Grafton preview, inside mail and tips: Robert Agnew’s stable starting to take shape as we head into winter

Form analyst Shayne O’Cass has previewed Monday’s card at Grafton as well as identifying the best bets for the meeting.

Recent Country Championship Final-participating trainer Robert Agnew will be making regular trips from Port Macquarie to Sydney this winter with his three-year-old stable pillars Pony Soprano and Show ‘Em Howl.

Agnew will head north on Monday with another of the barn’s three-year-old brigade, Bondi Prophet, scheduled to resume at Grafton in the Hip Pocket Workwear Benchmark 58 Handicap (1030m).

Bondi Prophet, a $30,000 Agnew Racing purchase at the 2023 HTBA Yearling Sale, has banked $31,575 in his eight starts so far.

The only real blemish on his record came at his most recent appearance on January 11 when beating one other to the line at Coffs Harbour.

“All his runs are good, he was just at the end of his prep last time,’’ Agnew said.

“He was flat. We just went to the well one too many times with him.

“He had a good racing prep which matured him. I used to take him to the races and he would just sweat and annoy you and do everything wrong but the by the end of that prep, he would stand in the stalls good and you wouldn’t have to hose him in summer and all that immaturity has gone out of him now.

“The good, tough, hard prep that he had has really made a horse out of him and he’s working very sharp.”

Bondi Prophet has it bred into him to be every bit as tough as Agnew attests.

The gelding’s third dam is Tempest Morn who famously contested the AJC Oaks, SAJC Australasian Oaks, SA Oaks, Queensland Oaks and Queensland Derby in consecutive starts.

For the record, the Gooree-owned filly won the Australasian Oaks and was runner-up in each of the other classics.

Bondi Prophet winning at Muswellbrook late last year. Photo: Bradley Photos.

Agnew meanwhile will use Monday’s opener at Grafton to take the wrapping off his intriguing two-year-old first starter Dirty Does It which leads the field out in the Prestige Wedding 2YO Handicap (1030m).

While the gelding is bred to win a Derby not a Slipper, he has shown enough natural talent at home and in his trial to suggest at least some kind of positive showing, albeit at a distance way short of his future best.

“Dirty Does It is a work in progress and is going to be a much better three-year-old,’’ Agnew said.

“But he’s done a good job to get to where he is. He got broken-in off a racetrack and the first time he saw a racetrack was when he came up here to get pre-trained. Then he came straight to my barn and he’s got through to a trial and race (on Monday) all in his first real preparation.

“He is only going to get better in the future.

“His sire, Endless Drama, ran third behind Winx and Hartnell in the Apollo Stakes so he was very handy.

“Dirty Do It is definitely a nice horse. He can gallop.

“He might be a little too ‘new’ and all the rest of it but I think he’ll get through the wet.

“He’s just got to do everything right and he’ll go for a spell straight after this and he’ll come back a really nice horse.”

Not only is Dirty Does It a grandson of the French Derby winner Lope De Vega, his classic credentials are underlined by the fact that his grand-dam is a sister to the internationally acclaimed racehorse and sire, High Chaparral.

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INSIDE MAIL

RACE 7

She’s Enuff has raced here at her home track 17 times in her 39 starts. Three of her four wins have been here and she is one from two at the track and trip. She has won on heavy once, seemingly without being an absolute muddie. He’s A Copy Boy handles all conditions. The Samantha McGuren-trained gelding has a win and three thirds here at Grafton and is effective indeed around the mile.

Bet: She’s Enuff each-way.

RACE 8

Bondi Prophet eight starts for a win and two thirds. Indeed, if you can excuse the final run of the preparation last time in, you’d be a hard market to find fault with pretty much all of the remaining seven runs and that deals him in today. Snow Falcon is a last start Grafton 1106m winner on a heavy (9)and that came two starts after he split Bodhi Boy and Laizabout in a deep Class 2 at Port Macquarie.

Bet: Bondi Prophet to win, Daily Double 1st Leg 10, 2nd Leg 1.

RACE 9

Hey Daisy was $2.70 into $1.95 on debut at the Gold Coast on April 11 and ran right up to her backing; leading from barrier 10 to win by two-lengths. Well-bred filly in the astute Paul Shailer stable. Just has to take the next step - and handle the heavy track at the same time. Church Rock has a win and two thirds from six starts but perhaps of most significance is that she was once runner-up here on a heavy (8), albeit over 1400m.

Bet: Hey Daisy to win.

RACE 10

Majorelle has won eight times in her 22 starts (with six placings as well) which is a credit to her and her trainer Matthew Dunn. It’s not easy to win that many from so few, especially in the Benchmark era. This daughter of Zoustar has a win and a second from three runs at Grafton, she is one for one at the track and distance and once beat Tectonic Plate on a heavy (8). Bow is third-up here having run fourth to Majorelle at her most recent outing. Drawn well again.

Bet: Majorelle to win, Bow to place.

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BEST BET

Race 4 No. 6: Zouandme

Makes his NSW debut off an impressive recent trial here.

NEXT BEST

Race 6 No. 12: Heart Of Platinum

Ready to peak here out to 1735m, fourth run in.

VALUE

Race 8 No. 10: Bondi Prophet

Has done some good things in his brief career.

Originally published as Grafton preview, inside mail and tips: Robert Agnew’s stable starting to take shape as we head into winter