Port Macquarie preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, June 15, 2025

Despite a challenging wide draw, trainer Colt Prosser remains optimistic about the chances of his reliable gelding Cenotes in the Wauchope Cup.

SDhayne O'Cass preview Port Macquarie

Colt Prosser stands his best chance of winning a Wauchope Cup and could add the co-feature sprint when he heads to Port Macquarie for the annual festival that celebrates his own home town.

Prosser is more or less Lord of the Manor at Wauchope; after all, he is one of only two trainers in residence.

The other is his father, Grant.

Prosser saddles-up the sturdy and reliable customer Cenotes who has been dealt a wide draw in this weekend’s Wauchope Cup (1512m) as was the case when he resumed in the Beef Week Cup at Casino on May 30.

“I was happy with him (at Casino),” Prosser said.

Cenotes makes it three wins in a row 3️⃣

He wins easily at Kempsey and gives Ben Looker a double!@ColtProsserpic.twitter.com/UCU67h1f67

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 19, 2024

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!

“First-up, he just got stuck wide and made a really long run and just peaked out with a hundred to go.

“Ben (Looker) never knocked him around on that real Heavy track because we’ve got bigger fish to fry in the near future.

“The doesn’t make it ideal because he is a horse that can jump and put himself there and that was the plan. Second-up, I think he can run a nice race. I think he still needs to get over a mile to be at his best.

“It’s a bit of a shame to draw like he has in my home Cup. This time it is just going to be up to Ben to see how it unfolds.”

Prosser’s Wauchope Sprint (1008m) pair, Dis Is Heaven and Bjorn Ironside, clash for a second time in quick succession after they both went within inches of winning the Casino Flying which was as close to a triple dead-heat as they come.

“They were probably a little bit the victims of circumstance,” Prosser explained.

“The winner got a little bit better run in transit and didn’t have to go wide around the field but my boys lost no admirers, they were great, and I’m looking forward to seeing them in the Wauchope Sprint.

Dis Is Heaven gets up in a photo from Canny Prospect. 📸 pic.twitter.com/zR1C5IFwyK

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 17, 2023

“There’s not much between them. I thought Dis Is Heaven would have lengths on Bjorn Ironside in the Heavy but Bjorn was absolutely fantastic there at Casino to run that sort of race on going that he is not real comfortable on.”

There may not be a better looking or more striking horse in action at Port Macquarie than Prosser’s first starter, Impending Fortune, who will have his share of admirers in the Chris Hudson Electrical Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1108m).

Originally sold for $130,000 Magic Millions Yearling, the grandson of Lonhro was bought the second time around for a mere $6,500 at the Inglis October Online Sale in 2024.

Impending Fortune is among only one per cent of the almost 13,000 foals born in 2020 officially registered as ‘black’ in colour.

“He’s a very nice horse,” Prosser said. “He could possibly do a bit wrong and be a bit green first start just with the one trial and he did miss a lot of education work on the way through just with all that rain and floods we’ve had.

“But he is a lovely big horse. he has been in work a while and we finally got him to the trials and Luke (Rolls) was really happy with him.”

SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS

BEST BET

Race 1 No. 8: CRAZY MIKKI

Runner-up in seven of her 12 starts. Costly, but this could be the day.

NEXT BEST

Race 5 No. 10: ROCK ARE STEINER

Peter Graham-trained galloper and he’ll ride him too. Getting ever so close.

VALUE BET

Race 4 No. 4: ROYAL TEENS

Back to where she last won. Been running in some hard races of late.

QUADDIE

Race 6: 1, 2

Race 7: 1, 4, 8, 12

Race 8: 3, 10

Race 9: 5, 6, 11, 12

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Country Championships winning jockey BEN LOOKER has some choice rides.

Ben Looker can have a good day at Port Macquarie. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 1: CHRIS HUDSON ELECTRICAL COUNTRY BOOSTED SHOWCASE MAIDEN PLATE 1108m

CRAZY MIKKI (8) has been costly to follow. In fact, she’s been rolled twice at $1.60 and once at even money. That said, she has finished runner-up seven times in her 12 start career. On top of that, she has finished second in her only two runs here. Now or never, ever again. ANGELS CLOUD (6) has placed at six of her 13 starts. Record here at home is very good. Has to go in. IMPENDING FORTUNE (2) trialled rather well.

Bet: Crazy Mikki to win, exacta 8 to beat 6

RACE 2: WAUCHOPE DRAGON FLYS 3YO MAIDEN HANDICAP 1208m

STAR PREDICTION (1) has raced six times, finishing second on three occasions and a third once. That third was at Canterbury behind Waller duo Mia Ballerina and Hidden Achievement. On-pace type who will find this ‘easier’ than most of her previous missions. PICCADERO (2) has been gelded and changed stables since he last ran. He too has placed at Canterbury. Go well. NAMARA (3) has respectable provincial form.

Bet: Star Prediction to win

RACE 3: COFFEE ON HIGH SHOWCASE SUPER MAIDEN HANDICAP 1512m

NOT MY PROBLEM (1) is a Kris Lees-trained filly placed three of five, placed at both visits here, both times by pretty narrow margins and in rather strong Maidens too. ULTIMATE REIGN (11) remains winless after 33 starts and has just five placings on her resume but she does run well here at home. Not sure she can win but she could certainly get into the medals without surprising.

Bet: Not My Problem to win. Ultimate Reign to place

RACE 4: HLW PROJECTS COUNTRY BOOSTED SHOWCASE BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP 1208m

ROYAL TEENS (4) beat Starry Jack here over this same trip (tick). Her next three runs were in the Northern Wild card won by Know Thyself followed by two Highways, the Gosford one was a ripper run. VIA VEGAS (3) is ‘321’ in three starts for Jonathan Smith. Take note that the ‘2’ and the ‘1’ were both here at home with Ben Looker on. CALAMITY FOX (2) Is very consistent in this grade of race. Trialled well.

Bet: Royal Teens each-way

RACE 5: VILIFIED AT BAINSBRIDGE FARM SHOWCASE CLASS 1 HANDICAP 1208m

ROCK ARE STEINER (10) is trained by dual licence holder Peter Graham which means that he’ll be legging himself aboard this son of Casino Prince for the 16th time as it happens. His record on the gelding is one win and three placings. Has won here and is working his way towards another. WHAT A RUSH (11) has Shaggy form and a win here to boot. May pay to overlook the Casino run.

Bet: Rock Are Steiner to win, quinella 10, 11

RACE 6: WAUCHOPE BLUES SHOWCASE CLASS 1 HANDICAP 1208m

AGED CARE (1) is from a family that Kris and Max Lees have had some member of for probably the best part of 40 years. This son of Brutal has a tidy little resume of six starts for a win, two seconds and a third. His best run was his honourable fourth at Scone in the rich Inglis 2YO Challenge. The lone win so far of PUNCH ONE OUT (2) was at this same track and distance with Ben Looker on. Will go well, he nearly always does.

Bet: Aged Care to win

RACE 7: PORT CITY GLASS SHOWCASE CLASS 2 HANDICAP 1512m

SUPREME COMMAND (4) has run first or second at six of 16 starts. Two are wins, four are seconds including recently at Muswellbrook where he split Red Rags To Bull and Shutter who won easily this week at Scone. ALL TOO ROSEY (8) has finished first or seconds at nine of her 33 starts, two are wins, thus seven are seconds. One of them was on June 5 at Taree in between Golden Honour and Rock Are Steiner.

Bet: Supreme Command to win, Daily Double 1st Leg 4, 2nd Leg 5

RACE 8: WAUCHOPE RSL CLUB WAUCHOPE CUP 1512m

INFERENCIA (3) is known for her Highway win on the Golden Slipper undercard. The Rebecca Dunn-trained mare resumed in the 1280m Aberdeen Cup at Muswellbrook on June 1 and finished a half-length third with some handy horses behind her. As for Port Macquarie, she broke her maiden there. A POUND OF SALT (10) was a well-deserved Highway winner himself last start. CENOTES (5) is well up to this.

Bet: Inferencia to win, box First 4: Nos. 2, 3, 5, 10, 13

RACE 9: M&S PRINT WAUCHOPE SPRINT 1008m

DIS IS HEAVEN (5) was beaten a lip in the Flying at Casino on May 30, immediately after a third at Warwick Farm which was itself preceded by an 82 win at Tuncurry (beating Debussy). Clearly reliable; his numbers here make compelling reading. KAYZ TIME (12) is the new kid on the block. Already won two of five, he ran a huge race in a 66 at Taree splitting weekend rivals Telegraph and Buck Pharoah. BJORN IRONSIDE (6) goes in, so too ZOOM OUTCOME (11).

Bet: Dis Is Heaven to win, box trifecta 5, 6, 11, 12