Race day focus: Bets bets, inside mail for Scone, Moruya
French trainer Lou Mary can celebrate Bastille Day on Friday with the lightly-raced mare Kaisa ready to shed her maiden status at Scone.
Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass gives his best bets and runs the rule over the Quaddie legs at Scone and Moruya.
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!
SCONE
BEST BET
Race 2 No. 2: KAISA
Should make if a double celebration on Bastille Day for her French trainer, Lou Mary. Peaks for this.
NEXT BEST
Race 1 No. 8: STORM’S END
Went close at Muswellbrook behind a handy one. At home and 1100m the keys to success.
VALUE BET
Race 6 No. 3: BOOTSCOOTER
Back at his home track on Friday after three competitive efforts in Randwick Highways. Go well.
QUADDIE
Race 5: 7, 10
Race 6: 3, 7, 13
Race 7: 4, 5
Race 8: 4, 5
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
How about Aaron Bullock just for a change?
MORUYA
BEST BET
Race 8 No. 6: SOOBOOGELISCIOUS
Was building up to what was a very impressive win here last start with Quayde Krogh on for the first time.
NEXT BEST
Race 1 No. 10: ROSY SUE
Runner-up on debut here in what might be a much better maiden than what this one is.
VALUE BET
Race 7 No. 8: RADIOHEAD
Gets back but was way too far back in the Highway at Randwick.
THE INSIDE MAIL FOR SCONE
RACE 5
Talons is way more talented than a Class 1 horse. Go back to his debut and he was third in the Star Kingdom behind Humble Star and future Four Pillars winner Kiss Sum. As for Talons, his pattern has held him back at times; he needs tempo, luck and perfectly timed rides. Give him two of the three and he wins this. Klisha did more than enough in her short, sharp first campaign to suggest she will add to her tally as time goes by. Market the guide here. Herne Hill is one from 20 but that win was over this same track and distance. Every Effort is a player.
Bet: Talons to win
RACE 6
Bootscooter is another one of those horses who need things to go her way in terms of tempo, luck, timing, no track bias, etc. The Rodney Northam-trained mare ran a huge race in the Country Cup here on May 12 and has been good to varying degrees in her subsequent three, all in Highways at Randwick. Blue Jager, the daughter of VRC Oaks winner Brazilian Pulse, was understandably too good for her rivals at Mudgee. This is harder but she has placed in harder than this again. Stablemate Pioneer lass had some excuses here from last time.
Bet: Bootscooter to win, quinella 3, 13, Daily Double 1st leg (3), 2nd leg (5)
RACE 7
Pliskova is by Gerry Harvey’s highly underrated stallion Swiss Ace out of the St Klaire family from which he has crafted so much success at Baramul. Enter this mare trained locally by Stephen Jones whose C.V currently reads two wins and two seconds from four starts. Barrier 3 seals the deal. Babayka is another local with an impressive and compelling strike-rate of two wins and five seconds from 11 outings. Marking him ‘up’ given he ran second to Remember Jack when he resumed and goes better with a run under his belt too.
Bet: Pliskova to win, exacta 4 to beat 5
RACE 8
Leggy Point was one of the most impressive Scone winner of the season, no exaggeration, when she won there on June 13. For those who missed it, she won by six and it wasn’t like they were walkers behind her. She went down to Randwick for a Highway after that and was okay; she didn’t really like the long trek apparently. The Lee and Cherie Curtis-trained Marvelous is racing to a peak. He is third-up here off two provincial runs, the last one was a whole lot better than a sixth of nine reads. Brogans Creek is racing well. The Fossil is not out of it.
Bet: Leggy Point to win, exacta 5 to beat
THE INSIDE MAIL FOR MORUYA
RACE 5
Soul Lady is a filly with a future and not a dear one either at $30,000 for Joe Cleary at the Magic Millions sale in 2022. The filly is by Widden’s up and coming and in fact, already proven sire, Supido. As for her racing prowess, Soul Lady was very good in defeat at home on May 14. If the draw doesn’t beat her, she might have them covered. Tyger Moon will turn six in a few weeks’ time yet is on debut on Friday. Logic suggests he will be better perhaps when he gets to a mile but he did trial really well in a deep heat here on June 30.
Bet: Soul Lady to win, exacta 10 to beat 2
RACE 6
King Gutho is the most interesting horse racing at Moruya on Friday and ensures this race a wider audience than it will already have given he is a genuine Kosciuszko candidate in 2023. If the ‘best’ King Gutho turns up, he will be winning this. His numbers read well and he has them covered on sheer talent. Not a moral by any measure, but I can’t tip or bet against him myself. The Neon Knight has got her mojo back this preparation. She is a last start winner over this trip and at this track. Dragons Breath could ambush them all late.
Bet: King Gutho to win
RACE 7
Radiohead was specked from $61 into $31 when he resumed in the TAB Highway at Randwick on June 24. It is true that he gets back in his races but he was just plain out of sight of the leaders in the 14-horse field. To be beaten five and a half lengths was probably in fact a pass-mark even though he ran 12th. This is a whole lot easier of course and he is a Highway runner-up. Outahand has finished on the podium at 13 of his 31 starts so he makes appeal each-way. More so on the score of his tidy first-up record. My Blue Jeans won his 97th start seven days ago. Wow.
Bet: Radiohead to win
RACE 8
Sooboogeliscious was building up to a win this preparation and it came fourth run in here at Moruya on June 30 and was hugely impressive too. She is up to 1650m now from 1425m and while she failed at her only prior run at the mile, the circumstances are very different this time around. Rent A Rock was brave to stretch herself to 2140m at Goulburn last start, although beaten. His numbers at this trip and at this track make compelling reading. Spritely Emily was runner-up to Sooboogeliscious last start.
Bet: Sooboogeliscious to win, exacta 6 to beat 5
Originally published as Race day focus: Bets bets, inside mail for Scone, Moruya
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