Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Coffs Harbour
Noel Mayfield-Smith stands a tremendous chance of a running double on Coffs Harbour Cup Day with Never Island and Scotland going around on the undercard.
Daily Telegraph 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 4 No. 10: Never Island
Was emphatic winning at Ballina eight days ago and can keep progressing. At home for this.
NEXT BEST
Race 3 No. 7: Scotland
Was $15 into $8.50 and ran accordingly here at his last run. Peaks now it seems.
VALUE BET
Race 8 No. 3: Mr Tabasco
Has a very good record at the track and the distance and trialled brilliantly the other day.
QUADDIE
Race 5: 3, 5, 6
Race 6: 2, 5, 6
Race 7: 2, 4, 6
Race 8: 3, 8
BEST EXOTIC
Exacta/Quinella Race 8 Nos. 3, 8
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Raymond Spokes is the ‘value’ in the TAB Jockeys Challenge bar any scratchings
INSIDE MAIL - COFFS HARBOUR
RACE 1
Talma I Love Her, a great grandson of Dinky Flyer, sets up beautifully here third-up over a last start second here on July 23. That was in fact his second ‘second’ at Coffs Harbour. Just drawn out a little wide here but that’s nothing new for this horse. Rule Of Salex was scratched from Wyong on Thursday, so was his Bjorn Baker-trained stablemate Rockabilly Rebel. Both are chances if they make it here. Fools Play made up a lot of ground on debut to finish third in the Talma I Love Her races here 12-days ago.
Bet: Talma I Love Her to win
RACE 2
Lucky Sham ran third at her only prior start at the track and distance and that was behind Mikado and Boncassie in a Benchmark 74, the same as this one on Friday. The Windsor Park-bred daughter of Shamexpress has some genuine depth to her form. She rarely runs bad races and she goes well first-up. Drawn 5 and has Rachel King riding. Debussy has box four and Grant Buckley and form-wise, he is a last start (decisive) winner. Baiyka was third behind him (Debussy) at Grafton. The ‘best’ Alpha Go would go close.
Bet: Lucky Sham to win, exacta 5 to beat 2
RACE 3
Scotland has raced 11 times for four seconds and a third. The son of Va Pensierro is trained here at Coffs Harbour by Noel Mayfield-Smith. He has two seconds and a third from three runs at the home track. Long story short, he is building up to a peak and he got the draw to help him get there. La Cache A Vin finished about a half-length ahead of Scotland the other day so if you like one, you have to like the other to some degree. Clipper Ship was an eye-catcher here first-up. Extra metres suit.
Bet: Scotland to win
RACE 4
Never Island is another of the Noel Mayfield-Smith participants on Friday. This is a lightly-raced and progressive type. She got a beautiful ride by Matthew Palmer to win at Ballina on July 27 and make no mistake, that win was coming for a while. Passionate Rebel is a giant obstacle for Never Island and all the others. The Paul Shailer-trained gelding was very brave winning under 60.5kg at Taree. Had excuses here after that and is back to the trip that he needs and wants. Listen To Maurice was barnstorming over 1400m first-up.
Bet: Never Island to win, quinella 1, 10, exacta 10 to beat 1
RACE 5
Roller Coaster has been with Paul Shailer for the last three of his 17 starts and each one was better than the last. The son of Ocean Park was nothing short of heroic to get within a neck of the winner at Newcastle with 62kg on board last time out. That was 1890m and if it was 2000m, he wins by a length and going away. Spoke To Rajiv has some major excuses for the last run there at Rosehill. He was on a hat-trick going into that race so is in great form and is very fit indeed. Socrates was runner-up to King Of The Castle a few runs back.
Bet: Roller Coaster to win, exacta 6 to beat 7, trifecta 6 (standout) to beat 1, 3, 5, 7
RACE 6
Miss Super has finished first or second at half of her 14 starts and better still, five of those are wins. Granted, four of those wins are at Grafton and not only is she ‘away’ on Friday but she didn’t need the visitors draw in the Daniel Baker of all races. Still, it will just make her a bigger price perhaps than she ought to be. Sometimes numbers tell it better than words can and for that, just go and have a look at Boncassie’s figures - wow! With that said, her barrier is not the number they would have wanted. Tara Jasmine wasn’t too bad in the Ramornie.
Bet: Miss Super each-way, quinella 5, 6
RACE 7
Cisco Bay can ensure himself a second tilt at the Big Dance if successful in the Cup. The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained son of So You Think was runner-up to Rustic Steel in the inaugural Big Dance last year. Fast forward to the present and Cisco Bay was going along super prior to the Winter Stakes where he felt the firmness of the track. Attractable won back to back races at Rosehill before an honourable third at Randwick on July 15. Steely was third in the Little Dance and third in the Winter Challenge last start.
Bet: Cisco Bay to win, box trifecta 2, 4, 6, 12
RACE 8
Mr Tabasco is trained at Coffs Harbour by Brett Bellamy, who (according to Racing and Sports stats) has trained 351 winners at this track. Mr Tabasco accounts for one of those, one of them was at this same distance. You wouldn’t find a horse racing there on Friday that has trialled better. Extravagant Choice was an unhurried fifth in the same trial. John Sprague is a master, if not the master, of winning first time with these stable recruits. Convincebility is an obvious player.
Bet: Mr Tabasco to win, Extravagant Choice each-way, exacta 3 to beat 8, quinella 3, 8
Originally published as Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Coffs Harbour