Horse racing tips: Best bets for Monday at Canterbury and Inverell with Shayne O'Cass
Trainers Peter and Paul Snowden will unveil the potentially very smart Fickle at Canterbury on New Year’s Day. Picture: AAP Image–Simon Bullard
Monday racing on New Year's Day at Canterbury and expecting the Snowden yard to produce a promising filly on debut.
CANTERBURY
BEST BET
Race 2 No. 5: Fickle
I Am Invincible daughter of multiple Stakes winner Flippant. Bred to have talent and surely does.
NEXT BEST
Race 8 No. 13: To The Extreme
Powered over the top over her rivals for an easy win here at only her second start. On the up.
VALUE
Race 4 No. 6: Castillian
Caught the eye at Randwick at his NSW/Joe Pride debut. This trip more suitable and is fitter.
QUADDIE
Race 5: 4,9,11
Race 6: 4,5,6
Race 7: 1,3,10
Race 8: 2,13
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
Dylan Gibbons has several winning prospects to start the New Year on the right note.
INVERELL
BEST BET
Race 1 No. 7: Evasive Nature
Runner-up at his only two starts, both in significantly better maidens than this is.
NEXT BEST
Race 2 No. 5: Too Many Stars
All Too Hard filly who has run well in two of the best country maiden line-ups imaginable.
VALUE
Race 7 No. 7: Crystal Chief
Another of Brett Cavanough's this one could deliver him the Cup off the back of a top run at Scone last start.
INSIDE MAIL – CANTERBURY
RACE 1
Counter is a Chris Waller trained son of French Derby winner Lope De Vega whose resume currently reads as nine starts for a second and four thirds. Fact is, he should most likely have one win on the board; he was devilishly unlucky here two runs back. Drawn poorly again however. Stablemate I Am Smiling is a filly by I Am Invincible out of Lucia Valentina. The more she races, the better she is getting and the 1900m shapes as ideal right now.
Bet: Counter to win or if scratched, I Am Smiling to win
RACE 2
Fickle is the first foal of Flippant who has the rare honour and distinction of having won stakes-races in three states. She was a good filly, she also ran fourth in the Magic Millions Guineas. As for Fickle, she is by I Am Invincible and races in the same colours and with the same trainers as her mother. Trials indicate talent. Hellbent On You has done some good things in her three starts. She is first-up on Monday off an impressive trial win.
Bet: Fickle to win, exacta 5 to beat 6, First 4: No. 5 (standout), 4,6,10,12 (boxed)
RACE 3
Viaconi bumped into a pretty smart one, that being Chartwell, when on debut here on December 15. This Kris Lees trained son of Nicconi went down fighting. He drew 2 that evening, he has 1 this time which, on paper, seems to advance his prospects. Maracaibo Sun is an intriguing horse. He was bought by Katsumi ‘Deep Impact' Yoshida for $500,000 at the Easter Yearling Sale and given to Maher/Eustace. Trials are a bit hard to read but he is a smashing type who moves well.
Bet: Viaconi to win, Maracaibo Sun each-way, quinella 6,10
RACE 4
Castillian made his NSW and Joe Pride stable debut in an 1100m Benchmark 72 at Randwick on December 16. Sent out at $21, he was beaten for pace early but nothing was going any better or faster than him up the rise and to the post. Big run, expect better again on Monday. Capital Asset is one of those horses who is invariably thereabouts. So much so that you would be hard pressed to find a ‘bad run' on his showreel and what's more, he has some depth to his form. Trialled well and drawn well. Botanica was impressive at Beaumont.
Bet: Castillian to win, quinella 2,6
RACE 5
Bangetta has talent beyond the midweeks. Consider this; she was third on debut on the Miss Finland to Hip Hip Hurrah (who goes well) then two starts after was second beaten under a neck at Doomben to Miracles Of Love (who goes really well). The Kris Lees trained filly has won two of three this time in. Drawn 11 of 12 here is the big worry. Ballistic Therapy has won 4 of her last 7 starts. She went down fighting here when third last start. Horse and jockey are in fantastic touch. Utopian Wine was good at Gosford but Tommy Berry helped!
Bet: Bangetta to win
RACE 6
Bak Da Man is a well-bred horse with four stakes-performed siblings including a Group 1 Easter Handicap winner and closer to home, the former Tulloch Lodger – Ecuador. As for Bak Da Man himself, he is working his way to a peak performance having banked back to back fifths to open the latest campaign. Needs this trip now. Brynner has raced at this track and distance twice for a win and a third. Kerrin McEvoy has a win and four placings in his five rides. Ring Ahoy is getting close but getting costly too.
Bet: Bak Da Man to win, Daily Double 1st leg (4), 2nd leg (13)
RACE 7
Monday's feature Canterbury Classic is a long way off being a two-horse race but it does see the renewal of rivalries between the Razor Sharp ‘quinella' of Insurrection and Recommendation. For the record, they finished the other way around at Randwick but there was almost nothing separating them on the line. Perhaps their respective barriers – Insurrection 2 and Recommendation (7 as of Sunday) – may be significant in the outcome. King of Hastings is on his way up to the Gold Coast (I imagine) but keep in mind, his second-up record is superb.
Bet: Insurrection to win
RACE 8
To The Extreme is a Ron Quinton trained filly who was a tad unlucky on debut here on November 17. She came back for another 1100m maiden on December 8 and was out of this world impressive. Long story short, she was back near last but circled the field, ran up to them and ran right away at the finish. Speaking of impressive, the handsome Chartwell was outstanding winning here first-up. He has clearly come back well because he'd been trialling like a bomb beforehand. Global Empire can bounce back from the favourable alley. Navy Blood and Tamaroa are the value runners.
Bet: To The Extreme to win, First 4: No. 13 (standout), 2,3,5,19 (boxed)
