Best bets and inside mail for Scone on Monday

Brett Cavanough’s well-bred gelding Point Basse has a career total of three wins heading into Monday, significantly, all of them are here on his home track.

Reigning Country Championshp Final winning jockey Aaron Bullock has some choice rides at Scone on Monday. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph’s Shayne O’Cass runs his expert eye over racing at Scone on Monday where there is eight races to be decided.

BEST BETS WITH SHAYNE O’CASS

SCONE

BEST BET

Race 8 No.8: Point Basse

All three wins have been here at home at Scone. Ready to peak.

NEXT BEST

Race 6 No.16: Zoomorphic

Zoustar son of Spright who sets up well on the home ground.

VALUE

Race 3 No.11: Stock Road

Lots better than the last start run. Fancy he’ll eat up the 2200m.

DAILY DOUBLE 

1st Leg 16, 2nd Leg 2

QUADDIE

Race 5: 8,9,13

Race 6: 5,16

Race 7: 3,4,7

Race 8: 2

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Aaron Bullock will be short odds to win another TAB Jockeys Challenge today.

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INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1

Lady Olenna led, but was passed inside the final 100m, when a length and a quarter second as the $1.45 favourite here at home on debut. Costly, true enough, but the horse that beat her might be quite handy himself. Barrier 2, Bullock again - no excuses. Rodeo Dealer has run some respectable races at the provincials. Perfect race today. This One Time ran in two very, very strong races last time in. Creates a lot of interest and respect here first-up at home, over 900m and off a nice trial.

Bet: Lady Olenna to win, exacta 2 to beat 1

RACE 2

Scatpak was bred by his trainer Bernie Kelly who also bred and trained the 2019 Provincial Champs Final winner, Bobbing. Scatpak was Bobbing-esque on debut, well back near last and closed off faster than any of them. Track/trip suit now. Ditto that last bit for the local Naftali who was doing good things late first-up in a 1000m Super Maiden. Rail Trial has finished runner-up in two strong Maidens.

Bet: Scatpak to win, quinella 4,7

RACE 3

Stock Road was on an upward trajectory leading into a Newcastle Class 1 over 1850m which makes his distant last (eased out of it more or less) so confounding. He’s had a bit of time to regroup and he’s obviously in very good hands with Greg Hickman. Like him out to 2200m. De Louviere was last at the 400m at Wyong on April 3 yet managed to pass all bar the winner. Getting ever so close now! Deemee was impressive at Dubbo.

Bet: Stock Road each-way, quinella 1,3, box trifecta 1,3,11,12

RACE 4

New Pharoah has raced seven times for a win, two seconds and a third. Notably, he has a win and a third at this distance. On top of that, the Brett Cavanough trained son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was a narrow but really quite emphatic winner at Tamworth on March 9 and beat Josielle in a trial since. As for the impressive debut winner Fortissimo, this is a good time to remind ourselves Aaron Bullock has a 40 per cent strike-rate for Messara/Gavranich.

Bet: New Pharoah to win, quinella 1,9

RACE 5

Speedy Henry is a son of Hellbent out of Speedy Natalie who was versatile enough to win the 1000m Dequetteville on debut as a two-year-old and then the 2000m Adrian Knox at three. Her own dam, Speedy Bell, won the Gimcrack. Speedy Henry was tipped out after an on-pace win in a 1000m Maiden at Duddo on Dec 9. Trialled well on Apr 9. Miss Capitale is also ‘one for one’. Don’t read anything bad into the ninth of 10 in her Apr 7 trial. Goes well.

Bet: Speedy Henry to win, quinella 9,13

RACE 6

Zoomorphic is the first foal of Geoff and Beryl White’s marvellous mare, Spright. This gelding son of Zoustar (whose ownership group includes Spright’s trainer, Garry Frazer), has been with Scott Singleton for her last three starts (of nine in total), two were rippers as was the Apr 9 trial here. Leovanni rattled home in a 1400m Maiden at Canberra. Getting closer. Colonel Light has the makings of a nice mile-plus and was good on debut.

Bet: Zoomorphic to win, quinella 5,16, exacta 16 to beat 5, DD 1st Leg 16, 2nd Leg 2

RACE 7

Totoka has raced 10 times including in a Gimcrack, Sweet Embrace, Magic Night, Up And Coming, Presnell and Spring Stakes. Long story short, he was good in some, not so good in others but it’s hard to run past stakes horses from so far back as she often is. Today could be a different story. Kantishna has a tidy little resume of two wins, two seconds a third She has the advantage over Totoka of race fitness and will be far closer to the lead even.

Bet: Totoka to win, quinella 3,7

RACE 8

Point Basse would win the right Highway at the right time but his Highway days will/could be over after this given that if he wins, it would be his fourth victory. Not only that, it would in fact be the son of I Am Invincible’s fourth win at Scone. back home today after a solid third to his Wellington Boot winning stablemate Fingers Hunter at Muswellbrook. Ring Ahoy has a very high Benchmark rating hence the 66 kgs. That’s a big weight but he has a nice draw at least. Fiftyfivechevy. Mon Amore and Caring Lass all have claims.

Bet: Point Basse to win

Originally published as Best bets and inside mail for Scone on Monday