: Laphroaig to win

RACE 6

We’re starting to see the best of Into The Blue since a change of stables has made life less hectic for him and he can just concentrate on his racing. He’s up in grade here but should measure up considering he won in soft fashion last time. Sassy Choice was well supported last start in a much stronger race and lost by a length so she shapes up well for this but does have a very wide gate and will need tempo and the gaps to open at the right time. Noble Cause has raced well here and on the wet and should go well fresh before he gets up in trip.

Bet: Into The Blue to win

RACE 7

Rubigal probably pushed forward from the wide gate and gets onto the best part of the track at this point in the day and she’s coming off a breakthrough win as an odds-on favourite at Tuncurry. Pacheco resumes having raced in stronger events than this in the past and the heavy ground shouldn’t be an issue in this grade. Stay Chill should be an improver after his first Australian run and is back to the track he last ran at and draws barrier four.

Bet: Rubigal to win