Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Wagga and Moree

Tumut mare Laurel Hill can open her new campaign with a win at what appears to be a favoured venue. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Racing in New South Wales on Friday is at Wagga and Moree.

Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O’Cass gives his best bets and runs the rule over the Quaddie legs at Wagga and Moree.

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!

WAGGA

BEST BET

Race 4 No. 3: Laurel Hill

The Kerry Weir-trained mare has placed four from five here, two of them at this trip. Ran well in a Highway before the spell.

NEXT BEST

Race 5 No. 11: Motorace

Well fancied on debut and while he didn’t do a lot, he will have benefited from the race experience.

VALUE BET

Race 7 No. 5: Messaggero

Trialled well before his ninth of 11 that we can put down to inexperience; not lack of talent.

QUADDIE

Race 5: 6, 11

Race 6: 6, 8

Race 7: 5, 7, 11

Race 8: 1, 7

Jake Duffylooks set for a good day at Wagga on Friday. Picture: Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Jake Duffy is sure to have plenty of admirers in the TAB Jockeys Challenge.

MOREE

BEST BET

Race 2 No. 3: Rockapulco

Pierro gelding who turned in an encouraging first run at Grafton. Progressive type.

NEXT BEST

Race 7 No. 6: Rura Penthe

Has run is a succession of very, very strong country races and went well each time.

VALUE BET

Race 4 No. 4: Benyatta

Drawn well on paper and has won from 800m up to 1212m.

INSIDE MAIL - WAGGA

RACE 5

Motorace is a strikingly handsome son of Denman, officially registered as ‘black’ in colour. He caught the eye of a fair few punters on debut here at Wagga given he was $3.70 in $3.50. Long story short, he pretty much only held his ground running seventh of 13 but you could just sense the improvement to come with the whole experience. Photoman is a Wagga local. All three runs so far have been here at home and all of them were passmarks. Big watch on James Ponsonby recruit, Semper Fortis.

Bet: Motorace to win, quinella 6, 11

RACE 6

Sky Diamonds is a seven-year-old mare but lightly-raced at the same time and with more wins ahead to add to her tally of four. She has a dozen placings as well so she is very consistent and reliable. Keith Dryden has had her ‘building’ with each start this time in. Rocket Tiger has the honour of being the horse with the highest benchmark rating racing at Wagga. He raced in a Gilgai two starts ago and placed at Caulfield before that. If only you could be guaranteed he will run 1400m.

Bet: Sky Diamonds to win, exacta 7 to beat 1

Sky Diamonds is building towards another win. Picture: Bradley Photos

RACE 7

Messaggero has been nominated for a race at Canberra on Tuesday. That’s home track and 1300m so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him saved for that. Just for future reference, be that for Friday or Tuesday, he debuted a horse that would improve a fair bit and over more than 1000m. If Messaggero is out, all roads lead to Gurty. This Tumut housed son of Bon Hoffa has an 8 and a 9 next to her name but they both had some merit. She is on the right trajectory and could be crazy odds. Kurokaren is crying out for 1200m - it seems.

Bet: Messaggero, Gurty each-way

RACE 8

Jordy Girl has been nominated for a race closer to home on Tuesday so again, she is not a guaranteed starter. You can bet that pretty much every other trainer with a horse in this race would be hoping she stays home. Not that she is unbeatable but she finished runner-up at four of six starts which either means she is getting close or is a non-winner. Paul Murray-trained filly Holdontoyasuper finished fifth of six in her Kembla trial was never called upon. She moved along quite nicely in the heat and getting Jean Van Overmeire is a huge advantage.

Bet: Jordy Girl to win or of scratched Holdontoyasuper each-way

INSIDE MAIL - MOREE

RACE 5

Skyforger paid a price for barrier 11 of 11 at Coonabarabran last start. There was no choice but to go back and the field really strung out so to pass as many horses as he did was a highly commendable effort. Back from a Class 3 to a Class 2 and gets barrier 3 and a claim. Easy to like. Bill Peyto is an Irish-bred son of Acclimation, just like Romantic Warrior. Billy’s strike-rate is as good, two from 42 as it happens, but he has placed 14 times and best of all, he has finished runner-up in his only two starts at this track and distance.

Bet: Skyforger to win, exacta 1 to beat 3

RACE 6

Master Of Rewards is a funny horse. He’s one of those horses that runs the same race if it is a Highway or a provincial or sometimes even a country race. He just always has ‘next time’ written all over him. Let’s be fair to him though, even though his strike-rate is a bit low, he hasn’t always had the best opportunities in his races - Highways included. Super impressive last start winner Razzle Dazzle is nominated for Grafton next Wednesday. Drawn out here. Ringside is the knockout.

Bet: Master Of Rewards to win

Master Of Rewards is capable of breaking through. Picture: Bradley Photos

RACE 7

Rura Penthe is thoroughbred royalty, pedigree-wise, being a great grandson of Summoned. Suffice to say, if they name a Group race after you, you have to be a pretty good broodmare. Chris Waller won a Kyneton maiden with this mare early on. She has been with Cody Morgan for her last four starts and they were all good in notably (very) strong country races and then the Highway. Wouldn’t be many Moree meetings where Peter Sinclair doesn’t get at least one on the board. Could be Calgary King who is one for one at the track/trip and he romped in.

Bet: Rura Penthe to win, exacta 6 to beat 2

RACE 8

Arrabbiata races in the colours of a distant but direct relative in Shania Dane. This particular mare has a nice tidy little C.V of seven starts for a win and two seconds and some respectable fourths and a one fifth besides. Has a sticky draw but Ben Looker is the man for the job. Expecting a big, bold first-up bid from the Craig Martin trained mare Miss Nicolini. Sure, she is one from 20 overall but she has placed eight times. The market might tell us more.

Bet: Arrabbiata to win, Miss Nicconi each-way, quinella 3, 6

Originally published as Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Wagga and Moree