Shayne O’Cass’s best bets and inside mail for Hawkesbury on Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Racenet’s NSW form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses the seven-race card at Hawkesbury on Tuesday, presenting his best bets, value selection, quaddie picks and jockey to follow.

Flaming Moon wins on debut at Nowra on February 9. Shayne O’Cass thinks the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Too Darn Hot filly can remain unbeaten when she steps out at Hawkesbury on Tuesday. Picture: Bradley Photos

Racenet’s NSW form expert Shayne O’Cass analyses the seven-race card at Hawkesbury on Tuesday, presenting his best bets, value selection, quaddie picks and jockey to follow.

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BEST BET
Race 3 No.5 SOSUEME: Nathan Doyle-trained debutant whose trials indicate talent. Market watch advised.

NEXT BEST
Race 4 No.5 SAUCITO: D’Argento grey, same connections, and seemingly the same suitably to a middle trip.

VALUE
Race 7 No.21 FLAMING MOON: Won like a ‘good horse’ at Nowra on debut. Has a bright future, short and long term.

QUADDIE
Race 4: 5,13
Race 5: 1,2,9
Race 6: 2,4
Race 7: 15,21

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Tommy Berry went past 1,700 winners last week; 132 have been at Hawkesbury.

RACE 1: 4yo+ Maiden Plate (1500m)

SHARE THE JOY (8) is trained at Hawkesbury by Mitchell and Desiree Kearney but strangely perhaps, she is yet to place in her five starts at home. On top of that, she is a 19-start maiden but on the plus-side, she has placed six times, four of them seconds. She has run good races in better races than this. ABLE YELLOW (1) is by the unbeaten US Triple Crown winner Justify out of Stradbroke winner, Sriknadi. This Blake Ryan-housed local has placed in two very strong maidens, particularly that last one at Goulburn. Drawn 1, no excuses. So much so, logic suggests whatever beats him might very well win.

BET: SHARE THE JOY (8) each-way, quinella 1,8.

RACE 2: 3yo Maiden Handicap (1300m)

SUPER NUI (8) is trained by Ron Quinton, the man who rode Marscay, Sir Dapper, Rory’s Jester and Marauding to win their respective Golden Slippers. This filly has placed twice in five starts, one of them was that second here to the subsequent city-winner, Gangsta Granny. MANUKAU (5) is the first foal of the Kembla Classic winner Pohutukawa. The Lonhro filly was very solid in betting when a distant fifth of six in a 1200m Rosehill midweeker on Feb 26.

BET: SUPER NUI (8) to win, exacta 8 to beat 5.

RACE 3: 3yo+ Maiden Handicap (1100m)

SOSUEME (5) is a filly from the same primarily Gooree family which gave us the great Desert War. Sosueme trialled three times dating back to June. Her Feb 24 hit out was here at Hawkesbury where she ran a very, very close second to the handy Nymphadora. NOBLE RUBY (10) raced handy and stuck to her guns admirably when a neck third in a 1000m Kembla Maiden on March 4. Take note, the overall time was 56.84s, the last 600m in 32.61s. Tommy Berry for the Prices is always a key booking.

BET: SOSUEME (5) to win (best bet), exacta 5 to beat 10, trifecta 5 (standout) 1,4,10 (boxed).

RACE 4: 3yo+ Maiden Plate (1800m)

SAUCITO (5) is a grey like his father, D’Argento and is (also) raced by Denise Martin/Chris Waller. Given this is Slipper week, we may as well highlight that his dam is by Rory’s Jester. In terms of ‘the punt’, there are a few horses looking for 1800m in this race, none more perhaps than Saucito. That said, the O’Shea/Charlton camp could argue there is one and it is their Dundeel filly POLYMNIA (13) who has been hitting the line with real gusto of late (always has been, in fact).

BET: SAUCITO (5) to win, exacta/quinella 5,13 box trifecta 5,9,11,13.

RACE 5: Benchmark 64 (2000m)

JAYASHREE (9) is a lightly-raced filly with one win, two seconds and a third from seven starts. The Team Hawkes-trained 3YO is bred on a double-cross of Sadler’s Wells which probably accounts for why she has really hit her straps now that she is up to a mile and beyond. Barrier 1 might be a ‘winning draw’. CLUBMAN (2) is the quintessential progressive and ‘scopey’ horse. He’s won twice and was a very good second in his three starts. Canberra and Scone (twice) but he could readily make city grade this prep and./or the next.

BET: JAYASHREE (9) to win, quinella 2,9, Daily Double 1st Leg (9), 2nd Leg (21).

RACE 6: Benchmark 68 (1300m)

VINTAGE CHOICE (4) is a Joseph Ible-trained, former Annabel Neasham-trained son of Lope De Vega who turned in one of the better/best runs of his entire career when beating all bar Tenderize in a 1200m Benchmark 72 at Warwick Farm 13-days ago.Has won second-up. HELLFIRE EXPRESS (2) is another former Neasham/Archibald housed galloper; this one has raced twice for Nathan Doyle. One of them was a fifth here, the other a Newcastle win. Resumes off a lovely trial here last month. STARBOARD (6) is hard to fault.

BET: VINTAGE CHOICE (4) each-way or if scratched HELLFIRE EXPRESS (2) each-way.

RACE 7: Benchmark 64 (1500m)

FLAMING MOON (21) is one of the most interesting (and promising) horses racing all day IMHO. Edward Cummings found her; he paid $80,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. She’s by Too Darn Hot and best of all, her fourth Dam is Franfreluche. Cummings took her down to Nowra on Feb 9 to debut and she won that 1400m Maiden in the most brilliant fashion. Runs for O’Shea/Charlton here. SWELTER (15), as the name suggests, is another one by Too Darn Hot. This Waller-trained filly in the Winx colours was hard to miss finishing hard and fast to subsequent Kembla Classic placegetter Brigidine Gal in that 1300m Benchmark 64 first-up.

BET: FLAMING MOON (21) to win, quinella 15,21, box trifecta 9,10,15,21.

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s best bets and inside mail for Hawkesbury on Tuesday, March 18, 2025