Hawkesbury best bets, inside mail for Thursday, October 17, 2024

Godolphin gelding Creek had a tough run out wide last start but kept fighting to the line to finish second and he can bounce back when he heads to Hawkesbury. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Creek can bounce back from a game second last start when he heads to Hawkesbury. Picture: Bradley Photos

Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form analyst Adam Sherry provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis for Hawkesbury on Thursday.

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!

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HAWKESBURY TIPS

BEST BET

Race 6 No.5: Creek

Broke through for a deserved win first-up then had a tough run second-up but didn’t shirk his task.

NEXT BEST

Race 7 No.13: Obscure

Tough win after racing wide throughout at Kembla last start. Will go close again.

VALUE BET

Race 8 No.5: Kingston Charm

Held up for most of the straight and should have finished much closer in a Randwick Midway last start. Back in grade and can give this a shake.

BEST EXOTIC

Quinella Race 6: 5, 8

QUADDIE

Race 5: 1, 2, 3, 7

Race 6: 5, 8

Race 7: 5, 6, 13

Race 8: 2, 4, 5, 10

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

Tim Clark has five rides who are all among the leading chances.

HAWKESBURY INSIDE MAIL

RACE 1: 3YO MAIDEN HANDICAP (1000m)

Alinea was less than two lengths off Manaal when fifth in the Gimcrack Stakes on debut and returned with a sixth to Lady Of Camelot in Widden Stakes. Resumed with third on the Kensington in July before another spell. Kicks off here and trialling well. Tasman Bay is a debutant by Zousain. Has found the line full of running in her two recent trials. Montgolfier was well beaten in his two starts last season. Resumes as a gelding and trials have been good.

Bet: Alinea to win

RACE 2: MAIDEN PLATE (1100m)

Inoue had been good in his trials and started an odds-on favourite on debut when third to Iowna Benz over 900m at Newcastle. He will be better for the experience and stepping up to 1100m. Socrazyinlove is a debutant by I Am Invincible from a great-granddaughter of Eight Carat. Sat three-wide and raced away to win her Sept 25 Warwick Farm trial on heavy ground. Enhance held his ground when runner-up behind Force Red over 900m at Newcastle first-up. The 1100m will suit him better.

Bet: Inoue to win

RACE 3: SUPER MAIDEN HANDICAP (1600m)

Powers Of Opal was sixth to Broadsiding in the Fernhill at her second start. She was a close fourth at Warwick Farm and third in a Randwick Midway before a fourth to Lady Shenandoah in the Group 1 Flight Stakes. Should break her maiden easily. Blacklist sat last of the four in a sprint home when beaten a neck into third by West Indies at Kembla. Longer trip and a better tempo will suit. Think Romance boxed on well for third to Firm Agreement at Newcastle first-up.

Bet: Trifecta 1 / 2 / 4, 5

RACE 4: PROVINCIAL CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1600m)

Bush Girl tracked West Indies in the four-horse race at Kembla and was game to the line finishing a nose second in a sprint home. The step up in trip suits. Lucky Bay came down the middle of the track while the better going was out wide when sixth to Let’s Go Again first-up on a heavy track at Kembla on Sept 28. His best form in New Zealand was around 1600m which he gets here. Bluebird Bay runs here instead of the maiden. Respect.

Bet: Bush Girl to win

RACE 5: BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (2000m)

So Sleek kicked off this prep with a close third over 1600m before a third to Green Belt over 1800m on the Kensington. Will relish the 2000m and ready to peak. Oakfield Hawk won three in a row last time in from 1900m to 2370m. Solid first-up effort running on from last to be beaten less than a length onto fourth behind Hellfire Express over 1500m at Newcastle. Alpine Kandy was rewarded for her consistency with a first-up win at Scone.

Bet: So Sleek to win

RACE 6: CG&E BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1300m)

Creek had been consistent without winning prior to this campaign. Resumed with a strong closing win over Marais at Newcastle before a second to Evenflow over 1400m there after racing wide without cover. Brutal Bowler was scratched from Warwick Farm to run here. Scored a smart win over 1400m at the Sunshine Coast last time in. Was wide without cover when sixth to Yoshinobu at Newcastle first-up. Missile Defence is first-up for over a year and is now a gelding. Was good in his first preparation including a solid maiden win at Newcastle.

Bet: Creek to win

RACE 7: F&M BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP (1300m)

Obscure went back from the wide gate when fifth at Hawkesbury first-up over 1000m. Race wide without cover and fought strongly to beat Flying Embers over 1200m at Kembla. Drawn a similar gate again but can go back-to-back. Let’s Go Again broke her maiden with a narrow win over 900m at Moruya then stepped up to a BM64 at Kembla on a heavy track and held out Mogul Monarch who has won since. No reason she couldn’t make it a hat-trick. Gai’s Artist and Wexford Miss are right in the mix.

Bet: Obscure to win

RACE 8: MIDWAY BENCHMARK 68 HANDICAP (1500m)

Kingston Charm was locked up on the fence with plenty to offer until nearing the 100m but the race was all over for her by then when 11th to State Of America in a Midway at Randwick last start. On the heels of the placegetters in Midways at her previous two runs. Fugitiva is in superb form winning three of her last four starts. Up to 1500m for the first time but should run it out strongly. Leandra is racing better than her form suggests. Back in grade.

Bet: Kingston Charm each-way