News

Hawkesbury today backs up from a damp Saturday meet, presenting near-dry conditions with the rail out 4m. This should assist runners to scout wide in the straight to locate superior ground near the outside running rail. Horses with middle draws are best placed for this strategy.

City trainers Barred!

[3.55pm] Hawkesbury programs usually feature a maiden restricted to provincial and country trained horses, and Race 6 today is such an event. #12 POET’S ADVOCATE worked hard outside the lead in a similar race on Rowley Mile day at his first run on his home track, and is poised with Tommy Berry aboard to gain a sweet run. #7 TRIPLE HILL is another local who has shown talent in two country appearances and replacing Gordon Yorke’s apprentice Eric Cheung with Glyn Schofield seems a positive rider change of the highest magnitude. Manhattan Drive found a fast lane at his most recent run and looks well found, while Barricade emanates from a potent Gosford maiden but lacked any significant participation in the event. Lakshme is one to oppose after five consecutive 1100m runs on his home track of Gosford, most recently with the coveted inside on “one-lane-highway-day”.

RacingRant's Midweek Preview Show filmed under the stars on Tuesday evening provided viewers with some strong leads on today's 7 event card from Canterbury yesterday.

Gordo gave viewers of the show the #GaiBott trained Purrari in race 3 @ $13. His line of reasoning via the eminently talented Global Gossip proved compelling.

Pearla hit the line hard to supply followers with several winners; offering My Giuliano in the opener, pushing strongly for Burradoo in the 5th, before astutely assessing Painted Firetail in the nightcap as a devastating fresh performer.

Bring on Golden Rose day, bring your "A" game Glennsta!

Gordo @ Goulburn

[1.40pm] #14 MOQUEEN goes to the mile 3^rd up. This 3yo filly is perfectly placed today after 5 city runs and an unsuitable tempo most recently.

[2.15pm] #3 FABVIER is another 3yo filly 3^rd up today. Critically she loses her apprentice rider and gains a gun in Blake Shinn. She is labelled today!

[2.50pm] #4 POSTMASTER GENERAL debuted at Gosford outside the fast lane. Tye Angland on a horse with scope has definite appeal.

[3.25pm] #1 COYS strikes a deep field 2^nd up, but is out of the market and had trialled well prior to receiving very little opportunity in what looks a seminal provincial event won by Choice We Had.

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:

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.