Raceday preview, best bets and inside mail for Nowra

Jason Coyle is confident nine-start maiden Impressive Chorus can notch her first win this prep as form analyst Shayne O’Cass runs the rule over Sunday’s meeting at Nowra.

Trainer Jason Coyle. Picture: Mark Evans – Getty Images

Nobody knows the nine-start maiden Impressive Chorus’s true ability than her current CV would suggest than full-time trainer and part-time breeder Jason Coyle who has been a faithful supporter of the Nowra-bound mare’s sire Va Pensiero.

A son of Golden Slipper winner, Stratum, Va Pensiero was a crack three-year-old for Coyle in his time, winning the time-honoured San Domenico Stakes immediately prior to his Run To The Rose victory beating the subsequent Horse of the Year, Dissident et al.

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Granted, Va Pensiero hasn’t reached similarly lofty heights as a stallion but it’s been a case of lack of opportunity for the now 12-year-old Riverdene Stud (Wagga) sire.

“There are so many stallions standing at stud these days that he never got his chance,’’ Coyle said.

“He wasn’t the commercial look that everyone wants and he just didn’t get many mares which is a shame.

“It’s basically who likes what and if they get the opportunity and obviously with the more mares you get, the more chances you get.’’

Impressive Chorus is one of just eight live foals from Va Penisero’s first crop in the spring of 2017.

And while the bay coloured five-year-old is yet to place in her nine starts, she has turned in some good performances with the promise of her best to come.

“Throw her previous form out,’’ Coyle said.

“I like the fact that she has trialled up well twice and I think in the right race, she has probably got a race (win) in her this preparation.

“She is not a star obviously, but I think if we place her right this preparation in a few softer races, she should be able to get a few wins on the board.

“I am still probably guessing a little bit at her best distance(s) but her trials have been good over the shorter trips. She failed miserably once when we stepped her out in ground, her best form is around that six or seven furlongs so maybe this prep we will restrict her that to see how we go.

“I think she handles (wet ground) so that shouldn’t be any issue. She raced at Nowra on a really poor day once before and got through it OK.’’

Va Pensiero was a gun horse back in his day. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Speaking of breeding, Coyle has the honour and distinction of saddling-up one of the best bred horses at Sunday’s Nowra meeting namely the four-year-old mare, Alpine Bronze.

For starters, Alpine Bronze is a daughter of the Japanese champion galloper Real Impact.

As well as that, the six-start maiden is a member of one of the best families in the Australian Stud Book.

The cleverly-named Warwick Farm resident is a daughter of Zali who is herself by Danehill out of the Doncaster Handicap winning filly, Skating.

“She is threatening to win a race,’’ the trainer said.

“I don’t know what happened first-up. To this day, I have no day I have no idea how you get beat that far going into a race that well.

“But she turned it around two weeks later and is building towards a win.’’

SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 2 No.1: ARCADIA POWER

Stayer resuming but sent out some good signs as to his current state of wellbeing in his recent trial and is clearly the best horse in the race.

NEXT BEST

Race 5 No.7: BRING THE BOOM

Turned in a very encouraging performance when placed fourth on debut and finds a winnable assignment on Sunday.

VALUE

Race 7 No.6: IMPRESSIVE CHORUS

Unplaced in all nine starts to date but has some reasonable races in half-decent company. Big odds off a two nice trials.

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Jean Van Overmeire has several winning chances on the day and should be hard to beat in the TAB Jockeys Challenge.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 1,6,7

Race 5: 1,2,3,7

Race 6: 2,4,5,6

Race 7: 6,12,14,15

INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1

Dream Game was so impressive winning his first two runs this campaign that he started $6.50 in a TAB Highway at Rosehill on August 27. Long story short, he faded to finish a long way down the order but in hindsight, barrier 12 didn’t do him any favours. This is a long, long way short of Highway class, so much so that he should just be winning. Gambacorta is no easy beat for the favourite. This son of Zoustar has done some good things in his nine starts and it is worth noting that his best form has indeed been on heavy tracks. Are Zhu Ready has placed at three of his six starts here at home.

Bet: Dream Game to win

RACE 2

Arcadia Power is a stayer resuming but trainer Todd Smart could not have hoped for an easier opening to the horse’s new campaign. This gelded son of Pride Of Dubai is winless after 14 starts but he is invariably never far away. Placed two of two on Heavy trained, placed two of three first-up and the trial was excellent behind Julian Rock. My Rock Singa is a fascinating horse for the sole reason that he is one of only two foals by his sire – The Fatman. This Wayne Hudd trained galloper is also zero from 14 but this is a fair opportunity for him to win one.

Bet: Arcadia Power to win, exacta 1 to beat 7

RACE 3

Magic Talent is a Hawkesbury trained mare lining up for her 42 start. At this point in time, she has won five and placed 10, half of them were seconds. One of those second placings was at her only prior visit to Nowra. Perhaps the best thing about Magic Talent is that she goes on good to heavy and everything in between. This is a pretty moderate race to say the least. Bel Suono is a daughter of Nature Streip’s sire, Nicconi, and is racing well enough to be winning this.

Bet: Magic Talent to win, quinella 1,3

RACE 4

Constructionmaster would almost have to be marked down as a muddie. The Jim and Greg Lee trained son of Nostradamus has raced five times on heavy for a win and two thirds. Bear in mind that he was third on a Heavy 10 Canterbury and this is a long, long way short of the class of horse he has been meeting since he arrived at High Street. Dream Eclipse has only won 2 from 26 but he is quite a consistent horse just the same. Worth noting that those two wins were on a soft and a heavy track respectively. Go well.

Bet: Constructionmaster to win, quinella 6,7

RACE 5

Bring The Boom is a son of VRC Derby winner Tarzino and has some epic staying blood on his dam-side two via the likes of Star Way and Sir Tristram. The way this three-year-old ran on debut was wholly in keeping with a miler/2000m plus horse of the future. Up to 1600m couldn’t be a more suitable progression. Encyclopedia is a handy horse on his day. Two things that make him such a big chance is that his only win was on a Heavy 9 and secondly, he is one hundred per cent crying out for the mile. Danzette won at Wyong two starts back.

Bet: Bring The Boom to win, quinella 1,7, exacta 7 to beat 1

RACE 6

Chalkley is a Mark De Montfort trained gelding who really does deserve some reward for effort. He’s probably only even run one bad race in his 15 starts and even so, that day, he was only 4½ lengths behind Rule Of Law. Ran third last start to Custo and Iron Hat who are two pretty decent horses make no mistake. Karaoke King has draw 11 of 11 but expect some more scratchings and two, they are more likely to be winning on the grandstand rail than the inside rail of history is any guide. Iverson could sprint well fresh.

Bet: Chalkley to win

RACE 7

Impressive Chorus is yet to place in her nine starts but she has run two good races in that time. Obviously she is going to have to turn up at Nowra on Sunday and pull out a career PB to even place let alone win but there is more to this mare than meets the eye and the trials were really encouraging. If I am wrong about Impressive Chorus than that probably makes Opito Ballerina a moral. Lightly-raced, good at her first prep and the trial win at Rosehill was very compelling indeed. Place hopes to Bil Colyns, Power Puff and Queen Of The Stars.

Bet: Impressive Chorus to win, quinella 6,12, box trifecta 6,12,13,14,15

Originally published as Raceday preview, best bets and inside mail for Nowra