Gunnedah races: Preview, best bets and inside mail
Trainer Kris Lees is on the hunt for another win in the Big Dance later this year and he has four genuine contenders looking to qualify in Sunday’s Gunnedah Cup. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL
Kris Lees’ quest for consecutive Big Dance victories gathers pace this weekend with a four-pronged attack on Sunday’s Gunnedah Cup (1600m).
The town’s feature is worth far beyond its $40,000 purse given it could see one or more of the placegetters fronting up for a slice of $3 million in the second edition of The Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick on November 7.
Lees, already the winner of five Provincial Championship Finals, won the inaugural The Big Dance with Rustic Steel.
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!
The trainer has four of the 14 runners in Sunday’s Cup led by Irish-bred duo Baltic Coast and Rogue Bear as well as the former New Zealand resident Sailor and Sacred Falls’ son, Five Crowns.
Grey gelding Baltic Coast ($6.50) has top-billing, in the marketplace at least, clearly impressing punters with his last start ‘away’ win on April 29.
“It was a really good win at Eagle Farm,” Lees said.
“He had a tick over trial and it’s a race that we thought was suitable for him and I think he will run well.
“We tried to get him into the Provincial Championships but he just found the 1400m’s a bit sharp for him but if we could get him into the Big Dance, he would be suited at Randwick.
“He just needs that right set-up which he should get with the right tempo there (at Gunnedah).”
Rogue Bear ($8.50), meanwhile, is yet to add to his three English wins since arriving in Australia but his only three runs here have all contained merit to varying degrees.
“He looks like he is desperate for the mile and he gets a lovely run from a good draw,” said Lees.
“He’s in good order. He was luckless the other day (on the Kensington track.
“It was a small field and they bunched coming round the corner and he didn’t have any racing room so if anything he is able to bounce out of a soft like that quite well.
“He has drawn barrier one so he will just land behind the speed I would suggest.”
There won’t be any better bred horses in Sunday’s Gunnedah Cup than Sailor ($19) whose third dam is six-time Group 1 winner Horlicks, the mother of Melbourne Cup winner, Brew.
Sailor is both lightly-raced and progressive enough to warrant his opportunity in Big Dance calculations.
“It’s a bit of a jump in grade for him but with the Big Dance on offer, it is a worthwhile exercise. If we got rain it would bring him right into the race but he looks like he had been crying out for the mile so he gets his chance here,” Lees said.
The outsider of the Lees’ four is Five Crowns ($61) who announced himself with back to back wins at the start of his career, adding three more since.
“He has got to find his form and at his best he would be in it but he has just been a bit disappointing but he is back to the mile so hopefully that brings the best out in him,” Lees said.
SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS
BEST BET
Race 8 No. 2: LITTLE BEGINNINGS
Has more depth to her form than most here as well as a good draw and a good jockey.
NEXT BEST
Race 2 No. 1: AIMPOINT
Former Godolphin galloper making his stable debut for Mack Griffth off a nice trial. Market the guide.
BEST VALUE
Race 7 No. 6: BALTIC COAST
Last start Eagle Farm winner who has been kept ticking over with a trial win. Will be strong late.
QUADDIE
Race 5: 11, 18
Race 6: 1, 2, 5, 13
Race 7: 3, 5, 6, 10
Race 8: 2
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Aaron Bullock. Not surprisingly. How many winners will he ride? More than one would be our guess.
THE INSIDE MAIL FOR GUNNEDAH
RACE 1
La Boqueria was only beaten four lengths by Dipsy Doodle on debut at Warwick Farm on April 10 which explains why she was $1.35 in a Coffs Harbour maiden on May 5. She won of course, and won pretty easily too despite drawing 10 of 10. Not nearly as big a moral in this but still has to go on top. Naked Eye was $31 into $21 on debut in the Max Lees. Ran too bad to be true and was spelled. Has trialled well recently. Dayu is a well bred colt in good hands.
Bet: La Boqueria to win
RACE 2
Aimpoint has raced three times, all of them when he was part of the Godolphin string. This will be his first run for Mack Griffith who would have been very happy with the horse’s recent trial. Aaron Bullock must have liked it; ‘sticking’ as the saying goes. Priding was running good races, four of them in a row in fact, prior to her last start ninth of 14 in a strong maiden on Scone Cup Day and to be fair to her, she was picking up ground late as she tends to do.
Bet: Aimpoint to win, quinella 1, 11, exacta 1 to beat 11, Priding to place
RACE 3
Vis I Do will start the outside alley no matter how many scratchings there are. Not saying that it is a ‘plus’ for the horse but he does seem to be a wee-bit versatile and can go back if they need to. What we do say is a ‘plus’ is that he will be ridden by Dylan Gibbons. Songbird Star was ‘okay’ but pretty costly when beaten at Mudgee. Get the impression myself that she will be effective on Sunday at 1400m. Tapa Kick is the market watch for obvious reasons.
Bet: Vis I Do to win, quinella 7, 12
RACE 4
Love Rules has drawn wide so is going to need some luck and good navigation to get where she wants to be given this is a 2050m race. There are a whole lot of reasons to like her on Sunday. Start with the fact that she is very fit and while she has only won once in 16 starts there is so much depth to her form. Spoke To Rajiv is an even more ‘rare winner’. He is one from 21 at the moment but is ‘4222’ in his four runs for Jeremy Sylvester. La Brea will have plenty of admirers.
Bet: Love Rules to win, quinella 4, 6
RACE 5
Leggy Point has this big field covered on form in my opinion. She is a Gosford winner who was fourth to Once Again My Girl at Scone then second to Burling at Tamworth after that. She looked a moral before acceptances but she ended up drawing 20 of 20 (minus scratchings). Ouch. Herne Hill is one of those horses that rarely runs a bad race. The only reason why he is one from 17 is his pattern (he gets way back). Local mare Flying Pretty won here (easily) two starts ago and has the best possible draw.
Bet: Leggy Point to win
RACE 6
Ostracised had a substantial boom in his early days, remember that win at Dubbo at his first run for Kody Nestor? Wow. Ostracised didn’t become another Democracy Manifest but he is still a pretty fair horse and there is time for him to win better races. As for Sunday’s Lightning, we know he goes well fresh and the last trial was good. It is only 1000m, yes, but can Toro Toro carry 64kg and win? Time will tell but for what it is worth, I can see why you wouldn’t claim on him. Schiller Bay is just about in career best form.
Bet: Ostracised each-way
RACE 7
Baltic Coast is one of four Kris Lees-trained runners in the Big Dance qualifying Gunnedah Cup on Sunday. Baltic Coast is the lightly-raced grey import who was typically barnstorming when he won a mile race at Eagle Farm on April 29. He handed in a lovely trial (win) on May 17 to keep him ticking over. Akasawa was just awesome, winning at Scone at the carnival. Seven wins in 12 starts says a lot about him. Just wondering, can he be so explosive with 63.5kg on his back? Maybe he can. Rogue Bear is racing to a peak.
Bet: Baltic Coast to win, quinella 3, 6
RACE 8
Little Beginnings is out of a mare named Novocastrian so it is only fitting that she is trained by Kris Lees. The daughter of Shamus Award has a very, very attractive resume. She has raced six times for a (big) win and three seconds; one to Dollar Magic and another was behind Nosey Parker but ahead of Yankee Hussel. Competition, the last foal of Neroli, sent out most encouraging signs when fourth at Scone at his first run under the new management. Skybeam is flying. Cirebon has claims.
Bet: Little Beginnings to win, exacta 2 to beat 1
Originally published as Gunnedah races: Preview, best bets and inside mail
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