Race-by-race preview and tips for Grafton on Monday
By Neil Evans
Track Soft 5 and rail out 5m.
Race 1 MAIDEN PLATE (1720m)
Testing middle distance maiden to start on a track that should push into Good range. Like 3. Kitsilano at the value deep into his prep. Has been continually working home okay from well off the speed, and should lap up the extra trip here. Drawn to get a soft run with cover, and significantly blinkers come off again.
Racing heads to Grafton on Thursday with an eight-race card.Credit: Getty
Dangers: Big watch on 10. High Class Roller who can improve over further and back on firmer ground at his fourth start. Improving 2. Descending Mist is very fit coming back to maiden class, and closed off okay to beat all bar the winner in his last couple. Underrated 4. Max ‘O’ Max is some value fourth-up with weight relief, while 8. Tootsie can run into the minor money from a handy trailing draw.
How to play it: Kitsilano to win
Race 2 MAIDEN PLATE (1015m)
Lightly raced six-year-old 5. Stavritzel can strike here fourth-up coming back in distance. Has boxed on fairly into a place in his last two up to 1200m, but less depth this time, and again drew to get good cover right behind the speed.
Dangers:Keep safe 10. Amaya’s Secret who was narrowly beaten first-up at big odds; while home track debutant 9. Humphree Bear is the best of the rest behind a forward trial ahead of 6. Hypothermia.
How to play it: Stavritzel to win
Race 3 MAIDEN HCP (1190m)
Lightly raced provincial four-year-old 3. High And Marty hit the line hard from well back at Tamworth, despite running about badly in the straight, when resuming for just his third start. Importantly has been gelded, will relish the extra trip, and again drawn to get cover in another weakened affair.
Dangers: 15. Top Act emerges as a big threat resuming from the inside barrier behind two progressive trials. Big watch too on Gold Coast-based Zousain filly 14. Whomsonever who has been taken along quietly at the trials, and also drawn to get an economical run. Gap to the rest.
How to play it: High And Marty to win
Race 4 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1190m)
Honest and speedy mare 5. Guru Class is well-placed fourth-up to finally crack it for a second career win. Loves to roll forward and lead, and has been close-up all prep. Gets a nice weight drop after the rookie rider’s claim, again draws to zoom forward, and finds a thinner race.
Dangers: 3. Hardley Grey is hardly reliable, but he’s hard fit deep into the prep, drawn to get cover off speed, and drops in class. Keep safe 4. Amnesia who improves third-up. 1. Eagle Hawk Star, dropping down from much tougher CL2 Highway company, and 9. Vetoed, also back in class third-up, battle for a slice of the minor money.
How to play it: Guru Class to win
Race 5 BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1015m)
Lightly raced colt 6. De Forza can make it two straight at this track in only his third start. Tracked the speed here before driving over the top very late as a short-priced fancy, and with that winning experience in the locker, he can take the next step staying at the trip.
Dangers: Tough mare 1. Lady Tulessa had been knocking on the door for a while before finishing best here 20 days ago. Drawn to get a good run on speed, but under the odds carrying 60.5kg in a race with more depth. Must include 3. King’s Gold resuming off a nice trial win at the track from the inside draw, with blinkers back on. 4. Fire Kirin finds a thinner class third-up with blinkers going on, while 7. September Girl is the best of the rest ahead of 2. Sacred Delago third-up.
How to play it: De Forza to win
Race 6 CLASS 1 & MAIDEN PLATE (2230m)
Toughest and widest contest on the program over the staying trip, but it shapes nicely for Gold Coast mare 10. Hotzino with blinkers going on fourth-up. Has only been fair to the line in her last three on both sides of the border, but this is a significant drop in class, and carries the same weight. Searching for this sort trip as well, being a daughter of a Group 1 Derby winner.
Dangers: Any number of those headed by another one from over the border 1. Don Quixote who has been running home late all prep. Keep safe at good odds 5. Monte Kahuna reloading 16 days after a dominant Class 1 win. Lightly raced 13. The Vocalist will have to slot in from a wide gate, but she’s well placed on the limit weight, and also wanting every bit of this longer trip being by Melbourne Cup winner Shocking. Both 3. Embolden who drew the inside, and 12. Wicked Games on a 10-day back-up with winkers replacing blinkers, can add value into wider exotic plays.
How to play it: Hotzino to win
Race 7 BENCHMARK 66 HCP (1420m)
Progressive 2. Nickelback is primed to go back-to-back four weeks after he put a handy Class 3 field to the sword from just off the speed. Rolls forward again, and firmer the surface becomes, the better he shapes.
Dangers: Talented mare 1. Wonderwhen can make a big statement third-up coming back from the Casino Cup where she finished off late, and boasts a handy record at this track. Expecting sharp second-up improvement from 3. Smooth Torque; while 6. Frappes steps up in grade, but draws to be in the finish fourth-up coming back in trp. 7. Leica Model has won her last two, but faces a task drifting well back again from the wide gate against some better ones here.
How to play it: Nickelback to win
Race 8 CLASS 1 HCP (1115m)
Tough mare 1. Yellowhammer has placed in much tougher metropolitan fields over the border in her last two, and despite a hefty weight rise for the big drop in grade, looms as the one to beat with any sort of decent run.
Dangers:Expecting further improvement from home tracker 3. Picupstixx three weeks between runs. 9. Pressalong has been given four weeks since an easy debut win, but draws wide; while 7. Call Me Super is another one well placed from the draw on a significant class drop.
How to play it: Yellowhammer to win
BEST BETS: R5 6. DE FORZA, R8 4. LUNAR EIGHT
BEST VALUE: R6 10. HOTZINO
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au