Saturday Racing heads to Gosford for The Coast Day in what should be a wide-open card of racing. Plenty of good Benchmark quality horses coming here reminding us that Winter racing isn’t all bad, which is a plus!
Track Report: Rail is in the true position and with the sun expected to be shining we can’t expect the track to be anything worse than the Soft 5 that it is currently rated. The racing should be as fair as fair gets.
Race 1 – 1200m Thymely Food Co Hcp
Going rough in the first with Champer’s Girl out of the Bjorn Baker camp. She hasn’t put a foot wrong in her short career yet, being undefeated in all trials and races to date. Will have to work hard from the wide draw to get near the front, but if she doesn’t manage to get stuck wide without cover, I think she can put up a serious fight against some of the more city-proven horses.
Snapback is a deserved favourite considering he’s run around with some horses above this quality, one of which is Lazzago, who would smash this bunch. Peaked on the run first up, with the extra fitness here and the kinder draw, Prebble can put him in the perfect position and launch late.
Namesake is to be respected after starting his career with a win last time out at Warwick Farm. Was challenged late but found enough under the hood to motor all the way for the win. However, he was very green, a bit all over the shop in the straight and almost lost on protest. Needs to race smarter here.
I am a big Snatchrielly guy. I love the big greys and for a 2YO, he is well-statured and looks a smart type. Was never winning the Breeder’s Plate on debut and then failed to fire in the worst part of the track last start at Newcastle as the short favourite, but mind you that was in open class. Up in distance and back to his own age, he can run a race I feel.
Selections: 6-4-2-12
Suggested Bet: Champer’s Girl Each Way
Race 2 – 1200M Thymely Food Co Hcp
I tend to prefer going with horses that I know well in the Highways and Super Extreme is the definition of that. Runs the Highway all of the time and rarely has nothing to say as well. He will most likely sit back in the pack and wait for his time to pounce going around the bend. He just can’t get stuck in traffic in such a large field, but with the extra fitness from his first up run and experience for running in and winning Highways, he has to be my play here.
Everything I just said can be said about Salire as well. He is a horse that has run in countless Highways and is honestly unlucky to still be able to run in C3 races. He often comes up just short and considering how far back he will get from that wide draw he most likely will again. However, he is definitely the one to watch late.
Remlaps Commander is an interesting one as he is very lightly raced and done very little wrong to kick off the career. His only failure came last start where he didn’t handle the heavy deck one bit, which is fair, not every horse does. He gets a firmer deck here, which he will relish, plus the extra fitness from the first up run, he should be very hard to beat if he gets the right run in transit.
Hannah Williams is becoming one of the better Highway jockeys and for that reason alone I am happy to take Blow Dart to round out selections.
Selections: 2-3-5-1
Suggested Bet: Super Extreme Each Way
Race 3 – 1200M Midway (Bm72)
Give me Broken Arrows on a silver platter. Perhaps the most unlucky horse to still be running around Midways that I have come across in my short time analysing racing. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, stuck in traffic, wide draws, photo finishes not going his way, the list of excuses is a long one for sure. But he finds himself a winnable race and the recent trial behind Think About It was really pleasing which adds to my confidence.
Turning is a respectable favourite after only just missing in a harder field of horses on ANZAC Day. The excuse was the heavy weight and the traffic he got stuck in. But the late surge when he finally got clear shows me he is in for a good prep and he is bursting to win one. Up in distance and back to an easier race, he can win for sure.
Miss Fox has been up forever and really should be heading to the paddock soon, but she is a track specialist here. 4 runs at Gosford for 3 wins and a solid 3rd. Throw in the fact she has form behind the likes of Prince Invincible and I think she deserves to be a knockout hope at a big price.
Diamond Diesel rounds out selections and can potentially take advantage of the fact he is at his home track and get a win.
Selection: 3-2-10-12
Suggested Bet: Broken Arrows Each Way
Race 4 – 1600m Tooheys (Bm72)
Fall For Cindy looks like she is in for bigger things than this quality of race. On ANZAC Day she was well-backed to win and she saluted with a strong run. I liked how gutsy she was, as well as the way she quickened immediately when asked of it in the final stages as she went through the gears. She came 4th behind Matcha Latte and The Fortune Teller in stakes level company only 2 runs back so she can certainly beat this field.
I like Miss Maddison. I really do. There’s just something about the way she goes about her business that is classy for a horse that is forever swimming between BM70 and BM80 races. She has a 7 day back up here after running soundly behind Money In The Sky and will prefer it being drier, but if the deck is rock hard, it could diminish her chances slightly.
Very keen to see what Our Anchorage does. Has some top-tier form lines through Europe including Duke De Sessa (8th in the Doncaster this year). If he brings the Europe form, there is no reason why he can’t smash them. But, I will watch and learn first with him.
Rediener had a smart win for the Waller camp on ANZAC Day and looks as though he can potentially be better than just a plain Benchmark horse, this is his test. Needs to be winning this if he wants to reach the net level.
Selections: 8-4-2-3
Suggested Bet: Fall For Cindy Win (Best Bet)
Race 5 – 2100M Prestige Wedding Hire (Bm78)
I am very keen to see Hometruths out to the 2000m plus distance. This was the sort of thing she was bread for and she has been getting better with every run in Australia. Last start she beat everybody but Pretty Amazing who is a decent Benchmark horse in their own right. Kerrin McEvoy should park her right in the midfield and then burst out of the pack late for a lunge at the line.
Biscayne Bay comes out of the exact same race and he loomed to win but just didn’t end up having the necessary kick to get the job done. Fitter for that effort and a longer distance could potentially help.
Demarcay and Sir Lamarok are two others that come out of this exact same race and if you can’t tell already, this is the form line I think produces the winner of this race. Both of them ran similar races where they did their best work late without threatening but the longer distance should suit their racing patterns.
Selections: 9-5-12-10
Suggested Bet: Hometruths Win
Race 6 – 1000M Mmm Thunder Thousand (Bm78)
Think this one comes down to a battle of the weights, as I am all over both Backmarkers who will be flying late.
Vowmaster is the one I have sided with despite being the top weight by 3kg and carrying a staggering 60kg. But sometimes class is all you need to get the job done and he is head and shoulders above this field class-wise. His last start was in the Magic Millions Sprint, where he wasn’t too far off of King Of Sparta, who is a Group level horse on his worse days. Will get a suck run behind the midfield and try and run down the outside in the final stages. I think he can for sure. The only other horse that outruns him in my opinion is…
Kin. Lightweight at 52.5kg, carrying 7.5kg less than Vowmaster and she will come from the exact same part of the track as my top pick, hence why the market prefers her slightly. She is lightly raced and potentially stakes class. Her last run was all the way back on Melbourne Cup Day 2022 where she was narrowly beaten by Renosu, who is a nice horse in its own right. Trials have been strong and she will be flashing late.
Winning Verse And Sports Legend rounds out selections.
Selections: 2-13-6-10
Suggested Bet: Vowmaster Win
Race 7 – 1200M De Bortoli Takeover Target
Despite not having being the main event, this is the race of the day, make no mistake about it. Packed to the brim with talent this one.
Think About It is the horse that I have missed out on too many times. I am on him here and I am hoping I don’t mock him. He developed quite the picket fence over the summer and into the early Autumn and can continue that here. He’ll do it the tough way from that barrier, but he has the turn of foot to get the job done.
Fox Fighter on a dry deck is one that I take a bit of interest in as well. Very strong run last start without winning and the experts were all over her last week when she was meant to back up but they scratched with the weather. Down in weights and this is her best distance, she can win at odds.
Shades Of Rose with a massive drop in grade here. She could honestly speak them if she brings her best. She is an Everest/Quokka horse after all and she didn’t fluke her way into those slots and she ran respectably in both. So a drop back to the Listed Grade could help her nicely.
Clemenceau is the horse to watch. Was flat first up before returning in good order with a narrow loss to Bachanallia who also runs here. Drier deck and to a distance that he has never missed the quinella in he finds himself excellently placed.
Selections: 1-11-2-8
Suggested Bet: Think About It Win
Race 8 – 1600M The Coast
I feel like today is the day that Welwal proves he wasn’t a complete bust of a purchase for Chris Waller and Co. The European import has been getting better with every run and finds himself back at his most suitable distance of a mile. Form around Bandersnatch and Tamerlane is strong for this sort of race and as long as he doesn’t find himself in traffic, he can prove the strongest late.
Military Expert deserves to be favourite considering the Spring he had, but he returned quite flat first up when he found himself 4 wide without cover. However, the form behind Tuvalu, Gentleman Roy and I Wish I Win is some of the best that you can ask for, especially in a field like this. Fitter and up in distance, he can improve.
Kayobi might find himself outclassed here but with the low weight and fondness for this track he can launch late and find himself in the money if Jay Ford gives him a patient enough ride. Was a short favourite in the Midway Championships but the saturated deck was too much for him. Better suited in these conditions for sure.
Thalassophile loves the mile and has been racing brilliantly this prep. Continues to work her way through the grades until she finds herself here which would be her greatest test I feel. Prebble will give her every chance.
Selections: 1-2-13-3
Suggested Bet: Wewal Each Way
Race 9 – 2100M Gosford Cup
Navajo Peak is in fine form and should take some beating here. I love a horse off of a one-week back up and this is what we have with this horse. Comes here after a very narrow loss last weekend where he found himself a touch one-paced when coming off a long break. But he will be much fitter and with the quick jump in distance, I think he is excellently placed.
Diamil is the clear danger as the favourite, but with no JMac and the top weight, I feel as though he might not be able to reproduce that tough run from the back that he had last start when winning the JRA Plate. Will be the strongest late once more.
Desert Icon has the runs on the board and is always to be respected in these sorts of contests. Started at a whopping $31 last start in the Hawkesbury Cup and almost took it out, only being bested by New Mandate in the final stages. If it is a leader’s sort of day, he can steal this one.
I like the way Bois D’argent goes about its business for Annabel Neasham. Hasn’t won yet in Australia, but neither had New Mandate until the Hawkesbury Cup, so finally stepping out to a distance that sits his staying pedigree and a track that is in perfect conditions for him, he can play a part here for sure.
Selections: 11-1-3-7
Suggested Bet: Navajo Peak Win
Race 10 – 1200M Gosford It (Bm78)
Going to have to be with Short Shorts here. Will jump on the bunny and prove very hard to run down come later stages. Started the prep off with a big win in the Midway Championships Qualifier before running pretty well in the Championships itself, but was hampered by the heavy deck. Back to better conditions, she can bounce back.
Flag Of Honour returns after bleeding in the Callander-Presnell. This is definitely, a drop in class, but could he return a bit flat first up off of such a long break, a bleed and a distance that is sort of his best. The trial indicates he is ready to go, but I would rather watch him go around without my money first.
Mars Mission is a horse I have a lot of time for, but gee he hasn’t progressed this prep at all has he? A strong spring has been followed by 3 defeats, all of which should have been victories, or at least finishing close to the finish, but he can’t seem to bridge that 2-3 length gap. Could finally get the monkey off of the back here.
The Poacher rounds out selections.
Selections: 3-12-6-7
Suggested Bet: Short Shorts Win
Top Selections For Each Race
Race 1: Champers Girl
Race 2: Super Extreme
Race 3: Broken Arrows
Race 4: Fall For Cindy (Best Bet)
Race 5: Hometruths
Race 6: Vowmaster
Race 7: Think About It
Race 8: Welwal
Race 9: Navajo Peak
Race 10: Short Shorts
The Quaddie
Race 7: 1,2,3,8,11
Race 8: 1,2,13
Race 9: 1,3,7,11
Race 10: 1,3,6,7,12
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