Orange preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, March 23, 2025
Although Commando Jack is unplaced in three runs at Orange, trainer David Smith is bullish the gelding will take a power of beating when he returns this weekend.
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Highway winning trainer David Smith has declared barnstorming gelding Commando Jack ready and able to break his Orange duck when he fronts up in the Country Boosted Class 2 (1400m).
The son of four-time Group 1 winner Churchill is yet to place in three visits to Orange ahead of his latest mission.
That said, Commando Jack handed in an honourable seventh of 14 when the Club hosted the 2025 CDRA Country Championships Qualifier last month.
“I really like this horse there on Sunday,’’ Smith said.
“He’s flying this preparation and I couldn’t have him going any better.
“I think he is getting a grip on racing now. He’s figuring it all out since I put the one-eyed blinker on him.
“It’s really made him a lot more tractable in his races and not giving the jockeys such a hard time.’’
Commando Jack will be ridden for a fifth time by one of the State’s most prolific jockeys, Clayton Gallagher.
An absolutely brilliant win to Zarizatycoon in the Country Championships Qualifier at Orange for @williams_gayna with @weir_mikayla aboard!@racing_nswpic.twitter.com/rxYfpxmV20
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 28, 2025
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!
“He is a horse that likes to do his own thing out of the back and steam-roll over the top of them,’’ Smith said.
“I know he comes up with a good barrier there on Sunday, I am not sure it will benefit him too much, I’ll leave it up to Clayton.
“We’ll probably still see him last, even from that draw but hopefully he can take some inside gaps and hit the line strongly.’’
Gallagher and Smith will be chasing a shared double on the card with Rebel Dreamer leading the field out in the Central West Power Construction Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1000m.
The daughter of former Australian Horse of the Year, Dissident, is ‘one for one’ at Orange and boasts a compelling fresh record of two wins and a second from her four first-up runs.
“She does have a good first-up record albeit as a younger horse.’’ Smith pointed out.
“She’s another one that has come up with a good draw and hopefully she can step away cleanly if she does, it will bring her right into the race.
“Blinkers are on and if she finds her best form straight away, she’ll be ultra competitive.’’
Smith’s first of three runners on the Orange program is a blueblood of sizeable proportions.
The gelding’s name is Prizes Galore and shares his heritage with one of the greatest racehorses of the modern era.
In short, his fifth dam is Benediction who was mated with Zabeel in the spring of 1992 resulting in Might And Power, the seven-time Group 1 winner whose majors included the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double in 1997 and that famous Cox Plate win in 1998.
“The horse is going well,’’ Smith reported.
“Ear muffs come off, blinkers go on, so there is a little bit of intent there but he’ll need the run.
“I probably don’t expect to see too much from him until he gets up over the mile and 1600m-plus.’’
SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONS
BEST BET
Race 1 No. 4: Missy Moss
Turned in solid fifth placings in strong country Maidens either side of the spell.
NEXT BEST
Race 2 No. 5: Marenaro
Nothing wrong with his sixth of 14 in the CDRA Heat here first-up.
VALUE BET
Race 3 No. 5: Culgoa Kate
Was $12 into $10 and ran accordingly when a pleasing third at Dubbo on debut.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 4, 6, 10, 11
Race 5: 2, 6
Race 6: 3, 4, 5, 7
Race 7: 3, 7, 9
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Kody Nestor will have plenty of admirers to win the TAB Jockeys Challenge.
INSIDE MAIL - ORANGE
MISSY MOSS was a distant fifth as a drifting $2.90 fav on debut at Scone back in June when Cameron Crockett had her. The daughter of Duporth resurfaced here at Orange on Feb 28 in a 1000m maiden for Mack Griffith and while fifth again, beaten fav again, there was enough there to follow up. Blinkers first time. SASSY ABBEY was fourth at Sandown last start and fourth in the Black Opal Preview on debut before that hence the short quote. Hard to beat. BON ELTON can place from the good alley.
Bet: Missy Moss to win
MARENARO won a 1500m Highway last prep which ended with a not so lucky but very commendable sixth of 15 in the annual Country Classic 2000m at Rosehill. The Dean Mirfin-trained son of Dundeel was $9 into $7.50 when he resumed in the CDRA Qualifier and ran rather well too. This trip should suit him more perhaps. MAGNACE is on a hat-trick and that 2200m win at Dubbo on March 7 was as easy as you would see. RICO SUAVE has bumped into Welcometobarbados in both runs this prep; the last one a Prov-Midway Heat at Newcastle.
Bet: Marenaro to win, exacta 5 to beat 3
Marenaro bursts through late under @nashhot to blouse Hulu and take The @tabcomau Highway for Bathurst trainer Dean Mirfin. pic.twitter.com/Vj9odJBy5X
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 28, 2024
CULGOA KATE had trialled well prior to her debut at Dubbo on March 7 hence why she was $12 into $10. The daughter of Bull Point finished fourth; hitting the line with purpose. Bearing in mind that it was 1100m, you would presume 1300m suits. CONJOIN has placed at five of his nine starts. No doubt he has the best form in the race but he also has just about the worst barrier. JULIET BRAVO is a 16 start maiden but she has run more good races than bad.
Bet: Culgoa Kate each-way, box trifecta 3, 5, 9, 10
HINUNE has posted three thirds and a fourth among five career starts. Her last three runs are all at 1400m. She’s not an absolute certainty to run the mile but she is definitely fit enough to suggest she is more likely than not to see it out. You could probably cut and paste a lot of what was just said and apply to DARK STRATUM. He has finished runner-up at his last two, both at $31 as it happens, but one proves the other was no fluke. NIGHTWALKER is a 21 start maiden but he has placed eight times. He has placed five from 12 here at home.
Bet: Hinune to win, quinella 6, 10
TRIPLE TEMPO was spelled after his third career start. That was on October 10 here at Orange in a 1000m where the son of Yes Yes Yes led throughout to win, easily. You wouldn’t be able to find two better trials; he won by six-and-a-half lengths, the other by almost 11 lengths. PLEASURIZE has accepted for a race close to home at Goulburn. Very promising type from an astute yard. WILLINGA KARISMA hasn’t raced in a long time but his form back in the spring of 2022 was very good. Plenty to like about his March 7 trial.
Bet: Triple Tempo to win
An easy win for Triple Tempo at Orange, the second winner for @BBakerRacing today after he won earlier with Fleet Commander at Hawkesbury 👠pic.twitter.com/eJWdnICKnD
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 10, 2024
SO MAGNIFICENT is the third emergency for the Southern Wild Card at Goulburn. This is a Class 2 over 1400m and another perfect next step along the road for a lightly-raced and very promising three-year-old colt. He was $1.90 into $1.70 first-up when he ended up winning like a $1.20 shot. FEIMAZUO has been costly on paper but unlucky on the turf to be fair. So much so that she should rightly be on a hat-trick coming into this. Good enough to make this a contest. COMMANDO JACK was very good in the CDRA Heat.
Bet: So Magnificent to win, Feimazuo to place
CHECK YOUR SIX has raced 13 times and you would be hard pressed to find a bad run in there and that’s both in NSW and Victoria where he started off life with Everest winning trainer Clayton Douglas. The son of Astern was excellent in his six runs for Roy McCabe. This will be his first for Dean Mirfin in the right style of race off a lovely trial. JAMACRI is going to be hard to beat, and he might very well win, but hard to warm to a horse that was beaten at $1.40 at their last start. CHICO CASINO is a lot more reliable.
Bet: Check Your Six each-way, quinella 3, 9
ORANGE
BEST BET
Race 1 No. 4: Missy Moss
Turned in solid ‘fifths’ in strong country Maidens at either side of the spell.
NEXT BEST
Race 2 No. 5: Marenaro
Nothing wrong with his sixth of 14 in the CDRA Heat here first-up.
VALUE
Race 3 No. 5: Culgao Kate
Was $12 into $10 and ran accordingly when a pleasing third at Dubbo on debut.
QUADDIE
Race 4: 4,6,10,11
Race 5: 2,6
Race 6: 3,4,5,7
Race 7: 3,7,9
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Kody Nestor will have plenty of admirers to win the TAB Jockeys Challenge
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