Nowra races Sunday: Preview, best bets and inside mail

After finally breaking through for his maiden win, a Warren Ganderton-trained gelding can make it back-to-back victories on his home track.

Man Of Mine is looking to maintain his winning form on his home track of Nowra on Sunday. Picture: Bradley Photos

Local trainer Warren Ganderton is counting on last start track and distance winner Man Of Mine together with his blue-blooded stablemate Las Vegas Girl to deliver an early double at Nowra.

Ganderton has been a frequent visitor to the winners’ stall in recent weeks thanks to some precision placement of his small team.

So much so that the South Coast conditioner has led in three winners from his past ten starters including the aforementioned Man Of Mine.

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!

Quayde Krogh sticks with Man Of Mine at Nowra on Sunday. Picture: Getty Images

A son of Golden Rose winner Denman, Man Of Mine took 16 starts to post his first win - not all of them for Ganderton - who was the one who orchestrated the gelding’s all the way victory on August 27.

Man Of Mine’s Sunday assignment will be over the same 1400m course and distance as his breakthrough win only unlike then when he jumped from barrier 6, Ganderton’s charge has the hugely desirable box 2.

“It shocked me a bit off his trackwork that it has taken him so long to win a race,” Ganderton said.

“If you rode him work and someone said he was a 15 start maiden, it would be hard to believe because he does work a lot better than what he raced. But he put it all together the other day.

“He got a lovely ride by Quayde (Krogh) and hopefully the horse can keep building off that now.”

“He is a good little worker and seems to have come on from that run.”

Las Vegas Girl, meanwhile, will be having her sixth start at Nowra when she contests the Trusttel Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1100m with Kayla Nisbet in the saddle.

Kayla Nisbet will partner Las Vegas Girl when she resumes at Nowra. Picture: Bradley Photos

While Ganderton’s mare has just one third to show for her efforts at home, she set the scene for the boldest of bids with a commanding two length trial win at Nowra three weeks ago.

“She has come up in good order,” Ganderton said. “She has just got a bit of weight and a little bit of a sticky gate so I’ll be interested to see how that plays out.

“She is a go forward horse so hopefully she can offset the draw.

“We’ve had a little bit of luck these last few months with Kayla so it is good to have her back on. “

Las Vegas Girl is a royally-related mare with a pedigree inclusive of a literal capital ‘C‘ Champion.

Her third dam is Victory Vein who beat Choisir in the 2001 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes and was nosed out in both the Golden Slipper and Champagne Stakes on either side.

“Las Vegas Girl is an absolute ,” said Ganderton. “What she lacks a little bit in ability she makes up for in trying.

“She will improve with the run, but she is fairly forward and fit enough to run well there.”

SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 1 No. 1: Divine Vicky

Midweek class every day of the week; she could even go further than that in time.

NEXT BEST

Race 7 No. 4: Galactic Miss

Bit underwhelming at Bathurst but she still has a couple of provincial placings and a metro fourth on her C.V

VALUE BET

Race 5 No. 14: Hooligan Tommy

Ocean Park three-year-old who ran through the line in the race won by Ceolwulf at Warwick Farm first-up.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 4, 5, 9

Race 5: 6, 14

Race 6: 2, 3, 9

Race 7: 4, 12

Heavelon Van Der Hoven looks a good chance in the TAB Jockey Challenge. Picture: Bradley Photos

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Heavelon Van Der Hoven could tally up enough points to give the TAB Jockeys Challenge a nudge.

INSIDE MAIL - NOWRA

RACE 1

Divine Vicky was a $50,000 Inglis Classic purchase by Matthew Smith and has already paid down $31,625 inside just three starts with the promise of more to come. This daughter of So You Think is absolutely midweek class and could even be better than that as time goes by. She is nominated for an infinitely harder race at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. Hot Sundae is a great grandson of Beans, no doubt the Duff’s favourite horse. As for Hot Sundae, she was quite impressive winning on the Acton last start. Local mare Las Vegas Girl set the scene for a bold return winning that trial here last month.

Bet: Divine Vicky to win

RACE 2

Miss Givings is trained at Nowra but was handed the visitor’s draw. That said, there wouldn’t be a more consistent or in-form jockey in Australia the moment than Jean Van Overmeire. As for the horse herself, she is a 13-start maiden but it is easy to see that her best runs have been here at home. Flash Piper, another Nowra resident, blotted the copybook at Queanbeyan last start but 12 of 12 didn’t help. Savabeel mare Dhyani ran quite well over an unsuitable 1080m last start. 1400m this time is so much better for the Danielle Seib recruit.

Bet: Miss Givings each-way, quinella 7, 8

RACE 3

Don’t Thinkaboutit has probably run one, or at the very most, two bad races in his 12 start career. As it stands, the son of Bon Hoffa has a win and three placings in that time but what stands out most about his form is that the only horses that have beaten him past the post in his last two are Knuckle Warrior, Saiko and British Statesman. Man Of Mine drew barrier 6 of seven here last start but was still able to lead throughout and win easily. Barrier 2 on Sunday is a gigantic plus for him. Cartography has only won four from 40 but one of those wins was at this venue.

Bet: Don’t Thinkaboutit to win

Vancouver's Crown is looking to make it back-to-back wins at Nowra. Picture: Bradley Photos

RACE 4

Vancouver’s Crown hadn’t won a race in 19 starts but he was always better than that. The Jason Coyle-trained gelding made use of gate 3 to lead at start 20 and was never challenged at any point in the 1100m maiden here at Nowra on August 27. This is a better race of course but he is city-placed back in the day. Raise Hell had ‘next time’ written all over him when he clocked in fourth at Goulburn over the 1000m as recently as September 8. Drawn well and the extra 100m is a positive. Pyromania is in the right race again on Sunday.

Bet: Vancouver’s Crown to win, exacta 9 to beat 5, quinella 5, 9

RACE 5

Hooligan Tommy is a NZ- bred son of Ocean Park which more or less determines that he is going to get better with each passing day and each passing run. More so given that he is housed with John Sargent. Hooligan Tommy has only had two starts so far either side of a spell and that eighth of nine at Warwick Farm was much better than it looks and look who won it - Ceolwulf. Sacred Girl beat Mr Papera at Wyong and that horse has since won himself. Good jockey, good draw. Moritz Girl was no match, but closed well, when runner-up to the handy French Endeavour first-up.

Bet: Hooligan Tommy to win, Daily Double 1st leg (14), 2nd leg (4)

RACE 6

Ninja Star won her first start back and her last one as well with a fifth and a close second in between drinks. The Joseph Ible-trained daughter of Maurice has the important distinction of being one for one at the Nowra Mile. El Lago was chipped away by some clever punters when he made his (winning) debut for Pat Murphy. He beat Marvelous that day and he goes quite well. One more vitally important point to make is that Mitchell Bell sticks with him on Sunday. Kozluca is hard to catch, his pattern doesn’t help but he is good enough.

Bet: Ninja Star to win

RACE 7

Galactic Miss was perhaps a little bit disappointing at face value when she was fourth at Bathurst after being given every chance. That said, she had 60.5kg, 1200m off one softish trial and she wasn’t beaten far. The Deanne Panya mount has a couple of provincial placings and a midweek fourth on the C.V. Miss Hades, a Gary Portelli-trained filly in the Testashadow colours, has trialled well, certainly well enough to figure on the weekend. Superzoom has the pedigree to win stakes races. Let’s see how he is off for ability.

Bet: Galactic Miss to win

Originally published as Nowra races Sunday: Preview, best bets and inside mail