Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Sapphire Coast, Murwillumbah
Theresa Bateup and Jess Taylor can tally up their 70th winner as a trainer/jockey partnership at the Sapphire Coast. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL
Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass gives his best bets and runs the rule over the Quaddie legs at Sapphire Coast and Murwillumbah.
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!
SAPPHIRE COAST
BEST BET
Race 6, No.13: SKYE’S LEGACY
Started $101 on debut in town on December 2 and beat half the field home. Down in class and will give this a real shake.
NEXT BEST
Race 1, No.7: PIECE OF TURF
Placed at two of her four starts so far and finds the right race to break her maiden.
VALUE BET
Race 4, No.3: ZOUATICA
Son of Zoustar (naturally enough) who cut a fine figure when finishing third in his Canberra trial.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 2,3
Race 5: 3,4,7
Race 6: 13
Race 7: 3,4
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Damon Budler has two good rides for Keith Dryden with whom he shares a massive 25 per cent winning strike-rate.
MURWILLUMBAH
BEST BET
Race 3, No.1: DESERT MIST
Was $4.60 into $3.70 at Ballina last start when beaten a nose but lost no admirers. Might be better than these.
NEXT BEST
Race 4, No.1: BAY STREET
Racing in fantastic form this preparation with a win and three seconds; one of those defeats was by a nose.
VALUE BET
Race 5, No.5: LADY FALVELON
Matthew Dunn-trained filly who only has to beat the stablemate Playgirl here to win again.
THE INSIDE MAIL FOR SAPPHIRE COAST
RACE 4
Zouatica was born and raised at Torryburn Stud and sold for $40,000 at the Inglis Classic; a fair bit less than the $750,000 his half-brother by The Autumn Sun fetched at Easter this year. Not to labour the point, but Zouatica is a very well-bred horse. He is in a great stable of course; good jockey, good barrier, good trial. Kaptian Hero trialled better than he ran on debut at Goulburn but he wouldn’t be the first horse in history to do that and come out and win next start. Hobbsy is another capable of big improvement.
Bet: Zouatica to win
RACE 5
Harderthantherest has only managed two wins from 17 starts with four placings, but that said, he is one of those that you could rightfully say ‘never really runs a bad’ race. He does look very well placed indeed stepping up to a mile again with a good alley and a jockey who rides him well. Flying Basil creates a whole lot of interest here given his Victorian C.V. Gwennybegg has won seven times which is no small feat, one of them was at this very same track and distance last start.
Bet: Harderthantherest to win
RACE 6
Skye’s Legacy started $101 on debut but could easily be in the red on Tuesday. The debut run on the Kensington track on December 2 was outstanding. Long story short, she beat half the field home and didn’t have much room late to improve her ranking. If she runs close to that, she’ll be winning by panels. Woodbraid Lad is still searching for the first win after 14 starts but he has placed five times. This is doable for him unless Skye’s Legacy is in fact a city-standard horse in which case they will all have a hard time beating her. Oblique is a medal hope.
Bet: Skye’s Legacy to win
RACE 7
Cider Bite is a Dundeel gelding who finally got that first win on the board, albeit after 15 unsuccessful attempts. That said, he is more often than not, or let’s at least agree on ‘sometimes’ competitive in his races and the Joseph/Jones camp have served him up the right sort of race to build on his momentum. Speaking of momentum, Noble Exception is third-up here off a couple of minor placings. Should race handy and could stay there too. Same goes in many respects for Neidr Dawn.
Bet: Cider Bite to win, quinella 3,4
THE INSIDE MAIL FOR INSIDE MAIL MURWILLUMBAH
RACE 4
Bay Street could easily be saved for a race at Ipswich on Friday. The only thing that could keep him away here is the fact that he has drawn 10 of 10 which probably brings him back to his rivals a bit but he remains the one to beat. Hypertension has placed at both of his runs at this same track and trip but it is an inescapable fact that he has won just once in 36 starts. Fastnet Angel has Ben Looker on. Could be a place player. So too Ready Enable perhaps but both would have to lift.
Bet: Bay Street to win
RACE 5
Lady Falvelon beat her stablemate Playgirl when they met in a 1200m maiden here at their home track on December 9. Playgirl was an easy winner at Ballina before that, and that was on debut so you could make a sane case to say that she is the superior filly to Lady Falvelon. Not sure about that; it could be, as trainer Matthew Dunn said, come down to which of the pair gets the easiest and best run. Divine Courage is a last start track and distance winner.
Bet: Lady Falvelon to win, quinella 5,6
RACE 6
Chantiss is long odds to come; it looks like it’s going to Eagle Farm on Wednesday. That being the case, we are looking at another stable match-race between the Matthew Dunn-trained fillies Street Smarts and the cleverly-named Centre Bounce (a daughter of Sherrin The Love). Both of these chestnuts are last start Ballina winners; both good in their own way. Hard to split them. If it counts for anything, Street Smarts has run in a Gimcrack and a Widden. Bullet Force has done enough lately to keep the two locals honest.
Bet: Chantiss to win or if scratched, quinella 5,6
RACE 7
Mr Monegasque was pretty well backed and for good reason when he made his debut here at home on December 9. A stunner, the son of Astern had trialled well before the race but he was pretty ordinary when it was all said and done. Bit early in the career for D-Day but you would want to see a lot more from him here. Cool Fizz ran a huge race on debut at Tuncurry, coming from a long way back to finish third. That was 1000m, this is 1200m. Debutant Revontulet has trialled well enough this month to consider,
Bet: Mr Monegasque each-way
Originally published as Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Sapphire Coast, Murwillumbah
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