Race day focus: Preview, best bets and inside mail for Sunday’s meeting at Moruya
Trainer Theresa Bateup and jockey Jess Taylor can add to their impressive record with two strong chances at Moruya.
Dynamic duo Theresa Bateup and Jess Taylor stand a tremendous chance of book-ending the Narooma Cup and Town Plate meeting at Mourya.
Taylor shares 74 of her 519 career wins, with Kembla based trainer Bateup.
The pair can kick of the program on the right note when Sassy Missile makes her somewhat anticipated debut in the Kings Maintenance Group Maiden Plate over 1300m.
A daughter of Smart Missile, Sassy Missile sent out all the right signs when she finished an unhurried third in a recent Kembla trial.
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“She has taken a little bit of time but she has trialled quite nicely,” Bateup said.
“She doesn’t work the place down or anything but in her jump outs and trials, she has just gone about her business like she is a real racehorse.
“I scratched her from Wagga the other day because it was forecast to be a warm day and she is just one of those mares who I didn’t know if she would handle it that well.
“The forecast on Sunday is a lot more pleasant.
“She is well-educated going to the races so it is good to see her finally sport silks.”
Sassy Missile will have company, and competition, in the opener from stablemate Button in the Plate.
The six-year-old daughter of three-year-old Cox Plate winner Shamus Award had trialled keenly prior to her last of six at the Sapphire Coast on November 27.
“The 1000m was just far too short for her there first-up,” Bateup said.
“She has always given the impression that she would be at her best one she gets up over that 1400m mark so I think 1300m with a race start under her belt, she will definitely run an improved race.”
Bateup and Taylor’s final collaboration for the day sees the return of the talented and exciting, not to mention handsome, gelding Direct Fire.
Direct Fire salutes on debut in style. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/292eNb3NwP
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 2, 2023
Bateup’s gelding was a comfortable winner in a 920m trial at Moruya two weeks prior to his dazzling maiden win at the Sapphire Coast where he clocked a sizzling 55.50 seconds for the 1000m.
“He is still very raw and probably the exciting part about him is that there is still improvement in him,” Bateup said.
“After that win I just gave him a good two week freshen-up out in the paddock (and) he has been working well since he came back into the stable.
“It makes it a little bit tricky from the draw on Sunday but the fact is that they are running a field of 12 and I am hoping for a couple of scratchings.
“On paper there looks to be pretty decent speed and he is probably not brilliant out of the gates so I would sort of anticipate that he would be back off the leaders anyway. Hopefully he can just get a cart across and you have only one turn.
“He is a big horse so he won’t mind a bit of room around him either.”
Direct Fire is one only one per cent of the circa 13,000 foals born each year who are officially registered as black in colour with the Australian Stud Book.
Direct Fire was among just 21 live foals from the first crop of his sire Dracarys who won the 2017 Up And Coming Stakes.
SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS
BEST BET
Race 1 No. 7: Sassy Missile
Looked a real professional in her one and only trial in a deep heat at home at Kembla.
NEXT BEST
Race 8 No. 8: Direct Fire
Ran 55.50 seconds for the 1000m at the Sapphire Coast to win on debut. Drawn wide but has talent.
VALUE BET
Race 7 No. 2: Zouologist
Won six races, four of them circa the 1300m of the Narooma Cup. Down in class too.
QUADDIE
Race 5: 1, 2
Race 6: 1, 3, 5
Race 7: 1, 2
Race 8: 6, 8, 13
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Jess Taylor could potentially bookend the big Narooma Town Plate and Cup meeting.
INSIDE MAIL - MORUYA
RACE 1
Sassy Missile is trained by Theresa Bateup and will be ridden by Jess Taylor. If Sassy Missile wins on Sunday, she will be their 75th winner together. Sassy Missile looked to have a bit to offer when third in a deep heat at Kembla on November 27. Peruno is a Gerry Harvey-bred Denise’s Joy descendant who has placed three from four at the home track. Speaking of Harvey, he owns the Paul Murray first starter Sassen who trialled well back in mid-October.
Bet: Sassy Missile to win
RACE 2
Manzoni has raced here at home three times for a win, a second and a third. Apart from a few Highways, he hasn’t missed a place for Natalie Jarvis and that includes a win over Headstock at the Sapphire Coast one day. Go well again. Your Not The Boss shapes well here as a last start winner from a good draw. Former Chris Waller-trained mare Tolima is ‘314’ for the Joseph/Jones stable. Almost guaranteed to be (very) prominent from the outset.
Bet: Manzoni to win
RACE 3
Flying Jewel is a Bert Vieira-bred son of his own Trapeze Artist out of Hidden Jewel who won the Listed Princess Stakes in Brisbane in her day. This Joseph/Jones-trained chestnut has two thirds from five starts and wasn’t too bad at the other three. Nicely placed for a win this time. Plucky Ducky has more ability than her C.V shows. This is the day she can to deliver at the 1650m. Fudge beat Flying Jewel home when they met on November 27 at the Sapphire C.
Bet: Flying Jewel to win, quinella 6, 10
RACE 4
Breakaway Week is a Keith Dryden-trained mare by Horse of the Year Dissident. She has been a reliable and consistent mare throughout as evidenced by her current resume of 17 starts for two wins and eight placings. Best of all, she is a last start winner at Wagga where she beat Duchy Of Cornwall who goes okay. Moruya local Arancione has two wins and two thirds from just six starts. Likes this trip best. Where Is Ken runs a lot of placings and can figure.
Bet: Breakaway Week to win
RACE 5
Incentive is a very fast horse. Maybe too fast but this is only 1010m and from barrier 1, he does no work to find the fence and the lead. If will come down to how much pressure he has to absorb or if he just goes out too hard but it goes without saying that he will be in front for a long way. Kattegat is the supreme track specialist. The Moruya trained gelding has raced here six times for three wins and a second. King Gutho races well here too and is good fresh.
Bet: Incentive to win, quinella 1, 2
RACE 6
Two Aye is a handy mare; she has a win, a second and one third from her half dozen starts. She won her maiden by a big space and the third was at Hawkesbury. This really is a nice race for the daughter of Deep Field but the barrier is neither ideal or a deal-breaker. Denaura will find this easier than her recent trip to the midweeks. Key to her is the 1650m. Les Goh runs his best race at the mile and is very fit and in well after the claim.
Bet: Two Aye each-way, box trifecta 1, 2, 3, 5
RACE 7
Zouologist has raced 53 times for six wins and 21 placings, 14 of them are seconds and a lot of them were in races, probably above this one. Important to note that the son of Zoustar counts four of those six wins at, or around this trip and he is down in class after a couple of runs at Eagle Farm (third) and Canterbury. Miss Ostend has won here at Moruya and has five wins and six placings from 31 starts which is an honourable record given some of the races she has contested. One Aye and Napoleon Solo are in the mix.
Bet: Zouologist to win
RACE 8
Direct Fire is a very promising horse. The Theresa Bateup three-year-old son of Dracarys won his one and only trial before his Sapphire Coast debut on November 2 and not only did he win that day but he ran 55.50 seconds for the 1000m. That said, he drew 2 that day and never really went around a horse whereas he has 12 (14 minus the scratchings) here. Layin’ Four ran well in two very strong maidens for Anthony Mountney in March and April. Spelled after trialled nicely behind a subsequent winner. Forty Four Cubits has a future beyond this.
Bet: Direct Fire to win
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Originally published as Race day focus: Preview, best bets and inside mail for Sunday’s meeting at Moruya
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