Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Coffs Harbour

A locally-trained gelding looks set to secure his first career win when he steps out in Thursday’s Jesse Riley Memorial at Coffs Harbour for trainer Sally Taylor. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Racing in New South Wales on Thursday is at Coffs Harbour.

The Daily Telegraph’s form analyst Shayne O’Cass gives his best bets and runs the rule over every race for Coffs Harbour.

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!

COFFS HARBOUR

BEST BET

Race 7 No.1: ZANARDEE’S LANE

He finished fast over 800m, 1100m and 1106m in his three starts to date. He gets out to 1400m on his home track which looks ideal.

NEXT BEST

Race 8 No.6: INSPIRATION

Close enough to Lisztomania first-up and was huge after that when runner-up here in a similar race to this one. Ready to peak third-up.

VALUE BET

Race 6 No.14: LEAN IN

This granddaughter of the VRC Oaks winner Brazilian Pulse ran very well indeed on debut at Lismore.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 2,4,5

Race 6: 6,14
Race 7: 1,4
Race 8: 6,8

DAILY DOUBLE

1st Leg: 14

2nd Leg: 6

Luke Rolls can give the TAB Jockey Challenge a shake on Thursday.

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Luke Rolls could easily skip out to an early lead in the TAB Jockey Challenge with two crackerjack rides in the first two races.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR COFFS HARBOUR

RACE 1

Toy Boy Roy was building up to a win, keeping in mind he was ‘242’ prior to his slick 800m maiden victory here at Coffs Harbour on Feb 18. ‘Slick’ being the operative word given the son of Reward For Effort ran 46.37s from the front. Barrier 3, same jockey, same track, same weight - just 200m more to go and in a harder race this time. King’s Gold is a fast horse in the right style of race. Third-up now and has been consistent and competitive throughout. Pixie Hallow ran Toy Boy Roy down to win at Grafton on Jan 31.

Bet: Toy Boy Roy to win

RACE 2

Del Routi is a replica son of his sire Kuroshio who was famously fast and precocious himself. Del Routi hasn’t been seen since he finished an unhurried yet impressive third in an 800m barrier trial at Gosford on November 21. Never easy to win on debut, much less from a wide gate, but more than happy to have Luke Rolls on and leave the rest to the horse’s ability. Tough Legend has been ‘good’ to varying degrees in her six starts. Drawn well and in good hands. Dis Is Heaven is race fit and gets a pass mark for his only two runs before this.

Bet: Del Routi to win

RACE 3

Poita has a benchmark rating of 64 up against horses whose figures range from 47 up to a high of 57 so it is clear that Colt Prosser’s gelding is the best credentialed horse in the race. You could nearly make a case to say that he has the best finish of any horse racing at Coffs Harbour all day. Whether he wins this, it all comes down to tempo, luck and a well-timed ride. Sookeysie creates a whole lot of interest here as she prepares to make her ‘stable debut’ for Daiki Chujo having run five times, all of them good when based at Tamworth.

Bet: Poita to win. Exacta 1 to beat 9

Peter Graham trains and rides In A Step.

RACE 4

In A Step lines up for her 40th start here. The daughter of Sidestep has some hugely compelling numbers. Here’s some of them; seven starts at Coffs Harbour for a win and four placings. Thirty runs at the trip for three wins and 10 placings. Placed two of four at the track and trip. And here’s the icing on the cake; five starts second-up for two wins and two seconds. Boncassie races well anywhere but more or less saves her best for her home track. She was runner-up in the Pink Silks here in January. Baikya is a major player.

Bet: In A Step to win. Quinella 2, 8. Box trifecta 2, 5, 8, 11

RACE 5

Sassy Choice is a thoroughbred in the true sense of the word. She’s a daughter of Choisir out of a Lonhro mare but best of all, her fifth dam is the mother of the great Triscay. Now as for Sassy Choice, she deadset hasn’t run a bad race without some sort of excuse whether it be when she was in Victoria or since she has been with Paul Shailer. Trialled well at Taree the other day. Tigertude has drawn wide, got back and charged home at his first two this prep. Expecting much the same here; he just has been running out of ground.

Bet: Sassy Choice to win. Quinella 4, 5

RACE 6

Lean In is (another) valuable dual purpose horse. Why? Well for starters, she is going to win her shares of races and secondly, she has a fantastic pedigree for stud later on being by Written Tycoon out of a Redoute’s Choice daughter of the VRC Oaks winner, Brazilian Pulse. Smashing debut by Lean In and gets Ben Looker and gate 3 here. Rinnero is a much better horse than his C.V would suggest. Trained here now by Brett Dodson and you know what they say about change of scenery etc. Caroline Bay and Oli Alpine are huge chances.

Bet: Lean In to win

Andrew Gibbons will partner Zanardee’s Lane on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 7

Zanardee’s Lane is quite a promising horse. He’s only had three runs finishing fourth, eighth and second respectively and make no mistake, even the eighth contained a degree of merit. Flashy chestnut Fireflies is surely going to appreciate the step up from 1000m to 1400m. She is none too quick early but she has got a pretty big finish on her. Ditto that for the locally housed Percontation who is still a maiden after 20 starts but she has placed nine times and is building up to something. Could happen here and she could be nice odds too.

Bet: Zanardee’s Lane to win, Percontation to place

RACE 8

Inspiration was $18 into $12 when he resumed at Port Macquarie on Feb 5 and ran accordingly. Don’t for a minute think that his seventh of nine was in anyway representative of the quality of the performance which was a diminishing circa three lengths to Lisztomania. Backed that up with a massive with a barnstorming second at his first and only run at the track and trip. Ocean Flyer is another one from the Paul Shailer stable who has been nothing but consistent at competitive since he arrived at the trainer’s stables. Nevada Smoke and Miss Laquetta are the best of the rest.

Bet: Inspiration to win. Exacta 6 to beat 8

Originally published as Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Coffs Harbour