Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Wyong, Moruya and Murwillumbah on Saturday

Angela Davies is set for a happy Easter with three winning chances heading to Wyong including a last-start maiden breaker.

Braven winning his maiden at Muswellbrook earlier this month. Picture: Bradley Photos

The Daily Telegraph’s form analyst Shayne OCass provides his best bets for Wyong, Moruya and Murwillumbah and race-by-race analysis for Wyong on Saturday.

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!

WYONG

BEST BET

Race 2 No.2: Braven

Has come back well this preparation evidenced by a close second and a brave win.

NEXT BEST

Race 7 No.6: Karedada

Draw was no help at all in the Gosford Qualifier. Much better off this time and has the talent.

VALUE BET

Race 5 No.11: Groove City

Gets her chance to show her true ability in an easier grade and box one.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 4,6,11,13

Race 6: 1,3,6

Race 7: 1,6,8

Race 8: 2,7,9,14

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Ashley Morgan could be in second on the NSW Statewide Table by wins ladder after Saturday.

MORUYA

BEST BET

Race 2 No.7: Papaver Miner

Has just 1 win from 51 starts but this is doable and he’s going all right too.

NEXT BEST

Race 3 No.8: Noble Ruby

Rubick filly from the Price yard on debut in a skinny race off a nice recent trial.

MURWILLUMBAH

BEST BET

Race 1 No.4: Rothesay’s Ruby

Runner-up at her past two so is fit and in-form.

NEXT BEST

Race 3 No. 1: Lightning Rage

Debuts here off two commendable trials this month. Seems to have talent.

INSIDE MAIL: WYONG

RACE 1

Scorpion Jack is a son of Impending out to the mile for the first time on Saturday but plenty to indicate that it could be the key to unlocking his first win. The Gary Portelli-trained bay is fourth-up now, so he is fit as can be, and he is more or less coming off a PB here at his last outing. French Delivery came from behind Hellbetta in that 1600m Maiden at Newcastle and crossed the line three-quarters of a length ahead of him. Not much between them then or now.

Bet: Scorpion Jack to win

RACE 2

Braven is aptly-named is as much as he was a most dogged and determined winner of his 1280m Muswellbrook maiden mission on March 15. The Angela Davies-trained gelding has run well to varying degrees in all bar one of his five starts so is eminently reliable. Box two helps. Gago led and faded at his first run for Nathan Doyle at Newcastle but it was a reasonable string Midway 64. Went well second-up when Chris Waller had him.

Bet: Braven to win, exacta 2 to beat 1

RACE 3

Pocket Eights is a son of the aforementioned Impending. His grandam is a half-sister to VATC Thousand Guineas winner and Caulfield Cup placegetter, Inaflury. This Greg McFarlane-trained gelding has trialled five times dating back to August last year and won four of them. Badly drawn that’s all. Jamakin Money has the race experience and the home-ground advantage. Artifacts was better and is better than the debut run suggests.

Bet: Pocket Eights to win

RACE 4

Bonaventure drew 10 of 10 and got a fair way out her ground in a 2100m race at Newcastle on March 8 but she was still pretty willing late, beaten a diminishing 3½ lengths. She is one run, one third at this same track and distance. Tom Cruising should run this trip right out. He’s been in some good quality Class 1s since he won his maiden. Coto De Gaza is crying out for 2100m and more after that still. Elemental was huge at Goulburn.

Bet: Bonaventure to win

RACE 5

Groove City was $51 when 10th of 13 in the Inglis Nursery on debut on December 9. She resurfaced in a 2YO fillies maiden on the Kensington track on March 13 and was 10th of 11 this time. Obviously this is easier without being easy. Barrier one should help too. Interjection is a blue blood who has been trialling exceedingly well. Makes a lot of appeal. Marais has finished runner-up in her only two runs in very, very good maidens at Gosford.

Bet: Groove City each-way, quinella 4,11, box trifecta 4,6,11,13

RACE 6

Parade Ground is a James Cummings-trained gelding who was rock solid in the market first-up and ran accordingly when runner-up to Briasa who is smarter than the average horse by some way. Given it’s not here on the weekend, surely this is an easier race for Parade Ground on paper at least. Good Once has five seconds and a third from nine starts. He has good form and is a great jockey but a bad barrier. O’So Demanding and Star Blazer have claims.

Bet: Parade Ground to win, exacta 3 to beat 1

RACE 7

Karedada was dealt 11 of 16 in the Gosford Qualifier and it certainly played a role in his downfall. He wasn’t bad that day, far from it, but the point of the story is that he came up with barrier three in Saturday’s Qualifier whereas some, if not nearly all, of his rivals have wide draws. None of those barriers make it impossible of course for the likes of Strait Acer for example who does have a benchmark rating of 103 and is Group 1 placed. Ausbred Flirt is not in the “bad draw” category but falls into the “needs luck” column given she is in box one.

Bet: Karedada to win, box First 4 Nos. 1,2,3,6,8

RACE 8

Proud Image was scratched from Kensington on Wednesday and has accepted for Warwick Farm on Monday as well as here at Wyong. In respect to Saturday, the Jason Coyle-trained mare has drawn barrier one so won’t have to do any overtime. Reggie’s Boy has placed five times from nine runs circa this trip including as recently as March 14 behind Panic and Wealthy Investor who runs here himself with serious claims. Market watch advised on Resistible who has some decent city form and trialled up twice for this.

Bet: Proud Image each-way or if scratched Reggie’s Boy each-way

Originally published as Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Wyong, Moruya and Murwillumbah on Saturday