Race-by-race preview and tips for Monday meeting at Goulburn
By Neil Evans
Track likely Soft 6 and rail True
Race 1 - 1.15pm: MAIDEN PLATE (1000m)
Home-track filly 10. Shelly’s Ace resumes for only her second start in a suitable race, with the early hot favourite coming out. By Shalaa and is bred to handle heavy ground.
Racing returns to Goulburn on Monday with a seven-race card.Credit: Fairfax
Dangers: Honest home-tracker 3. Norris fourth-up and improving local mare 7. Sass ‘N’ Cheek can fight for the quinella spot.
How to play it: Shelly’s Ace to win.
Race 2 - 1.55pm: BENCHMARK 58 HCP (2100m)
Out over the long trip now comes at the right time for improving metro six-year-old 1. Whetu fourth-up. Only worked home fairly two starts back in a provincial BM 68 before ridden much quieter and charging home to miss by under a length in another deeper provincial race. Looks fairly treated carrying 61kg over more ground dropping back to this level.
Dangers:Consistent 6. Naval Commission fifth-up for the powerful Maher-Eustace stable is the immediate threat. Has been in the placings all three runs since resuming with a maiden win, and also gets a soft run back in the pack before surging home. Big gap to the rest headed by 9. Interventionist who is hard fit and comes through a strong provincial class 1, and at bigger odds home-track mare 7. Chaotic Beauty who is on the seven-day back-up and rising sharply in trip after struggling from a wide gate here against similar opposition.
How to play it: Whetu to win.
Race 3 - 2.35pm: CLASS 3 HCP (1000m)
Tough metro five-year-old 1. Oceans One has been campaigning well enough in very handy sprints, winning two of his last four since a freshen-up. On a nine-day back-up here from a tougher Midway BM72 where he felt the pinch late, but back in distance, and on preferred rain-affected ground, he’s the one to beat.
Dangers: The market will be a solid indicator with lightly raced 2. De Poet resuming behind two trials, while wet-track specialist 3. Amazing Nicci resuming off a steady trial and 8. Minimal, also first-up, can both run into the minor money.
How to play it: Oceans One to win.
Race 4 - 3.10pm: CLASS 1 HCP (900m)
Over the pure short course here and on a rain-hit surface shapes well for progressive home tracker 7. Super Norwest third-up in her first full prep. Powered home fresh to win her maiden before disappointing in a class 1, but has been given a month between runs and blinkers go on.|
Dangers: Expecting a bold first-up run from home track mare 4. Deep Shimmer whose only win so far from four starts came in heavy ground. Keep safe resuming filly 5. Miss Belgium especially if the inside ground is holding up OK.
How to play it: Super Norwest to win.
Race 5 - 3.45pm: MAIDEN PLATE (1400m)
Testing maiden. Debutante Contributor filly 13. Harlow Mist looks well placed in the smaller field now behind two improving trials, and bred to handle rain-affected ground.
Dangers: Stablemate mare from the John Sargent yard 6. River Tamar is second-up with winkers being added. Fresh run at the provincials was OK, and the winner from that race scored again at Kembla on Saturday. Expect sharp improvement from Written Tycoon colt 9. Das Kapital having only his second start in NSW, and bred to handle soft ground. Included in exotics 4. Rabairneach who is hard fit.
How to play it: Harlow Mist to win.
Race 6 - 4.20pm: MAIDEN HCP (1200m)
It doesn’t get any easier here, although there’s plenty to like value-wise about lightly raced Pariah filly 9. Mercury Rose second up. Liked the way she hit the line late over 100m shorter at Nowra, and had previously trialled well in soft ground.
Dangers: Dropping back from a deeper provincial maiden, improving mare 6. Amrap is well treated at the weights in this company. Keep safe 13. Pins And Needles who can improve sharply after an even debut at the provincials. Stablemate of Amrap, 11. Infinite Rose shapes over the odds third-up with blinkers on for the first time.
How to play it: Mercury Rose to win.
Race 7 - 4.55pm : BENCHMARK 58 HCP (1300m)
Another competitive sprint to finish. This stacks up ideally for home track mare 3. Allgemeine who is long overdue for a third career win, but gets a significant class dropback from a string of runs in Highway company. Charged home late into a place two rugns back at Randwick before dropping out when ridden way too close at Rosehill 23 days ago. Can settle further back here from a wide gate, given his head down the middle from the 400m, and is the superior wet-tracker.
Dangers:Lightly raced filly 10. Destructive Diva is much better placed here second-up, while 1. Free State is also back from Highway grade third-up. Gap to the rest.
How to play it: Allgemeine to win
BEST BETS
R3 1. OCEANS ONE
R7 3. ALLGEMEINE
BEST VALUE
R2 1. WHETU
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
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