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Cracking Canberra Preview 6 August 2021 by Neil Evans

*RACE 1 NORTH CANBERRA BEAR BAR 3YO HCP (1206m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

We kick off with the three-year-olds, and they're all on synthetic for the first time. Home track three-year-old 2. LOOSE LOVE (Todd Smart/Damon Budler a2kg; 56kg) resumes without publicly trialing, but showed enough in his first prep to break through.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Improving three-year-old 1. Pink Panther can improve fourth-up with blinkers coming off; while local stablemate fillies 3. Kitty Purring and 4. Rebel Dreamer both come out of even trial efforts at Goulburn.

 

Likely Tempo: Reasonable to Solid

My Betting Attack: LOOSE LOVE to WIN & Trifecta: 1,2/1,2,3,4/1,2,3,4 

 

*RACE 2 @ 1.01pm TONY FARRUGIA BODYWORKS BENCHMARK 60 HCP (1750m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Typical even battle for this grade and distance. Tough local five-year-old 2. CASINO TIME (Gratz "Twinkle Toes" Vella/Richard Bensley; 58.5kg) failed to get into the action from the wide gate on the South Coast, but the track that day was very shifty. Had previously zoomed home to win at Wagga before finishing well here, and has a sound record on this surface.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Expecting local five-year-old 1. Invincible Dash to bounce back from an ordinary effort in stronger class at Moruya, although the handicapper has made it tough allotting 62.5kg. Honest six-year-old 5. Pride Of Kaluru has found the line well in deeper races on the South Coast, and is also a synthetic track winner. Gap to the rest!

 

Likely Tempo: Fair

My Betting Attack: CASINO TIME to WIN

 

*RACE 3 @ 1.36pm TAB FEDERAL BENCHMARK 75 HCP (1000m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Now the feature Federal sprint, and confident smart local seven-year-old mare 1. EVE'S MISS (Keith Dryden/Ms Teaghan Martin a4kg; 56.5kg) can erupt first-up off a sharp trial win. Big weight is off-set by a 4kg claim, loves this distance, and has a good synthetic track record. 

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Lightly raced mare 3. Delacour can be hard to catch, but she has a nice second-up record and early speed to counter the wider draw. Ageless 11-year-old 4. Sky Mission loves the synthetic and the five furlong dash. Gave nothing else a chance here last start, but doubt he can match it with the top selection. Draws the inside with a weight advantage. Include both mares 5. Nobody's Puppet; and consistent 6. Underwood in exotics.

 

Likely Tempo: Good

My Betting Attack: EVE'S MISS to WIN

 

*RACE 4 @ 2.11pm PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONALS CLASS 1 PLATE (1900m) - Set Weights; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Intriguing affair, with a couple likely to start on quick back-ups. Keen on four-year-old 2. GAYLARD (Joe Cleary/Nick Souquet; 59kg) who has swept home late in his last two after a dominant off-speed maiden win at Moruya. First time on the synthetic, but gets out to a longer journey at the right time, and will be saved for one last surge.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: If home track five-year-old 8. Epizeel backs up in four days after flopping on a shocking heavy surface at Gundagai, he will give a sight over a longer trip and on a track he has a liking for. Capable five-year-old 1. Clem Fandango is much better suited back at home on a firmer surface after struggling second-up on a bog track. Improving six-year-old 5. Taliano has had three improving runs back in heavy ground; while local mare 7. Congenial Mistress hasn't won for a long time but comes off a strong finishing effort in a similar race.

 

Likely Tempo: Moderate

My Betting Attack: GAYLARD to WIN

 

*RACE 5 @ 2.46pm M J BENTON REFINISHING MAIDEN PLATE (1080m) - Set Weights; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Back to the short course, and this shapes up nicely for resuming four year-old Zebedee mare 8. PANDERING (Keith Dryden/Brendan Ward; 57kg) who is trained on the track. In typical stable preparation hasn't officially trialled, but has been in work for quite a while, and showed plenty across her last prep in much deeper maidens than this.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Doubt there are any, but rival local four-year-old 4. Kenny's Lad looms as the quinella runner after finishing close-up in his last two here on this surface; while five-year-old mare 7. Bella Tarouga resumes behind a fair trial.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid to Good

My Betting Attack: PANDERING to WIN and Quinella: 4 and 8

 

*RACE 6 @ 3.23pm O'CONNOR COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATION CLASS 1 HCP (1206m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Another fairly thin sprint, and local four-year-old 4. KHALEEJ (John Rolfe/Ajira Kajiya; 57.5kg) can bounce straight back four weeks between runs after failing to fire on rain affected ground at Goulburn. Had previously charged home from well back in two synthetic runs to start the prep for the new stable, and at the weights is the clear one to beat.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Another four-year-old 5. Smuggler's Run was a dominant maiden winner first-up before working home nicely in heavy ground at Goulburn, and drew the inside. Gap to the rest, but keep safe Nowra five-year-old 3. Westgrove who drops back sharply from being way outclassed in a Randwick Highway on heavy ground; while four-year-old mare 6 Bring It Bella resumes right down in weight after the junior rider's claim.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid

My Betting Attack: KHALEEJ to WIN and Quinella: 4 and 5

 

*RACE 7 @ 4.03pm GREATER CONSTRUCTIONS SERVICES BENCHMARK 65 HCP (1280m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

Should be useful speed in this one, with a few chances. Hard to go past consistent local six-year-old 3. EUROSAY (Todd Smart/Damon Budler a2kg; 56kg) third-up on his pet surface. Surged home to win a handy BM 58 at Wagga in heavy going before missing by a whisker under a bigger weight, and has won two from three on the Acton synthetic.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Lightly raced mare 5. Evanora is smart on her day, and unbeaten from two starts on this surface. Failed to fire first-up off a five week break, but can improve sharply here dropping 4.5kg after the claim. Watch the market on local four-year-old 7. Propose A Toast who resumes with no public trials, but has ability. South Coast mare 4. Bellagano hasn't won for a while and recent form has been poor, but connections banking on a return to synthetic will do the trick.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid to Good

My Betting Attack: EUROSAY to WIN and Box Exacta: 3,5,7

 

*RACE 8 @ 4.43pm MOORE QUALITY HOMES MAIDEN HCP (1280m) - Min Weight 55kg; Apprentices Can Claim:

 

We close the meeting with a very tricky maiden. Like progressive and lightly raced local four-year-old mare 11. MORE EXCITEMENT (Keith Dryden/Ms Hannah Williams a3kg; 53kg) to break through second-up. Hit the line late in a deeper race at the Sapphire Coast, and gets in light after jockey's allowance.

 

*MAIN DANGERS: Home track filly 10. Miss Manzanilla was disappointing at Forbes when hard in the market, but returns home for her third start with blinkers added. Was scratched from the opening race to run in this one. Big watch on four-year-old 2. Shafty who resumes for only his second start with a new country stable behind two improving trials. Local Delago Deluxe mare 4. Third Eye is also on debut, and hasn't been seen at the trials since a tidy effort on the synthetic in March; while watching for any market move on So You Think four-year-old 1. You Are King who hasn't trialled since a lame effort in January, and debuts in winkers.

 

Likely Tempo: Solid to Good

My Betting Attack: MORE EXCITEMENT to WIN and Box Exacta 2,10,11

 

**My BEST EARLY BETS:

 

R3 1. EVE'S MISS**

R4 2. GAYLARD*

R5 8. PANDERING**

R7 3. EUROSAY*

 

**My BEST EARLY VALUE:

 

R8 11. MORE EXCITEMENT**

 

**My BEST EARLY EXOTICS:

 

R8: **Box Exacta: 2,10,11

 

**TRAINERS TO FOLLOW:

 

Keith Dryden**

Todd Smart*

 

**JOCKEYS TO FOLLOW:

 

Damon Budler**