News

Wyong Wisdom Sunday 28^th August 2016

In recent years Wyong Race Club has reconfigured its carnival to concentrate on Cup day Friday. The Sunday prior is now classified as Prelude day, essentially a minor meeting conducted with the rail out.

Today we are confronted by a 4m rail with a narrow cutaway, one horse wide. I forecast a circuit favourable to the vanguard, rendering looping the field a problematic experience. On-pacers rule.

The six furlong maiden

[1.49pm] Race 3 on the programme piqued my interest, a sprint maiden for mixed ages and sexes. Holes in the early assessments appear to be Oakfield Rickie, a 5yo hugely flattered on debut by the Gosford Lane, and 3yo filly Bring Me The Bling, resuming today off a plain 2yo Autumn, and surely destined for much longer assignments. Two 3yos who contested a deep midweek metropolitan maiden recently shape promisingly for today’s assignment #10 CORDONED who received zero opportunity at short odds on debut at this track, then worked in inferior ground last start. His French postilion, Johan Victoire, has begun his Australian sojourn competently. #6 ENGAGING showed good toe, with blinkers applied, to lead his city rivals comfortably, and will be seen to advantage ridden similarly today.

Gordo’s Gold

With the Glennsta licking his wounds, Gordo has cheerfully supplied his Wyong recommendations

[12.35pm] The aforementioned Sezanne city maiden supplies the very stylish #4 MILITARY MACHINE. This tri-cornered contest among Hawkes, Snowden and O’Shea is the meeting’s highlight.

[15.35pm] Despite short odds, the switch from Costin to Panya appeals strongly on #5 SUPER TOO, making her the rent bet on the card

 

Glennsta’s Specks of Gold 24th August 2016

Warwick Farm Race 3

#6 Hessdalen; Glenn thinks this fellow at his second start has considerable scope from a mounting yard perspective, and appeals as a wet-track type

Warwick Farm Race 6

#11 Cry For Peace; Glenn finds the line through Serve and Volley on this track 3 starts back appealing and figures connections will have positive intentions with the drop back to Midweek

Gosford Gazette 23rd August 2016

After the one-lane fiasco of the 4m rail at the last meeting, racing returns to Gosford on an infinitely more bettable true rail. Inside draws and fence dwellers should be handled with care as the full course typically favours runners higher on the camber.

The short-course Maiden:

[1.10pm] #6 LOOSE GOOSE begins her second preparation with a new rider and fresh purpose. At her most recent start at Kembla on May 14, Deanne Panya was not shown to advantage when in the lead but kept off the rail. I believe the circumstances of her run offset the shallow quality of that event. Her rival for favouritism today #8 Sinopia is now deep into his preparation from a yard not renowned for keeping them up and has to come back in distance. The only other runner in consideration #5 Zizou Supreme has trialled well on two occasions for his new stable, but has had a twelve month layoff combined with horrid raceform for his previous trainer.

Illawarra Intimations 20th August 2016

Kembla Grange backs up from last Saturday, again on a good surface, this time with the rail out 3m. Leaders appeared advantaged last week but I have marked the track fair. Solo leaders should again do well while my preference is for high draws and off the rails running.

 The breakthrough:

[12.54pm] #1 EVA LUNA chased with purpose at this course three weeks back, then was scratched to clear the path for stablemate Level Eight last week, who failed to return the favour. She is marked a good thing’s price, and looks it. An exacta with #6 THE DEACON may supply some juice.

Perfectly placed:

[2.44pm] #1 TO BE SURE took on Redzel and lost first-up last prep. This time she resumes at the scene of a brave attempt to make all, against the bias, last start when bested by a subsequent metro winner. She has trialled strongly and looks a “monty”. Exacta players are recommended #5 ALL IN RHYTHM who returns after battling in the strongest 2yo race of the season anywhere won by the Gai-trained Evacuation

The Nightcap:

[4.44pm] The Snowden 3yo First Approval has been assessed tightly, but two aspects of his formline demand attention. Firstly, the unconvincing manner of his last-start win when, secondly, he was perfectly ridden by Kembla King Mitchell Bell, who gives way to the stable apprentice today? #9 FRAGONARD has the best jockey (Penza), and a better turn of foot, rendering this 3yo filly the recommended play

A Clarendon Critique 18th August 2016

Rowley Mile day at Hawkesbury will be conducted on a normal rail, with the surface nearly dry. The absence of artificial watering improves the prospects for the inside ground. At the corresponding meeting last year (track-good, rail-true), rails-in-run was some advantage while middle draws supplied most winners.

The majority of lead-up form on today’s card is wet, providing good opportunities for those contestants seeking firmer footing.

Early Plays:

[1.20pm] #3 RESOLUTE debuts for the Snowden juggernaut, the first of B Shinn’s 2 rides. Appearing dour in a recent 1050m trial is typical of this yard, and experience has shown this to be a positive rather than negative factor. The exposed form in this short course maiden lacks substance.

[1.55pm] Assessors have marked the favourite (Urban Prince) a tight quote. Certainly he will be suited by a genuine tempo likely to be set by Serg on Prince Roo, but I think #1 HURRICANES has a good setup here; the best recent dry-track run in the Grafton Guineas, then unsuited but primed by a sticky Canterbury 1900m run.

Rowley Mile:

[4.25pm] Our leading trainer seems to have been one of the few to notice this race on the Calendar. He sends Marenostro out on a 5-day backup to squeeze the last remnant of life out of his campaign, but there is more to like in his other contestants. #4 MCCREERY is better suited today at the mile after dropping back in distance on a backup last start. Today is his target!

Beaumont Behemoths 16th August 2016 

Future interest in the card at Beaumont today centres on the sprint maidens (races 3 and 4) but two opportunities present themselves squarely elsewhere.

The surface is nearly dry after 3 successive Heavy readings, suggesting a profile similar to the meeting on July 2nd which seemed to favour those off the pace.

Bet around these:

[3.45pm] #4 MERI RANI looks too well found at a shade of odds-on. Her 3 runs back demonstrate her to be well exposed, grinding over the top of the despised Satirical Dame in the best ground at Gosford before pack-chasing with Bowman on board in a highly dubious Rosehill fillies event. Heywood, the stable apprentice, has been steering competently, but the rider switch plainly does no favour to her chances.

I look to #6 Little Miss Brown, unsuited in the Warwick Farm morass first up and #8 Assurity, in a winning vein out wide.

[5.00pm] Assessors have #7 MATERNAL too tight at $2.6. She returns from a lengthy spell with an apprentice rider and a common-looking trial. While lightly raced, it would seem significant that the very highly esteemed James McDonald steered her lone victory.

#1 Arsonist has been gelded for his new yard, #6 Triple Hero is a winner here when last on this track, #11 Exotic Art is looking for today’s firmer surface and #12 Yambaah looks a wild card starting out for the cleverest non-metropolitan stable

Keys to Kembla 13th August 2016

Kembla race today on a nearly dry surface with the rail returning to true. Often this favours wide runners and high draws but there have been occasions when the inside ground is winnable. From a future viewpoint, the nightcap holds much interest with the clash of the Snowden’s Julius Caesar and Godolphin’s Drachenfels. Nonetheless, my plays lie elsewhere on the card

Pearla’s Pushes

[12.54pm] R2-6: POMELO, steps into a Class 2 at a mile. He continues to improve, showed a good turn of foot last start and either leads or trails the leader.

[2.44pm] R5-7: RED HENNO, is second up in his second prep. A winner first up at Goulburn, he comes home to engage with a very exposed bunch, and his scope will stand him in good stead.

Gosford 11th August 2016

The meeting at Gosford today sees the rail go out to the 4m position. Most “rail-out” positions at Gosford produce a fast lane against the rails, and the expectation is that Leaders on the fence and rails-in-run horses will be strongly favoured. Barrier 1 demands the utmost respect.

Glennsta’s Birdie.

Glenn Pollett is sweet on a debutante in the opener at 12.35pm. MACKELLAR’S LOVE caught his eye at the Randwick trials, and the rider of the moment, Deanne Panya, is on board. He expects to get the program off to a flying start.

Pearla’s Push

Race 3 #13 STRYKE A RANSOM (1.45pm) debuted on this course a fortnight back and was put to the sword by Joe Pride’s Sugar Bay Leonard (a hot contender in the 4.10pm today). With Team Hawkes favourite Larapineta possibly lacking early toe from a wide draw and Gerald Ryan’s touted debutante Oakfield Rickie starting out as a 5yo, Tim Clark may be able to steer Stryke A Ransom into a favourable in-run position

I provide high quality form assessments for Sydney metropolitan and provincial race meetings to bookmakers and professional punters, and have done so since 1988. From 1999 through to March 2009 I broadcast market forecasts and selections on Radio 2KY for Sydney metropolitan and provincial meetings.

I have been following and researching Australian racing form since 1976, with a particular emphasis on Sydney. In 1987, I quit my law studies to pursue a full-time career in the Sydney betting ring, and in 1988, was approached by then leading rails bookmaker, Peter Todd, to provide him with an accurate priceline with which to frame the market, and to make decisions about which horses to lay, to keep, or to back. I began offering these assessments publicly soon after. In 1990, I took out a bookmaker's licence, and fielded on the provincial tracks of Gosford, Hawkesbury, and Wyong until 1999. In tandem with my bookmaking operations, I used my price assessments to professionally punt on all Sydneymetropolitan and provincial racemeetings. Since 1999, I have devoted my time exclusively to assessing, analysing, and researching Sydney metropolitan and provincial form.