Next Day Race Preview   Saturday April 14, 2012   Ryan Ansell Investment Solutions Race Day Race Day Preview by Wayne Bristow Gates Open: 11.15am First Race: 12.05pm Last Race: 4.39pm Weather: Some rain during the week and cold conditions means the track will probably hold the moisture for longer. It looks to be on the improve for Saturday. Track: DEAD (5) – at acceptance time. Rail: Out 7m Entire Circuit – Had a fortnight off after a sustained period of racing mostly with the rail at or near the true position. Meeting Overview: There are smallish fields but many look even betting contests. RACE 1: (12:05pm) The Callaghan Institute Maiden Plate Grade: Set Weights Maiden Distance: 2300m Many of those carrying the high imposts in this Set Weight race have claimed making it almost a level weighted event. Having said that, Gai Waterhouse has also used Adam Hyeronimus’ 1.5kg allowance on the limit horse ROSINI and she will be tough to beat. The filly ran 5-4 elect on Newmarket Hcp day in a Mile Maiden and while not quickening, was only defeated by a ½ length. She goes straight to the 2300m here but in Gai’s current form and with her traditional bone and muscle style, this filly will be strong. Interestingly she is still in the ATC Oaks next week which has dropped away in quality. ENCOSTA FUTURA was second in the maiden here on 24 March over this trip. He’ll be rock hard fit for this now and is a half-brother to the Caulfield Cup winner Diatribe so he will run this right out. FRESHMAN will work home as he often does and despite being up for a long time, he keeps returning a cheque for his owners over these sorts of distances. Selections: 9 ROSINI, 2 ENCOSTA FUTURA, 6 FRESHMAN RACE 2: (12:45pm) Dr Jeremy Coleman Maiden Plate Grade: Set Weights Maiden Distance: 1200m Pace in this race will be crucial because those who get back will need it. One of those will likely be THE QUICKSTEP. Mark de Montfort’s 3yo was near the rear for much of his lead up race on 31 March and charged to the line behind the nice winner Brown Doubt. Under the same scale here, he will just need cover but should get that off a better barrier and being by Mossman, a little edge off the track will only help him. From the same race, BOOKED OUT was on the speed here a fortnight back and fought on well to finish only a length back. Anthony Cummings has gone for a more experienced jockey this time and he might be getting a nice run off gate 3. The runner with upside could be KNOWING. He had two runs in his first preparation, ending up in town behind Just The Tonic who went on to run favourite in the G3 Spring Stks here last September. This 3yo has been spelled and trialled since, winning here earlier in the month. Selections: 8 THE QUICKSTEP, 2 BOOKED OUT, 6 KNOWING RACE 3: (1:25pm) Ausure Insurance Brokers Benchmark 70 Grade: Handicap Distance: 1850m Another race where the toppies have claimed to be closer to the limit. It is hard not to be impressed with the way MYAMIRA is going. She has won three of four this campaign and showed a liking for the big track at Scone, sitting off the speed and rounding them up under Robert Thompson. She has her jockey back up again and you’d have to think the extra ground won’t be too much of an issue. RODEO PLAYBOY got to the end of last preparation by placing in the Taree Cup. That was under a bigger weight so after the claim in this and seemingly needing a decent track, this is the right type of trip. He didn’t have those conditions last run. The stout combatant UNCTUOUS goes around again. Since arriving from Victoria, he has won three races over the mile or longer and is one who wouldn’t mind a softer surface. Selections: 6 MYAMIRA, 1 RODEO PLAYBOY, 2 UNCTUOUS RACE 4: (2:00pm) Smikteck Maiden Grade: Maiden Handicap Distance: 1500m The fascinating runner of the day could end up being the former European horse from the Sir Henry Cecil stable MR MONOPOLIZE. That may be the only connection to Frankel but he comes here off winning a trial at Randwick. Gai Waterhouse has not trained too many of these imports but much like what we’ve seen through the likes of Chris Waller, the Freedmans and Peter Moody, the speed can be trained back into their legs not out of them. This is the first time he’s been in a race less than 2000m since his debut. Speaking of Waller, he has DISCIPLE entered off a fourth at Wyong but it was an ATC meeting. That race might be OK and he should be better for the run over a trip near his sire’s best. A 3yo filly with prospects here is ALIYANA. With Bart Cummings, the daughter of champion sire Zabeel can only improve off her debut second at Hawkesbury. The breed just need ground and time to show their best but she gets a perfect run here. Selections: 1 MR MONOPOLIZE, 2 DISCIPLE, 5 ALIYANA RACE 5: (2:40pm) Ryan Ansell Investment Solutions Benchmark 60 Grade: Handicap Distance: 1500m They might struggle to hold onto the tail of XATEL EKWA in this. She came off a debut placing with a last to first effort here over this trip, coming away by 3½ lengths. Clearly she enjoyed the firmer track that day and while Craig Carmody hasn’t got many horses, his stable flag bearer Single showed he can maintain form longer than one run. Probably gets the run of the race as well. PENNYFORYATHOUGHTS drops back from a BM 70 race where he led and folded late but the previous three runs in this sort of company were much better. He’s likely to be the leader, although he will have to kick up from gate one under a big weight which is never easy. Kris Lees’ BONDARENKO doesn’t look to have outstanding form on paper but was close up two runs ago and then in harder grade in town was on the fence when in the betting and just held ground. She gets more galloping room here. Selections: 6 XATEL EKWA, 1 PENNYFORYATHOUGHTS, 2 BONDARENKO RACE 6: (3.20pm) Little Rascals Photography Class 1 Handicap Grade: Class 1 Distance: 1300m This race might be an even betting affair. GENERAL SORRISO looks ready now. He has been finishing progressively closer from run to run and was second here a fortnight ago. He is capable of taking up a position so should use the inside draw well and has rarely run a poor one on his home track, no matter the conditions. BROWN DOUBT did a nice job to break his maiden here on 31 March. He sat midfield and came with a strong last 400m. Has to now run in a Class 1 which is not always easy but gets a slight weight drop to help that. On his best form MR PEDANTIC will test these. Now with Trevor Bailey, he came from New Zealand after placing three times in a row to start his 4yo season. But consider that as a 3yo he ran seventh in the Waikato Guineas, only five lengths back from Jimmy Choux. He may need more ground though. WILD OATS can run well here too so include him in multiples. Selections: 3 GENERAL SORRISO, 4 BROWN DOUBT, 1 MR PEDANTIC RACE 7: (4:00pm) The Depot On Beaumont 2yo Maiden Plate Grade: Set Weight 2yo Distance: 900m The betting will play as an important tool for this with so many un-raced babies engaged. However the equal most experienced horse in the race will surely be hard to beat. While BENEDICTUS comes straight back to the short course, she did run favourite in town midweek when racing near the front. Half-sister to Alizes who was likely to start favourite in the 2004 Golden Slipper bar for bleeding when winning the lead up, this Peter Snowden filly has enough speed to cross over given she led both Driefontein and No Looking Back in her first two starts and they subsequently quinellad the Magic Millions. CHAMPAGNE GIGGLES scored in a barrier trial at Randwick and with not many opportunities in town for the juveniles with all the big races on at the moment, this might be a nice option. She finds the fence immediately here and Snippetson can produce a youngster. Another of them is GONE PLATINUM who is with a good trainer in Matthew Smith (Hurtle Myrtle fame) and she has had two trials in town to be ready. Keep an eye on her. FIMATINO will be better for the experience of her debut second and looks well in. Selections: 6 BENEDICTUS, 7 CHAMPAGNE GIGGLES, 11 GONE PLATINUM RACE 8: (4:39pm) Rhombus Design Architecture Benchmark 65 Grade: Handicap Distance: 1200m We find a good competitive sprint to finish the card. At her optimum, SAILOR SAM is good enough to win this. It’s the reason she has the leading Benchmark in this race but Kris Lees has done the smart thing in using Sam Clipperton’s claim. After a short break she has trialled twice but the last one was a sign she could be showing the right material. SCHOOL OF TURIN has won two of her last three including a decent effort here last time out. She can handle any conditions and should land on the speed. METALLIC GREY put in a brave effort sitting second here and getting clear by a ½ length over this distance. He did win third up as well last campaign when trained in Victoria. Flemington Carnival winner from two years back WHO’S READY could be a player on that but not on recent form. Probably needs it very wet. Selections: 1 SAILOR SAM, 7 SCHOOL OF TURIN, 6 METALLIC GREY MEETING SUMMARY & SELECTIONS There might be one or two shorties on the program but several races are even affairs. Gai Waterhouse could take a double from her two runners with one a potential Oaks entrant and the other an English import however the prices might be difficult to get excited about. Best Bet: Race 7-6 BENEDICTUS Value Runner: Race 8-1 SAILOR SAM	Tuesday 22nd May WCRC - Cessnock | Wine Country Race Club Raceday Saturday 26th May Broadmeadow | Newcastle Rotary Race Day Saturday 7th July PINK TRIBUTE SHOW - Limited Tickets Available!! Inside Running Summer newsletter online