Shayne O’Cass’s Grafton Monday best bets, inside mail and quaddie picks

The sting out of the ground brings a key runner right into betting calculations at Grafton on Monday. Get Shayne O’Cass’s best bets, value selection, quaddie picks and inside mail.

Preemptory, pictured winning a Highway Handicap at Randwick in April last year, is one of Shayne O'Cass's best bets of the day at Grafton on Monday. Picture: Bradley Photos

Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses the nine-race card at Grafton on Monday, presenting his best bets, value selection, quaddie picks and inside mail.

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GRAFTON TIPS

BEST BET
Race 7 No.7 ELLRO
As talented as she is promising; small margin but a big winner first-up.

NEXT BEST
Race 9 No.8 PREEMPTORY
Hopefully the sting out will bring out his best again.

VALUE BET
Race 1 No.3 BRIGHT THE SUN
Gives the impression that 1710m is what she is looking for.

BEST EXOTIC
Race 2: Quinella Nos. 1,2

QUADDIE
Race 6: 4,10
Race 7: 2,7
Race 8: 5,15
Race 9: 3,8

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Andrew Mallyon will be popular in the TAB Jockeys Challenge.

GRAFTON INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1: MAIDEN HANDICAP (1710m)
BRIGHT THE SUN (3) may well be looking for this longer trip now as a granddaughter of Starcraft with Galileo as one her broodmare sires, close-up. That’s not a bad heavy track pedigree either. SELLINYA (2) is proven at the trip; she was run down late in a 1700m Maiden here on Nov 6. Is she a query on Heavy? Not sure. MOON TREATY (8) is on trial at the 1710m but is very fit.
BET: Bright The Sun to win.

RACE 2: BENCHMARK 66 (2370m)
ZAYNUDIN (1) has got his mojo back since he walked into Daiki Chujo’s barn. The Aga Khan-bred one-time 10-length winner at Gowran in Ireland is ‘231’ under the new management and with big weights on board. Legendary Lee Freedman’s THE IRISH (2) has been racing (well) at Eagle Farm this three-start campaign. The Irish-bred (naturally enough) galloper has a fine strikerate of wins and placings and make no mistake, he thrives with the sting out of the surface.
BET: Zaynudin to win, quinella 1,2.

RACE 3: MAIDEN PLATE (1006m)
LUCKY NEKO (13) is a filly who looks like she will make it to metropolitan standard, maybe in Brisbane more than Sydney; she is in the right yard to go either direction or both. Cutting to the case, she held her own admirably first-up on a Heavy 9 when third to an even more promising Dunn horse, Calvary. OLIVERSHARE (8) is a good looking horse who trialled well and is from a terribly astute stable.
BET: Lucky Neko to win, exacta 13 to beat 8.

RACE 4: CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1006m)
THROWNUNDERTHEBUS (7) split the aforementioned Dunn duo, CALVARY (3) (not expecting him to run here today) and Lucky Neko, in that Murwillumbah Maiden back on October 15 and has in fact raced twice since. She won seven days after in a Maiden here at home and was subsequently 5th of 9, and close too, in a 58 also here on Nov 6. Heavy is zero issue. INDUBITABLY (9)’s best form has been at Beaudesert but she ran a really good race in The Debut on Magic Millions day.
BET: Thrownunderthebus each-way or Calvary to win if he in fact did arrive.

RACE 5: MAIDEN PLATE (1410m)
CHILLCUZ (13) is a Kris Lees trained fourth generation descendant of T J Smith’s 1989 Gimcrack winner, Kincay. Chillcuz was a beaten favourite on debut at Kempsey but she really did chase that winner (unsuccessfully) with all her might. That’s pretty much the same story for PIERRE CARDINNIGAN (4), another beaten but not disgraced favourite when she debuted at Ballina in her case. Both can easily make amends here. RISK FOR REWARD (5) is far more reliable than it looks on paper. She is getting close to a well-earned first win.
BET: Chillcuz.

RACE 6: BENCHMARK 58 (1410m)
SAXINOUE (4) has raced three times and won very easily at home at Murwillumbah back in June on a Heavy 8 and we could argue that the two fourths on either side were good runs in good races. CHARLES RENNIE (10) is trained here, has won here, and is not without claims. STOINKA (2) is unplaced in all five runs here at Grafton but offsets that (maybe) by the fact that he is in such good form this preparation.
BET: Saxinoue to win.

RACE 7: BENCHMARK 58 (1410m)
ELLRO (7) could be the horse that progresses the furthest in the new year. Straight off the Lonhro assembly line, Ellro is being looked at for the Country Championships and she couldn’t be in better hands to get there. MYCHYNA (2) hasn’t won in 10 starts on good tracks, all four wins are on soft or heavy and the track will be one of those on Monday. TALAKAI (15), SALAMANCAS (4) and OLD TIMING MAN (5) have claims.
BET: Ellro to win (best bet).

RACE 8: CLASS 2 HANDICAP (1610m)
THREE GRACES (15) has only won once in 16 starts but she has placed seven times. Best of all, she has raced on heavy tracks five times for four seconds and a third. SHOWMAN (5) has some pretty appealing figures for this and he handles the slop. TALAKAI (14) is building towards another win.
BET: Three Graces to win, quinella 5,15.

RACE 9: BENCHMARK 82 (1206m)
PREEMPTORY (8) trialled brilliantly ahead of the Jacaranda Cup but he ran last of nine as the $3.10 favourite. In hindsight, he hadn’t raced since a Highway in May 2023 and it seems the Good 3 was a bit too firm for him. Little doubt that he will improve today but he has to find five-lengths to catch and beat the Jacaranda Cup winner SINGLE TOUCH (3) who is on a hat-trick.
BET: Preemptory to win, exacta 8 to beat 3, quinella 3,8.

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s Grafton Monday best bets, inside mail and quaddie picks