Shayne O’Cass’s best bets and inside mail for Newcastle and Queanbeyan on Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Racenet form analyst Shayne O’Cass presents his best bets, value selections and inside mail for Tuesday’s NSW meetings at Newcastle and Queanbeyan.

The Paul Perry-trained Senshi, pictured winning at Scone in June last year, is Shayne O'Cass's best value bet of the day at Newcastle on Tuesday. Picture: Bradley Photos

Racenet form analyst Shayne O’Cass presents his best bets, value selections and inside mail for Tuesday’s NSW meetings at Newcastle and Queanbeyan.

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NEWCASTLE TIPS

BEST BET
Race 6 No.4 RUBI’S SERVE: Impressive formlines; likes it here at home too. Go well.

NEXT BEST

Race 3 No.5 DIVINE VICKY: Midweek quality mare dropping back to provincial company.

VALUE

Race 4 No.7 SENSHI: Last run was much better than it looked. Building up.

QUADDIE
Race 3: 4,5
Race 4: 7,9,12
Race 5: 3,4
Race 6: 4,8

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Keagan Latham can extend his lead in the Provincial Jockey Premiership.

NEWCASTLE INSIDE MAIL

RACE 3: 5yo+ Benchmark 64 (1250m)

DIVINE VICKY (5) has a number of city placings on her CV. She has finished fourth at her two runs this preparation, both at Warwick Farm, and the last was close enough to the run of the race. Her ‘best’ is clearly good enough to win this and she looks in great shape. PEAK (4) has had more bad luck than good in his three runs this time in. A change of fortune and he could be the one. He loves it here at Newcastle too.

BET: DIVINE VICKY (5) to win, trifecta 4 (standout) 1,3,4 (boxed).

RACE 4: 5yo+ Benchmark 64 (1500m)

SENSHI (7) has won 5 times in 29 starts with 3 seconds. Pretty much everything he has done has been about building up to something big as he steps up in distance. He is a 1512m winner and today is 1500m at home on the big track. Speaking of building, stablemate MON AMORE (9) is getting very close indeed to another win having finished runner-up in a rather strong 64 here 17-days ago. WANDJAD (12) has been hitting the line keenly.

BET: SENSHI (7) each-way, exacta/quinella 7.9, WANDJAD (12) to place, DD 1st Leg 7, 2nd Leg 4.

RACE 5: Class 1 Handicap (1400m)

ZOUNAKA (3) has nominated for Hawkesbury on Thursday but this looks the easier option, on paper at least, even with the wide draw. Impossible to find fault with her form or her effort. Finished runner-up at her three Newcastle visits, 1400m shouldn’t be a worry. That goes triple for MY PHAR LADY (4) who has a Warwick Farm mile placing. She charged home to win a 1300m Midway Maiden 1300m here on Feb 1 so surely the added 100m only assists.

BET: ZOUNAKA (3) to win or if scratched, MY PHAR LADY (4) to win, quinella 3,4.

RACE 6: Benchmark 68 (1400m)

RUBI’S SERVE (4) is a very consistent mare. That is a result of some nifty placement by her trainer Mark Minervini, some favourable draws but most of all, effort and desire on behalf of the mare herself. This isn’t a slam dunk but she’s easy to find and even easier to like with the barrier, trip, track, etc. Expecting a big run here from MANHATTAN’S (8) third-up at 1400m with the claim. That 14 of 14 at HQ was a million times better than it reads!

BET: RUBI’S SERVE (4) to win, MANHATTAN’S (8) to place, exacta 4 to beat 8, trifecta 1,2,4,8 (boxed).

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QUEANBEYAN TIPS

BEST BET
Race 1 No.8 BOLO MISS: Trialled well in a very deep Heat. Drawn favourably.

NEXT BEST
Race 5 No.4 COSMOS FACTORY: Real staying type who was dominant at Bega.

VALUE

Race 6 No.3 PRETTY VEGAS: Speedy local who saves her best for this track and this trip.

QUEANBEYAN INSIDE MAIL

RACE 4: Class 1 Handicap (1000m)

SNITZ AND STRAAND (7) is a Gerry Harvey-owned Snitzel filly who’s a granddaughter of Zastov, who was third in a Doncaster and an Epsom. This filly came from well back to win, narrowly, but going away on the Riverside at Wagga at her first run for Joe Cleary. Failed next time, spelled, resumes at home today. AGONY AUNT (6) has a bothersome draw but she has always raced well here. MAN FROM BRUSSELLS (3) is as good as most of these.

BET: SNITZ AND STRAAND (7) to win.

RACE 5: Benchmark 58 (2000m)

COSMOS FACTORY (4) is bred to run 3200m uphill, so it was no surprise that he shed his maiden status over 2200m last start at the Sapphire Coast. It wasn’t much of a field, but that could set him on his way now. Box 3/Nick Heywood (again). BROHM LAKE (2) is a Kembla and Goulburn winner. She is very fit indeed and should get every chance under Deanne Panya from the good alley. Former-Victorian CITY LIMITS (3) has run two crackers in NSW.

BET: COSMOS FACTORY (4) to win, quinella 2,3.

RACE 6: Benchmark 58 (1200m)

PRETTY VEGAS (3) is a Joe Cleary-trained local who is purpose-built for Queanbeyan. The daughter of Exosphere has raced here four times for a win, a second and a third. On top of that, she has raced at this trip six times for three seconds and a third. Flies fresh and won a trial 11-days ago. CALMER KARMA (1) seems to mix his form somewhat but when he is ‘on’, he is in the thick of it. SIOVY DANE (4) has run well in better races than this. City placed he is.

BET: PRETTY VEGAS (3) to win, Calmer Karma to place.

RACE 7: Benchmark 58 (1460m)

CALL ME ARTIE (13) can commemorate his 70th career start with what would be his fifth career win today. The Neil Osborne-bred and trained 7YO has placed 17 times, 9 of them seconds, so fair to day that his low winning strike-rate could be higher with a bit of luck in running, etc. Talking of strike-rate; he is 8 starts for 2 wins, a second and a third here. CRAZY ATOM (6) beat ‘Artie’ home when they met here on Jan 24 so if you like one, you’ve got to like the other.

BET: CALL ME ARTIE (13) each-way, quinella 6,13, trifecta 4,5,6,13 (boxed).

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s best bets and inside mail for Newcastle and Queanbeyan on Tuesday, February 18, 2025