Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Gunnedah

Trainer Melissa Dennett has found the perfect race for a lightly-raced gelding to shed his maiden status at Gunnedah on Tuesday. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Racing in New South Wales on Tuesday is at Gunnedah.

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

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!

GUNNEDAH

BEST BET

Race 5 No. 8: VIS I DO

Placed at two of his five starts. Third-up on Tuesday with the State’s leading jockey on board.

NEXT BEST

Race 1 No. 7: HIMORHER

Big filly with a big future. Just a matter of whether the 1000m is a few strides short of her best.

VALUE BET

Race 3 No. 13: LAGO’S DAUGHTER

Placed at half of her 12 starts thus far and close up in most of the others. Going to get there one day.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 8

Race 6: 4,9

Race 7: 1,6,9,13

Race 8: 5,7,12

DAILY DOUBLE

1st leg : 4

2nd leg: 7

Aaron Bullock will be hard to beat in the TAB Jockey Challenge at Gunnedah on Tuesday.

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Aaron Bullock - who else? The State’s leading jockey by wins has some fabulous rides again on Tuesday.

THE INSIDE MAIL FOR GUNNEDAH

RACE 1

Himorher is a Rodney Northam-trained filly who has trialled exceedingly well prior to her debut at Muswellbrook on February 5 in a 1000m maiden where she went off at $2.60. Long story short, she finished third but it was the barrier (7) that beat her that day. Drawn better this time, it will come down to whether she can reel them in this time over the 1000m. Villa Treville is an American Pharoah filly with Denise’s Joy for her fifth dam. Only has to bring that trial win to race day. Cateechee has plenty of race experience, some of it good.

Bet: Himorher to win, quinella 7, 12

RACE 2

Dimension may be getting a bit costly for some and fair enough too. The son of Dundeel has been put into races he can, and should be winning, but has so far only won twice in his 14 starts. To be fair, he is never far away and nearly always the run of the race. Wants a mile and gets it now. Bill Peyto cake from 13 of 13 at the turn to finish third at Armidale to Indy Rose Warrior who led. Chalk that up as a big run. Cherry Blue has won two of his last start three and is loving life at Dubbo.

Bet: Dimension to win

RACE 3

Lago’s Daughter is way more talented than a 12-start maiden. The Jeremy Sylvester-trained mare has placed at half of those 12 runs and four of them are seconds. She is second-up on Tuesday off a really nice fourth at Port Macquarie. Fitter of course, Luke Rolls sticks and the draw is gold to her. Banking on Good Times Again as the best longshot of the day. She trialled well before she ran into a really hot young horse on debut and just seemed to get a bit lost in the pack. Can see a whole lot of improvement coming. Miss Chapeau is never far away.

Bet: Lago’s Daughter to win, Good Times Again each-way, quinella 12, 13

Jockey Luke Rolls partners Lago’s Daughter for Jeremy Sylvester at Gunnedah.

RACE 4

Yak has won only four from 60 and true, that’s a worry when you’ve got him on top on Tuesday (and from barrier 14 too) but keep in mind that he has placed 20 times which makes his C.V look rather more respectable. He is very fit and very consistent. Speaking of fitness, Love Rules is rock-hard as they say. Barriers have been her downfall from time to time, not so this time - she has box one and Bucko. Clint Lundholm’s pair, Avalicious and Harwok’N’Zoff are both capable of figuring in a typically open staying race.

Bet: Yak each-way

RACE 5

Vis I Do is a son of Widden stallion Supido and boasts a very good race filly as her third dam, namely Candide who won the NZ 1000 Guineas-Oaks double. She went to stud and threw the Blue Diamond winner, Nadeem. Now as for Vis I Do, he has run third twice in five starts including at Tamworth second-up where he came from 11 of 12 at the 400m. Rupert’s Boy will make his stable debut for the always astute Luke Pepper here. They say a change is as good as a holiday and there was lots to like about his trial. Flying Miracle is honing in on one.

Bet: Vis I Do to win, Rupert’s Boy to place

RACE 6

Shikanic races in the same colours (same trainer too) as her ‘aunty’ Shazee Lee who was one hell of a barnstormer at her best. This horse, well, he is totally different in pattern at least. The son of Nicconi has quite a bit of pace. Must say, he has run in some very deep races in his nine starts. Deeper than this one. The ‘market watch’ in the race is Dolly Jayne. She has won twice and they have both been here at Gunnedah, in fact, she is unbeaten here and handed in a nice little cameo in her trial. Clifton Springs is race fit and has been gifted the rails draw.

Bet: Shikanic to win, quinella 4, 9

Mikayla Weir rides the Scott Singleton-trained Shikanic. Picture: Getty Images

RACE 7

I’m On A Break is one for one at Gunnedah and it was over this same 1400m distance. That’s probably a good hint as to this being something of a target race, or at very least we can agree on the word - suitable. Perhaps we ought to throw in ‘winnable’ as well on the score of his eye-catcher at Armidale. Ishim has a terrible draw but a good jockey and she did finish second at her one and only prior visit to Gunnedah. She has been going better than it looks on paper. Smart Short is the horse with the most upside but with one of the worst barriers.

Bet: I’m On A Break to win, Ishim each-way

RACE 8

Akauwheo is a well-bred filly trained by Kris Lees. Her grand dam is by Luskin Star as it happens. More importantly, she can win on Tuesday. She has only three starts and won one, ran third at another. Even her loss was a decent enough fifth. Akawheo has trialled twice for this race and while she didn’t look much like Luskin Star in either, they weren’t bad either. Allande has only managed to win once in her 14 starts but she has placed four times and is invariably thereabouts. Poor topweight Ever Bella is still paying for her Canterbury win.

Bet: Akauwheo to win

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