Cracking Canberra Preview 5 February 2021 by Neil Evans

*1st Race @ 1.44pm

 

*Track expected Soft 5/6 and Rail out 10m:

 

*RACE 1 @ 1.44pm TAB HCP (1200m) - BenchMark 60; Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

We open up with a competitive sprint, and a few good chances. Capable seven-year-old home track mare 3. KATHAIRE (Joseph Ible/Ms Heni Ede a2kg; 57.5kg) is well placed here back at home on the bigger track fourth-up. Sparingly raced this prep, she flew home late this trip at Cowra, and should be right at her top here from a handy trailing draw.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Don't mind local three-year-old 2. Call Me Artie coming back to this trip via a quiet trial off a two month break. Never finished further back than second in four runs through to CL2 level when narrowly touched off at Nowra over the mile, and will be hitting the line here. Improving four-year-old 6. Hezeredhot can figure fourth-up after working home okay in his last two; while expect 1. Cyborg to improve lengths second-up after an average first-up effort in CL3 grade.

 

Likely Tempo: Fair to Reasonable

My BETTING ATTACK: KATHAIRE to WIN & Quinella: 2 & 3

 

 

*RACE 2 @ 2.19pm IRON JACK PLATE (2000m) - Class 1; Set Weights; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Big-finishing four-year-old 3. CLEM FANDANGO (Matthew Dale/Nick Heywood; 59kg) is overdue for another win since beating a good one second up here in spring. Was close-up at Moruya before getting a long way back here last start, both over the mile, and the longer trip is surely the tonic.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: : Loved the way four-year-old stallion 6 Speedzone was ridden stone cold at Kembla before launching late to claim his maiden third-up off a long break, and extra trip should be ideal. Stablemate five-year-old to top selection 1. Antilles will likely cross from the wide draw, and try to dictate. Has fought okay after leading as a short-priced favourite in his last two, but won't want to spend too many tickets early against a couple of these. Consistent Kembla mare 8. Misty Brook has been in and around the money all prep along the South Coast, and draws to get a handy trail just off the speed.

 

Likely Tempo: Fair to Reasonable

My Betting Attack: CLEM FANDANGO to WIN & Trifecta: 3,6/1,3,6,8/1,3,6,8

 

*RACE 3 @ 2.54pm JOHN McGRATH AUTO GROUP HCP (1000m) - Min Weight 55kg; Two-Year-Olds; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Back to the short course for the babies, and trial form will play a wide and big hand. Hard to go past Randwick filly 8. BADEN ROAD (John Sargent/James Innes Jnr; 55.5kg) from the inside gate, with winkers replacing blinkers. Kept finding after covering plenty of ground here in an impressive debut, and should park right behind the speed and be too strong in the run home.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Smart colt 4. Oblivion looks ready to go off three trials, bolting in the latest at Gosford, but has to do it from the outside barrier. Big market watch on debutant filly 11. New York Gal who looked sharp in a metro trial, and is drawn to get an economical run. Keep safe too local colt 7. Vaaroom who debuts off an impressive winning trial for leading trainer/rider combination; while 6. Tea Leaves, another useful trial performer and stablemate to New York Gal, is also an each way chance.

 

Likely Tempo: Good to Strong

My Betting Attack: BADEN ROAD to WIN

 

*RACE 4 @ 3.29pm AFFINITY ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGIES HCP (1200m) - Maiden; Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Very tricky maiden. Leaning to debutant three-year-old Vancouver gelding 5. ROCKOVER (Gary Portelli/Keagan Latham; 58.5kg) who has been taken along slowly at the trials, and draws the inside alley with a strong jockey aboard.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Smart local four-year-old 1. Jack The Brumby returns for a second prep off a typical forward trial. Ran four consecutive second placings last winter, twice edged out by a long neck or less, but has to cart his biggest weight so far from an awkward draw. Goulburn four-year-old 3. Bombardeo resumes, with no public trials, but flashed home on debut here last July. Expect improvement fourth-up from local three-year-old 6. Kirkton who was given no chance here last time covering way too much ground; while four-year-old mare 10. Sifu is the best of the rest.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid to Good

My Betting Attack: ROCKOVER to WIN

 

*RACE 5 @ 4.04pm SEEARS WORKWEAR HCP (1200m) - Class 1; Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Plenty of chances in this one too, and should be reasonable speed on. Home track four-year-old mare 5. MANILA THRILLER (Keith Dryden/Blaike McDougall; 56.5kg) resumes off a nine month spell from a good draw and a nice trial. Generally comes to hand quickly, and has a touch of class about her in this grade.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Looking forward to the long-awaited return of Goulburn mare 4. Underground Music who hasn't raced since early March. Showed more than enough easily winning his maiden at third start, and bolted in a recent trial. Local three-year-old 2. Brothers Of Antrim dug deep to win here on debut, and again is drawn to get nice cover right behind the speed. Watch the betting on five-year-old 1. Josephus who resumes for a good provincial stable off two trials.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid to Good

My Betting Attack: MANILA THRILLER to WIN and Trifecta: 2,4,5/1,2,4,5/1,2,4,5/1,2,4,5

 

*RACE 6 @ 4.44pm CASINO CANBERRA HCP (1000m) - BenchMark 65; Mi8n Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Another good deep & open sprint. Like progressive four-year-old stallion 3. KEY LARGO (Bryce Heys/Keagan Latham; 61.5kg) fourth-up off a smart BM 64 provincial win. Up in weight, but well used to taking on tougher company, and will relish the long run home here.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Lightly raced four-year local mare 2. Eltham Palace is on a career ratings high after leading all the way in a dominant BM 70 Federal win here, running a slick time. Goes from the inside draw to outside, but as long as she leaves the machine well, will again take a power of catching. Smart home track filly 1. Delacour was run off her feet chasing the powerhouse Malkovich at Randwick, and not surprisingly dropped out. Before that was a good CL3 winner at Wagga, and obviously much better placed back at home in this company. Charged through the grades last spring, and huge weight has been off-set by a 3kg claim. Boasts a 50 percent winning strike rate from only eight starts. Consistent Braidwood mare 4. Moore Euros was less than a lengthy from a smart sprinter resuming in Federal grade; while four-year-old 10. Missile Magic can improve third-up back at home.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid

My Betting Attack: KEY LARGO to WIN and Box Exacta: 1,2,3

 

*RACE 7 @ 5.24pm TAB FEDERAL (1400m) - BenchMark 70; Hcp; Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Feature race of the day sets up well for tough five-year-old gelding 6. WAR DECK (John Bateman/Blaike McDougall; 56.5kg) who swept home to win a CL2 at Nowra before edged out a nose here in a good rating BM 60 here. Can take the next step dropping significantly in weight.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Plenty of them headed by local mare 5. Fusca who has been freshened since doing her best work late in deeper grade here in December. Has kept ticking over at the trials, and was scratched from Albury on Thursday to run here. Stablemate five-year-old 3. Champagne Vega stole a break on the unlucky hot favourite here to scrape home first-up, but second-up form is nowhere near as good. South Coast six-year-old 1.  Whiskey'N'Diamonds comes out of some strong races, and will appreciate the big run home, but up a whopping 8kg in weight; while included in wider exotics local seven-year-old 4. Kanerupt with the winkers off.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid

My Betting Attack: WAR DECK to WIN and Trifecta: 5,6/1,3,4,5,6/1,3,4,5,6

 

*RACE 8 @ 6.04pm AFFINITY CONSTRUCTIONS AUSTRALIA PLATE (1400m) - Maiden; Set Weights; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

We close the card with a competitive maiden at set weights. Really Liked the closing effort first-up off a long break from four-year-old local gelding 4. PORT DOUGLAS (Matthew Dale/Keagan Latham; 59kg) and this looks a nice follow-up assignment. Stronger rider has been booked, and he'll progress over further being by Cox Plate winner Adelaide.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Kembla staying four-year-old 2. Librarian resumes in a suitable race off a forward trial; while big watch on Randwick filly 12. Nothinsweetaboutme who debuts for a leading metro stable, but is drawn in the carpark.

 

Likely Tempo: Reasonable to Solid

My Betting Attack: PORT DOUGLAS to WIN

 

**My BEST EARLY BETS:

 

R5 5. MANILA THRILLER**

R6 3. KEY LARGO*

R8 4. PORT DOUGLAS**

 

**My BEST EARLY VALUE:

 

R1 3. KATHAIRE

 

**My BEST EARLY EXOTICS:

 

R5: *FIRST FOUR: 2,3,4,5/1,2,3,4,5,6/1,2,3,4,5,6/1,2,3,4,5,6

R6: **Box Exacta: 1,2,3

 

**TRAINERS TO FOLLOW:

 

Matthew Dale**

Keith Dryden*

 

**JOCKEYS TO FOLLOW:

 

Keagan Latham**

Blaike McDougall*