Grafton races Sunday: Preview, best bets and inside mail
Lightly-raced filly Never Island has pleased trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith with her continued improvement and she is ready to land her first win at Grafton on Sunday. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL.
Five-time Group 1 winning trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith has found the perfect race at the perfect time for his lightly-raced filly Never Island to post her an early career win at Grafton on Sunday.
Mayfield-Smith’s filly has improved in, and after, her only three starts so far, coinciding with a step up in distance each time.
Never Island was unlucky, although self-inflicted, not to have won her 1500m maiden assignment at Tuncurry on July 1.
“If you look at the front-on of the stewards replay, she drifts badly off the track which probably cost her the race,” Mayfield-Smith told The Sunday Telegraph.
“I will give her this run and maybe one more if she pulls up and then she will have a bit of a break. I think she is hard to beat on Sunday.”
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Never Island’s staying tendencies are well catered for in this weekend’s GM Accounting Maclean Maiden over 1700m, aided by a favourable alley, barrier 6.
“She is a nice filly,” Mayfield-Smith says.
“She is by No Nay Never. We bought her online for twenty grand. It was quite a lot of money but her in her photos and everything, she was a really good type.”
Never Island is a well-bred filly; her fourth dam is Acushla Marie who won 11 races including the 1992 AJC Winfield Classic (1500m), now known as the Coolmore Classic.
Never Island has company in her weekend mission from her stablemate Bold Direction who remains winless after 13 starts.
“The thing with her is that her form is ordinary but is by no means that bad,” Mayfield-Smith explained.
“She just has not had a go. It’s been stop, start with her and she has drawn a lot of wide gates.
“She has got 19 on Sunday but she will run. She does show staying ability.”
Sunday could be a memorable, nay unforgettable day, for Mayfield-Smith’s apprentice Glenn Cahill who could one day be counting Invictus Felix as his ‘first winner’ if the pair are successful in the Harwood Hotel Handicap (1100m).
“Glenn has got an interesting history in that he was apprenticed to Dermot Weld and he also went through the Irish Training Academy, they call RACE, over there,” Mayfield-Smith said.
“He is actually an Australian. He was born in Casino and his mother was a trainer here at Coffs but because his father is Irish, he was able to get into that system.
“He sits on really well and he can use the stick in both hands.
“I think he has got potential. He has got a couple of things he has got to straighten out and when he does, he should be a good package especially with the three or four kilo claim.”
Cahill is blessed to be doing the Australian leg of his apprenticeship under Mayfield-Smith whose previous ‘students’ include the likes of Andrew Gibbons, the father of current top apprentice, Dylan.
SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS
BEST BET
Race 3 No. 7: ZANARDEE’S LANE
Runner-up at two of his four starts; those two in quite deep maidens that were perhaps stronger than this.
NEXT BEST
Race 6 No. 7: BEAN FOGGY
Sent out some good signs with that first-up run at Ipswich keeping in mind that he is three from four second-up.
VALUE BET
Race 5 No. 7: NEVER ISLAND
This Noel Mayfield-Smith-trained filly just seems to be crying out for 1700m after closing off so well over 1500m at Tuncurry.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 2, 3, 6
Race 5: 6
Race 6: 7
Race 7: 2, 3, 6, 7
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Ashley Morgan has some excellent winning chances to steer.
INSIDE MAIL - GRAFTON
RACE 1
Stellar Style hasn’t done much wrong at all in her eight starts. She was tipped out after the last one, that was on March 17 at Port Macquarie when and where she shed her maiden status in a 1500m maiden despite drawing 13 of 14. She has 11 of 11 on Sunday but she probably goes back anyway and will finish off. Same goes for Cotton Caper who is rolled-gold muddie; not that it’s going to be anything like that here. Still, he is a winner over this track and trip. Lady Tulessa has run in a few seemingly stronger 58’s of late.
Bet: Stellar Style to win
RACE 2
Franklin Corners has won seven races and placed 10 times from his 36 starts which deserves a whole lot of praise given that is not easy to do in modern times and the fact that he invariably carries big, big weights. They gave him 64.5kg for Sunday but we can take 2kg off thanks to Zac Wadick who rode him when a close second at Lismore. He’s Purring has only won once in 15 starts but he is nearly always competitive. Al Ash Lad bolted in at home last start. Drawn wide but sure to be super prominent again.
Bet: Franklin Corners each-way
RACE 3
Zanardee’s Lane did a good job at his first preparation. His four starts ended with consecutive seconds here at Grafton and at home at Coffs Harbour after that. It is worth noting that the horses who beat him on those occasions were Powder Man and Fireflies. Rox’N’Rol is a John Shelton-trained filly by Spill The Beans who handed in an encouraging second on debut here at Grafton on July 9. Had a lovely run that day, drawn a lot wider this time, but she found the line with a bit of purpose on debut. Charles Rennie is worth a look at on his trials; well, the first one anyway.
Bet: Zanardee’s Lane to win, exacta 7 to beat 12, box trifecta 1, 2, 10, 12
RACE 4
House Wins is deserved of ‘marvel status’ if he wins this. The son of Dubleo turns ten in a few weeks’ time. On top of that, this will be his 94th start and he is going over 3140m. He is a very consistent horse; sure, he only has six wins but he has placed 25 times and he never runs bad races. Glen Massey broke his maiden at the Sunshine Coast a matter of just two starts ago. He took a big leap after he won given he was third at Eagle Farm in a Benchmark 72. Foxtrot Bravo is fit enough for the 3140m of good enough. Ditto that for Relucent.
Bet: House Wins to win
RACE 5
Never Island is a Noel Mayfield-Smith-trained filly who has just three starts on her C.V but they have all been quite good. The most significant point to make about her is that she has improved in, and after, each of those runs and when she has stepped up in distance. That being the case, 1700m is spot on ideal for the filly on Sunday. German-bred Danish Lane remains winless after 17 starts but she is very fit and has finished second at this same track and distance. Cenotes has been super costly but super consistent at the same time.
Bet: Never Island to win
RACE 6
Bean Foggy is a handy horse. The son of Spill The Beans has a tidy C.V of four wins, four seconds and a third from 17 starts. The Darren Graham-trained gelding was doing his best work when he clocked in fifth of 13 at Ipswich on June 17. Best of all, he has won three of four second-up. Blue-blooded gelding Too Good Be Tru, a son of Redoute’s Choice and great grandson of Fine Recipe, is also second-up off a pretty big run there at Kembla where he was $31 into $17. He also goes well second-up having won two of five. If it is bone-dry, Intuition comes into it even more.
Bet: Bean Foggy to win, exacta 7 to beat 9
RACE 7
Narnia is a direct descendant of that great Kiwi filly Tidal Light whose three Group 1 wins were all against ‘males’ including the NZ Derby and the Canterbury Guineas. As for Narnia, he has only ‘good runs; on his C.V, particularly in the time he has been with Paul Shailer. Gets his chance to win again on Sunday. Polished will find this easier than the Grafton Cup Prelude which he ran unsuccessfully in last start. Has won twice here at Grafton. Yukanuma and Merapi are in the mix.
Bet: Narnia to win, exacta 2 to beat 3
Originally published as Grafton races Sunday: Preview, best bets and inside mail
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