Shayne O’Cass’s Newcastle tips, inside mail for Tuesday: Trainer Brad Widdup has hot hand

An above average mare trained by Brad Widdup is guaranteed to start in the red at Newcastle on Tuesday but shapes as the week’s anchor bet.

Brad Widdup is set for a big day out at Newcastle on Tuesday.

Racenet and The Daily Telegraph’s Shayne O’Cass analyses the seven-race card at Newcastle on Tuesday, where a Brad Widdup-trained mare shapes as the week’s anchor bet.

• MITCH COHEN’S BLACKBOOK: Horses to follow from Saturday’s Rosehill meeting

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NEWCASTLE TIPS

BEST BET
Race 3 No. 1 COLOURS OF AUTUMN
Long odds-on here but for good reason. Looks the anchor bet for the card.

NEXT BEST
Race 4 No.1 BOTTLER
Second-up off an excellent closing second on the Acton track. Trip/track perfect now.

VALUE
Race 5 No.5 EMILIA JANE
OTI mare who ran a lot better than it looks at her Aussie debut at Kembla.

LONGSHOT
Race 4 No.12 RATHUNAS
Needs to lift on what he has shown so far but on talent, he’s not a $101 shot.

QUADDIE
Race 4: 1,12
Race 5: 1,5,10
Race 6: 1,6
Race 7: 3,5

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Tommy Berry should/might be able to tally up enough points to win the TAB Jockeys Challenge.

NEWCASTLE INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1: CLASS 1 PLATE (1900m)
COSMIC LAD (1) is easy to like. His only win, so far, was at Newcastle and boy was it impressive. On top of that, he has placed at 1900m at Canterbury, and arrives here on Tuesday third-up off a 1200m and 1500m – both better than they read on paper. KENMARE BAY (3) is bred along classic lines and true to his pedigree, he is getting better with each run and each step up in distance. This is perfect for him on every level. BRIEF SONG (4) has won over 1750m; she’ll get 2400m when asked. Rockbarton Icon is racing like 1900 will suit.
BET: Cosmic Lad to win, quinella 1,3.

RACE 2: MAIDEN HANDICAP (1350m)
FIRM AGREEMENT (4) races in the Redzel colours and is a son of another Everest winner - Yes Yes Yes. The Neasham/Archibald trained gelding is on debut here and looking at his trials, 1350m is perfect and so is Newcastle given its long straight. ZIELLE (10) is infinitely better than her record reads. Mind you, she has only had three starts and you could argue that she was an eye-catcher in two of them. INTERJECTION (1) resumes in a winnable race, probably even the perfect race. Trials were quite good, the draw is very good and Tommy Berry seals the deal.
BET: Firm Agreement each-way, box trifecta 1,4,5,10.

RACE 3: CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1350m)
COLOURS OF AUTUMN (1) is likely to start the shortest-priced favourite of the day and for good reason. The Brad Widdup-trained mare’s form is far and away superior to any and all of her rivals. She is going to relish 1350m at Newcastle and she gets in with 57kg now after the claim. Zero excuses! ATOMIC FORTY SEVEN (6) was scratched from Kempsey on Monday to race here at home instead. Third-up, drawn 2 and is perfectly tuned for 1350m. TELL ME MA (4) and JABALI BELLE (7) are best of the rest (maybe).
BET: Colours Of Autumn to win (best bet), Colours Of Autumn all-up Bottler (race four).

RACE 4: 4YO+ MAIDEN PLATE (1250m)
BOTTLER (1) is a Proven Thoroughbreds-owned gelding who has raced four times for a second and two thirds. The son of Vancouver resumed in an 1080m Maiden on the Acton track on August 23 and ran a very, very creditable race, closing off under 59kg to run third. The Newcastle grass will suit him better as will 1250m. RATHUNAS (12) is $101 and fair enough too on what he has done, or not done, at the races so far. He trials like he can win races but so let’s give him a bolter’s chance against Bottler. MAGIC SHADOW (6) is a major player; he may have run in race two however.
BET: Bottler to win, Rathunas (very small) each-way.

RACE 5: 4YO+ MARES MAIDEN PLATE (1250m)
EMILIA JANE (5) handed in a huge run in her only start in New Zealand in a Te Rapa 1200m Maiden on Jan 31. Back last and charged home to finish second. She had her first start for OTI and Joe Pride at Kembla on Aug 17 and got back again and ran on quite well. If this was 1400m, she’d be way on top. ALICE MAE (1) was $2.70 into $2.15 first-up at Taree and even though she was beaten (she ran second), she was far and away the run of the race. SHES WONDERING (10) and DRAMATIC (4) are big watches at their respective debuts.
BET: Emila Jane each-way, quinella 1,5, Daily Double 1st Leg (5), 2nd Leg (3).

RACE 6: 3YO MIDWAY MAIDEN PLATE (1200m)
HARLEM QUEEN (6)’s fourth dam, Steam Heat, is the third dam of Yes Yes Yes. It’s a great family, so many fast horses have come out of it. As for Harlem Queen, she was very good indeed in her short, sharp first preparation which kicked off a third here to the handy Pisces and wound-up with a fourth to the very handy Emirate at the Farm. INDECISIVE (1) has run in some terribly strong races; namely (last) in Storm Boy’s Skyline and a super encouraging first-up fourth to Winx’s nephew Enriched at the midweeks. MARAIS (2) and MISS JUDAS (7) have the talent.
BET: Harlem Queen to win.

RACE 7: BENCHMARK 64 (1200m)
ONE BEAT NO BEAT (3) was bought for just $15,000 at the HTBA Yearling Sale in 2022. The Scott Singleton-trained mare has raced 10 times for three wins, three seconds and a third with earnings just shy of $100,000. She was fourth in the Wild Card, second in a Highway and won the Godolphin Tiara at Muswellbrook. Trivia time; ICONIC TREASURE (5) became Jay Ford’s 100th winner for Joe Pride when he won, easily, at Goulburn. Harder here but he’s on an upward trajectory. KING’S DUTY (13) has drawn wide but maybe he’s a better backmarker anyway.
BET: One Beat No Beat to win, King’s Duty to place.

Originally published as Shayne O’Cass’s Newcastle tips, inside mail for Tuesday: Trainer Brad Widdup has hot hand