Cracking Canberra Preview 18 June 2021 by Neil Evans

*RACE 1 @ 11.55am JOHN MCGRATH AUTO GROUP 2YO MAIDEN HCP (1206m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

We open up a good winter meeting with the youngsters. Keen on 3. PEREGRINATION (Richard Litt/Blaike McDougall; 58kg) who resumes as a gelding off two forward trials. Debuted in a stronger provincial class in January.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Big watch on Capitalist colt 2. Feudalist who is on debut off two steady trials, and was scratched from Nowra on Thursday to run here. Victorian filly 7. Gold Gift can find the front third-up from the inside draw, and may take some running down.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid

My Betting Attack: PEREGRINATION to WIN

 

*RACE 2 @ 12.30pm BELCONNEN MAGPIES FOOTBALL CLUB MAIDEN HCP (1080m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Still with the maidens, and very keen on Choisir two-year-old 5. BUSH WARRIOR (Annabel Neasham/Shaun Guymer; 56.5kg) who debuts with blinkers on after a smart provincial trial win, and was also preferred here to Nowra on Thursday. 

 

*MAIN DANGERS: The Brothers War three-year-old filly 3. Bridled Love can figure on debut off a nice trial with blinkers also on. Local two-year-old filly 10. Ella Amelia is included off a sharp trial win; while stablemate Your Song filly 11. La Mia Via was given a very easy synthetic trial, and starts career from the inside barrier. Big gap to the rest.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid to Good

My Betting Attack: BUSH WARRIOR to WIN and Box Trifecta: 3,5,10,11

 

*RACE 3 @ 1.05pm TAB LONG MAY WE PLAY MAIDEN PLATE (1280m) - Set Weights; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Keen on metropolitan three-year-old filly 6. FLYING GRACE (Richard Litt/TBA) fifth-up in her first real prep. Has found the line well in her last couple, and this looks weaker.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Lightly raced home four-year-old 3. Oahu Gaze did it tough from the draw first-up here since spring. Bound to improve fitter and from a more economical gate. Must include local filly 11. Surekat who resumes for her synthetic debut, with significant gear changes, after two ordinary efforts in summer. Expect sharp improvement too from another local filly 7. Iconically first time on the synthetic with blinkers added after three average runs on wet tracks.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid

My Betting Attack: FLYING GRACE to WIN

 

*RACE 4 @ 1.40pm QUEANBEYAN KANGAROOS SENIORS CLASS 1 PLATE (1900m) - Set Weights; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Out to the longest journey of the day, and this is hard going in a race where there's only a combined four wins from a massive 143 starts! That said, consistent Albury five-year-old 3. SAINT HENRY (Rob Wellington/Brendan Ward; 59kg) has been in the placings last four against better opposition, and is primed to clinch a second win with senior jockey aboard.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Home track mare 4. Tan Line broke through in heavy ground at Moruya three runs back, and two closing efforts since have been solid. Included in exotics four-year-old 1. Brennaman who has more than enough ability deep into the prep, but a query on the synthetic; and 5. Epizeel who can improve over more ground.

 

Likely Tempo: Moderate

My Betting Attack: SAINT HENRY to WIN

 

*RACE 5 @ 2.15pm BOB O'SULLIVAN BENCHMARK 65 HCP (1750m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices can Claim:

 

Competitive and fairly open stoush here. Tough home track four-year-old 6. CASINO TIME (Gratz Vella/Blaike McDougall; 56.5kg) steps up in grade after flying home to win a weaker race in smart fashion at Wagga. Hard fit, down 1.5kg in weight, and has a much sounder record on the synthetic than the rest of these.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Rival local mare 8. Diamond Class also finished hard to claim a thinner race here on the synthetic, and has been given a month between runs. Must keep safe local five-year-old 4. Mohahna who is suited coming back in distance and draws inside. Improving four-year-old 2. Valauris has been competitive in his last two on heavy ground, and draws well, but first time on this surface; while five-year-old mare 3. Larmour is much better placed here from the draw, and with good weight relief.

 

Likely Tempo: Fair to Solid

My Betting Attack: CASINO TIME to WIN

 

*RACE 6 @ 2.55pm TAB FEDERAL BENCHMARK 70 HCP (1206m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

The headline race of the day stacks up okay at odds for under-rated Goulburn eight-year-old 6. NEWTOWN IS COMING (Emma & Lucy Longmire/Ms Kayla Nisbet; 57kg) third-up from a good trailing draw and out in distance. Finished strongly in deeper grade at Wagga last start, and won his only previous start here on the synthetic. Princess "Kayla" sticks like glue.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Talented and lightly raced four-year-old 2. Dream Runner is the logical threat resuming off a handy trial win. Exploded onto the scene a year ago bolting in two starts here to open his career, although wouldn't be taking too short a price from a tough draw and first time on the synthetic. Big watch too on ex-Victorian mare 9. Regal Riffle first-up for the new local stable, with key gear changes. Smart local mare 11. Polyxena gets right down in the weights after the claim, but will need plenty of luck against this lot from the outside gate. Keep safe 8. Stone Cold who has hit the line hard in consecutive BM 66 races ahead of his synthetic debut; while tough seven-year-old 7. Our Finvarra has won two from seven on synthetic and can't be left out.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid

My Betting Attack: NEWTOWN IS COMING Each Way and First Four: 2,6,9/2,6,7,8,9,11/2,6,7,8,9,11/2,6,7,8,9,11

 

*RACE 7 @ 3.35pm GREG BURKE RACING MANAGEMENT BENCHMARK 60 HCP (1080m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Another open and competitive sprint. Progressive local three-year-old 3. FANGELA (Keith Dryden/Ms Maddison Waters a2kg; 59.5kg) has been given six weeks since a dominant CL1 win first-up off a nine month break. Carries virtually the same weight after the claim, and only needs clear air from the 400m to win again.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Talented home track mare 7. Red Kanzi was a good thing licked resuming at Wagga storming home after being badly held up at vital stages. Already a second-up winner, and has the biggest closing sectional in the race. Gap to the rest headed by Albury mare 6. Dissedge who is hard fit and gets blinkers for the first time; while four-year-old first-up maiden winner 5. River Mac can improve further up in grade.

 

Likely Tempo: Good

My Betting Attack: FANGELA to WIN & Quinella: 3 and 7

 

*RACE 8 @ 4.10pm BELWEST FOXES SOCCER CLUB CLASS 1 HCP (1280m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

A big and challenging field to bring us home, with good speed on. Expecting lightly raced five-year-old 7. VERDI (Kurt Goldman/Blaike McDougall; 57kg) to bounce back hard third-up from a much better draw on his synthetic debut. Run was better than it looked second-up after covering a stack of ground, and this isn't strong.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Progressive home filly 2. Evanora bounced to the front and ran them off the legs here third-up on the synthetic, although a query over this distance from the wide draw. Improving local three-year-old 6. Khaleej finished hard to break through here four weeks back, despite being totally despised in betting. Won't want to get that far back from the inside gate late in the day, but must be considered. Keep safe local mare 9. Shecago fifth-up and down in weight; while three-year-olds 8. Grazie and 10. Different Time are both knockout hopes.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid to Good

My Betting Attack: VERDI to WIN

 

**My BEST EARLY BETS:

 

R4 3. SAINT HENRY**

R7 3. FANGELA**

 

**My BEST EARLY VALUE:

 

R8 7. VERDI*

 

**My BEST EARLY EXOTICS:

 

R2: Box Trifecta: 3,5,10,11

 

**TRAINERS TO FOLLOW:

 

Richard Litt*

Keith Dryden*

Gratz Vella*

 

**JOCKEYS TO FOLLOW:

 

Blaike McDougall**

Brendan Ward*

Kayla Nisbet*