Trackside today: Find out all the news, tips and analysis from Saturday’s meeting at the Gold Coast

THE Courier-Mail’s racing editor Nathan Exelby gets all the latest news, tips and analysis from around the track at Gold Coast on Saturday.

THE Courier-Mail’s racing editor Nathan Exelby gets all the latest news, tips and analysis from around the track at Gold Coast on Saturday.

Race 8

Steve O’Dea was still sporting a smile from Sir Moments’ first-up run when Tan Tat Diamond rounded out the day on the right note for him in the last.

“He was always going to be suited stepping up in trip,” O’Dea said.

THE FAVOURITE

Wild ‘N’ Famous (third)

“He let down nice and I was surprised the winner went past me so quick. I don’t think he ran out the seven furlongs. He will be suited back to 1200m and maybe with blinkers on. He looks around a lot,” jockey Jeff Lloyd said.

Race 7

TONY Gollan is set to target some more early carnival winter sprints with Casual Choice after he took out the Gold Coast Stakes from a fast-finishing Sir Moments.

“He’s held off a good horse and we can head to those sprints confident we can do a bit of a job,” Gollan said.

THE EYE CATCHER

Sir Moments

“We couldn’t have asked for a better comeback. It would have been nice to get a bit more room, but we couldn’t be happier with that,” trainer Steve O’Dea said.

Race 6

DARRYL Hansen has Central and North Queensland plans for Urban Knight but might stay in the south for a little longer hoping to pinch another metropolitan win.

Urban Knight showed a good display of sustained speed to clock a slick 1:8.97 as others back in the field failed to get into the race.

“He’s the toughest horse in my stable. He keeps improving after every run,” Hansen said.

THE FAVOURITE

Notonyourlife (unplaced)

“I was struggling at the 700m,” jockey Jim Byrne said.

“Nothing got into the race outside the leaders. I would just forget about it,” trainer Tony Gollan said.

Race 5

GLEN Colless pulled up distressed after riding hotpot Walhaan to a comfortable victory.

Colless asked trainer Graeme Boyd to unsaddle the winner as he leant on the rails trying to recover.

Colless told chief stipe Ian Brown he was “no good” and complained of cramping.

Walhaan was confidently backed throughout the week and was rock solid at $2.70 throughout betting off the back of two impressive lead-up runs.

Boyd said he would continue to step him up in trip, with some of the middle-distance races there for the picking in coming weeks.

Race 4

Soldier Of War continues his rapid progress with another impressive win. Picture: Trackside Photography

SOLDIER Of War ran right up to his big maiden win at the Sunshine Coast to power home against superior rivals.

“He’s a nice horse on the way up. He’s been immature and green,” John Thompson’s trainer rep Rod Craig said.

HARD LUCK STORY

Subsolar was rock solid in fluctuations and fancied on Betfair but was shut out at a vital stage.

“We ran into a traffic jam. I was going to get out around. I was going to get the run the winner got, but it didn’t happen,” jockey Glen Colless said.

THE FAVOURITE

Mr Epic (unplaced)

Winning rider Michael Cahill knew the fav was in trouble a long way out.

“I was going to follow Mr Epic, but he didn’t appear to be going anywhere, so I changed course,” Cahill said.

Race 3

Just as James Orman did in the first, Jeff Lloyd made a winning midrace move to snare the prize on Where’s Thatdragon.

“When they slowed up it played right into my hands,” Lloyd said.

THE FAVOURITE

Spirit Of Heaven (unplaced)

“It was too short. She wants a mile,” jockey Michael Cahill said.

“Her last 200m was good. It was a nice effort under the big weight, but she just wants further now.”

Race 2

JOHN Zielke achieved the rare feat of winning the two-year-old race on three consecutive Saturdays with different horses when Spot The Diff won the rich Summer Plate.

“I was exposed half a furlong earlier than I wanted to be, but she able to put two lengths on them at the top of the straight and was just too good,” jockey Luke Dittman said. “She’s just a little fighter.”

THE EYE CATCHER

Double Superlative, (second)

“He just got a bit lost when I went for him,” jockey Glen Colless said. “He is going to make it, but is probably a preparation away.”

THE BEATEN DIVISION

“I think she might have just come to the end of her preparation,” Tegan Harrison said of second pick Red Randle.

Race 1

JIMMY Orman left his rivals red-faced when a mid-race move on Uno Five won the day in the opener at the Gold Coast.

Uno Five was able to zip home in 33.92sec after they went snail pace early.

THE BEATEN DIVISION

“They went snail pace down the back and I kept getting shuffled back. It makes it hard,” jockey Brad Stewart said of runner-up Cramming.

“It was working out really great (until Orman whipped around). The leader was going too slow,” Jim Byrne, rider of third placed Ranked said.

THE BETTING

Cramming best backed $3.20 into $2.90. The winner Uno Five was easy, starting $2.90 and paying bigger on the totes.

Originally published as Trackside today: Find out all the news, tips and analysis from Saturday’s meeting at the Gold Coast