Hawkesbury and Quirindi tips: The stakes are high for the short-term favorite

The Form: Complete the NSW Racing Thoroughbred Form, including video replays and everything you need to know about each horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!

HAWKESBURY

BEST BET

Race 2, n° 10: LEFT ROLL

Above average Dundeel mare who could be in better races in the spring. His race to lose.

NEXT BEST

Race 1, n°8: BLUE CANSATA

Didn’t run as badly as it looked on paper at last start; whatever the case, he wants the mile now

VALUE BET

Race 3, n°9: JUNQUEIRA

Capitalist filly from a USA winning mare who has more than looked the part in her two recent trials.

QUADDY

Race 4: 1.4

Race 5: 2

Race 6: 2.5

Race 7: 1,2,3,5

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

James McDonald is now $1.33 to win the 2022/23 Premiership; he might not get much better than that to win Tuesday’s Jockeys Challenge.

QUIRINDI

BEST BET

Race 2, #5: IRON HAT

Powerfully built gelding who has already had a tidy CV, including Starmaker at home in Muswellbrook on a Heavy 8

NEXT BEST

Race 6, n°6: PRINCE AKEEM

Gallopeur trained by Todd Howlett who returns but is blessed with a solid finish. Just manage the heavy 10 here.

VALUE BET

Race 1, n°8: CRYSTALLINE

Daughter of Tarzino from the Kris Lees yard who has finished six times in 10 starts. Gets his big chance to win here.

DOMESTIC MAIL FOR HAWKESBURY

RACE 1

Blue Canasta is a colt trained by John Sargent by Smart Missile who is best described as ‘building something up’. Blue Canasta had three runs this prep, 1300m, 1200m then 1300m again and the last run in Wyong certainly suggested he would be better served over a mile next time and on a bigger track. Inuwashi is an Orbis rider from the Chris Waller stable. This Irish-bred grandson of High Chaparral will run 2000m and more (son) so the second mile is the right option. Dresden, a tracker trained by Tracey Bartley, met an obviously son of Frankel during the last start in Wyong.

Bet: Blue Canasta winner, quinella 2.8, box tiered 1,2,6,8

RACE 2

Left Reeling is another formed by John Sargent. This mare is probably one of the cheapest favorites of the day, but that kind of thing happens when you book James McDonald. Left Reeling is by Dundeel so on the right stable to go out to 2000m and maybe more and win his owners a stakes race in the spring or fall. Santorini Sun was scratched from a very heavy track at Goulburn yesterday to race on an infinitely better surface here. She is a Choose mare who is too good to be a maiden any longer. Avoidance of the Waterhouse/Bott participant will be important for a long time.

Bet: Left Reeling to Win

RACE 3

Junqueira is a Capitalist filly out of American mare Bibby and was purchased for $80,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Yearling Sale. home in Randwick and is training to run well albeit in a fairly strong provincial girl. Diamond Flare, formerly known as Dickson Horse, is a flying machine. The Deep field son was not placed behind In The Congo on the Kensington track on his May 2021 debut and has tried six times since, winning five of them – often by wide space. Sir Ming, Alinghi’s grandson, carries J Mac and arrives after a few crackerjack tries.

Bet: Victory of Junqueira

RACE 4

Selfie Time was a double acceptor on the card with coaches Richard and Will Freedman choosing to start here. Selfie Time is out of Savabeel out of a naturally bred O’Reilly mare at Waikato Stud in New Zealand. They can be described as progressive and are coming off an easy win at Kembla, albeit against a small group of inferior opponents. Can go to next step. Mihocek has finished second in his only two previous visits to this venue, including his last start. Has a big weight but has been competitive in better races than this. Upper House is a great ex-Norm Gardner campaigner who has won 10 times in 58 starts. Could pull something fresh on a good suitably ‘firm’ surface first.

Bet: Selfie Time to win, quinella 1.4

RACE 5

Sovereign Express races in the colors of his esteemed son Sons Of John who once got closer to Winx than many others ever did. This son of Frankel’s three-quarter brother Bullet Train has been in fabulous form this prep, so much so that the five-year-old is on a hat-trick. Race home and have “a winning draw”. Why not yet? The Tavistock Turnaround Time gelding is also in sparkling form at the moment. The John Steinmetz-trained gelding was rewarded for his consistency with an impressive victory in the final start in Bathurst. Placed two out of three on the same track and distance. Dash Dash Dash is still a young girl but seems closer than ever to a well-deserved breakthrough.

Bet: Sovereign Express wins, Exacta 2 beats 9, Daily Double go (2), return (3)

RACE 6

Communist is a shrewdly named son of the recently crowned season one champion, Russian Revolution. The Michael Freedman-trained three-year-old was runner-up in Godolphin Huon’s practical galloper on May 25, then came here to Hawkesbury soon after and was too good. Note that he’s had tries in the meantime and been a bit of a snapper in the Heat. Roma Avenue is a typical Star Witness chestnut from the Mark Newnham stable. This flashy gelding has raced five times for one win, one second and three thirds, but most importantly, he is a fast winner from the last start. Worst of all, he’s got the 10 out of 10 barrier. Wealthofknowledge is another who barely got his foot in the way. The best in the test is Tycoon Tiara’s daughter, Zemininka.

Bet: communist to win

RACE 7

Toto has been plagued with wet tracks this preparation but nonetheless ran well at times. Manhattan Rain’s son, trained by Todd Howlett, gets the right surface here and what’s more; it looks like a quick run, so he could very well play the role of ambush here and sweep the house right above them. Comonic is a talented and lightly raced ‘nephew’ of a former Hawkesbury Guineas winner in Shazee Lee. You may remember she was a barnstormer in her day, whereas Comonic is a very fast horse. Crushing victory at Scone on July 27. Go well. The ceasefire carries a lot of weight, but what’s the point of calling for it when you have James McDonald?

Bet: Toto to win

Originally published as Race day focus: Best bets, inside mail for Hawkesbury