race day preview

Jason Coyle heads to Wyong on Thursday with plenty of confidence his trio of runners should all race well.

Warwick Farm based Coyle admits he normally favours big, wide tracks but concedes he has had plenty of luck at Wyong.

“For someone who likes big, open tracks I do like running my horses at Wyong,” he said.

“The surface up there is normally very good and it’s just a matter of finding the right races.”

He is hopeful to have done just that with Malthouse lining up in the 1350m BM70, Benfica Maid in the 1600m Class 1and Scorching Zorro in the 2100m Maiden.

“Malthouse is a nice horse. We started him over a distance that was a touch short at Goulburn last start, for what he will eventually be after.

“He was a touch underdone as well but I think he will improve again second up. He is still carrying good condition but will definitely appreciate the step up in trip.

“I think he is a horse who will get over more ground. In his first preparation I wouldn’t have said that because he did a lot wrong and wanted to over race but based on his first up run, where he relaxed really well, I think he should be able to press out to a mile at some stage.”

The four-year-old Carlton House gelding put together back to back wins in his first preparation, including a 1300m victory at Goulburn.

Coyle is full of praise for his four-year-old Benfica Maid and believes she will have the ideal conditions on Thursday.

The Benfica mare has consistent form around the Provincials and is coming off a last start fourth at Wyong over the 1350m on March 28.

“She was excellent last start. Her runs have been terrific this preparation back, she’s done nothing wrong. She placed in a maiden at Canterbury over 1550m last time in and there is no reason to think she won’t appreciate another step up in journey.

“She was looking for the mile last start and given that she’s drawn a nice gate, she’s in the right grade, right class and doesn’t mind the sting out of the track, I think she should race well.

“She’s a mare who should be able to continue to work through her grades. Ideally, we’ll have her fit once the carnivals finished and hopefully step into a fillies and mares mid-week Benchmark race at some stage.”

Coyle looks to have found the ideal race with his Sizzling gelding, Scorching Zorro.

The three-year-old has been consistent in his first preparation, with a second at Goulburn over 1600m and fourth on the same track on March 23 over 2140m.

“He’s not far away. The more he steps up in the trip the more it’s suiting him. He was very good last start, after being attacked throughout the race at Goulburn.

“He’s got not turn of foot and is very one paced, so these are the sort of races that are going to suit him.

“With an even sort of run in transit, you’d think in a staying maiden he’d be competitive again.”

The first of eight races gets underway at 12.55pm.

SELECTIONS

Race 1 – 12.55pm: RFS VOLUNTEERS THANK YOU MAIDEN (2100m): 1 RED HOT CHILLYPINS, 2 Aguante, 3 Scorching Zorro, 4 Whiskey Jack.

Race 2 – 1.35pm: SES VOLUNTEERS THANK YOU MAIDEN (1000m): 1 ZANZIDANCE, 2 Down To Earth, 3 At The Helm, 4 Fused Magic.

Race 3 – 2.10pm: VRA VOLUNTEERS THANK YOU MAIDEN (1350m): 1 DUTY, 2 Smart Success, 3 Buckin Rippa’, 4 Qinghai Lake.

Race 4 – 2.50pm: WWW.TAB.COM.AU PROV & CTRY MAIDEN (1350m): 1 QUEEN SNIP, 2 Buckin’ RIppa, 3 Butch’N’Bugs, 4 Divine Eleven.

Race 5 – 3.25pm: COCA-COLA CLASS 1 (1600m): 1 KIRWAN’S LANE, 2 Rockarosa, 3 Benfica Maid, 4 Segrill.

Race 6 – 4.05pm: CARLTON UNITED BREWERIES CLASS 1 (1300m):1 ESTROVERTO, 2 Darleb, 3 Favra, 4 Instant Attraction.

Race 7 – 4.40pm: WYONG’S NEXT RACE DAY APRIL 16 CONDITIONAL BM70 (1350m): 1 ABSOLUTE TRUST, 2 Ashton Blair, 3 Trajection, 4 Salsa Man.

Race 8 – 5.15pm: GOOD LUCK WYONG @ THE POLYTRACK PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL CLASS 1 (1000m): 1 AXE, 2 Penang, 3 Rifles, 4

Tracey Bartley is looking at the real prospect of saddling up three runners in the Provincial Championship Final if Defeat can run up to expectations in Saturday’s Wyong Polytrack Qualifier.

The I’m Invincible gelding resumed in the Gosford Provincial Championship heat and while the run looked disappointing on paper, Bartley believes there were excuses.

He expects the four-year-old to race well and with an ounce of luck join stablemates McCormack and Moana Jewel in the $500,000 Final at Royal Randwick on April 11.

“He’s got ability and I can see him running a race nice,” Bartley said.

“He got knocked over in the running the other day about a furlong and a half from the start and was making room up the running when he got shortened up again.

“It was a much better run then it looked on paper. He certainly deserves another chance.

“He’s won at Wyong and I think the home track is an advantage. He doesn’t mind the sting out of the ground either, and I think he will get that on Saturday.”

Defeat, a $150,000 yearling, has had four wins and a placing from 13 starts. He has tasted success at Newcastle over 1400m and Bartley believes Saturday’s race is an ideal distance.

“He appreciates this distance and if he gets through to the final the 1400m will be no worries.”

Bartley has engaged Grant Buckley to ride the four-year-old, who will start from barrier seven.

“I’d probably prefer him to be taken a bit wider and wouldn’t have been worried if he’d drawn wide. He can work up to them from out there.”

Bartley said McCormack and Moana Jewel were both progressing nicely toward the April 11 final.

“It’s an exciting prospect to have two and possibly three runners in the final. I believe the two that have already qualified are live chances.”

Bartley also saddles up three-year-old All Over Magic in the Class 1 over 1350m.

“I was a bit disappointed with him in his last two runs at Newcastle and Kembla, but I think you will see a vastly improved horse this time.”

The $150,000 Wyong Polytrack Provincial Qualifier has attracted a full field of 16, with four emergencies.

Wyong trainer Kim Waugh is hoping Celer and Oxford Tycoon can progress to Randwick, while Damien Lane and Kristen Buchanan, who both have runners through to the final, have Oakfield Captain and Margie Bee respectively in the race.

Fellow Wyong trainer Jeff Englebrecht saddles up The Crimson Idol.

The first of eight races gets underway at 12.54pm.

SELECTIONS:

Race 1 – 12.54pm: TWIN LAKES AIR AND SOLAR MAIDEN (1600m): 1 URBINO, 2 Dame Margot, 3 Revellers, 4 Izzat.

Race 2 – 1.34pm: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AIR CONDITIONING AUSTRALIA CLASS 1 AND MAIDEN (2100m): 1 COLONNADE, 2 Elisa Carolina, 3 Tahuna, 4 Encostar Glory.

Race 3 – 2.14pm: LAKE MACQUARIE SHEET METAL MAIDEN (1000m): 1 ZANZIDANCE, 2 Emanate, 3 Red Hot Moon, 4 At The Helm.

Race 4 – 2.54pm: VIETNAM VETERANS HOSTEL 2YO MAIDEN (1200m): 1 ARGENTEUS, 2 O’Tartan Lass, 3 Only Mine, 4 Princess Betty.

Race 5 – 3.34pm: LAKES PODIATRY MAIDEN (1350m): 1 MUCH MUCH BETTER, 2 Derbari, 3 Static, 4 Estroverto.

Race 6 – 4.14pm: PANASONIC AUSTRALIA CLASS 1 (1350m): 1 AYTOBE, 2 Buzz, 3 Earth Song, 4 Lady Tavista.

Race 7 – 4.54pm: NORTHLAKES TOUKLEY ROTARY CLUB CONDITIONAL BM70 (1100m): 1 ICONIC STAR, 2 Rhythmic Pulse, 3 Night Flyer, 4 Upper East Side.

Race 8 – 5.35pm: POLYTRACK PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS WYONG QUALIFIER (1350m): 1 OXFORD TYCOON, 2 Bubbles Ball, 3 Esteem Spirit, 4 Celer.

It’s been a harrowing few months for Brett Partelle with his Central Coast property hit hard by fires and flood.

Smoke and ash from fires plagued his property for several months and then floods forced everything into lockdown for more than 10 days.

He saddles up six runners at Wyong on Tuesday and is hoping for a much-needed change of luck.

“It’s been a pretty tough time. We’ve been hammered,” Partelle said. “We had to back off the horses for weeks because of smoke and ash falling everywhere. We had them ready to go again and a few of them raced well at Scone and then we were hit hard by the floods.

“The horses didn’t have a saddle on them for 10 days because the flood water was lapping at our door. It’s been four months of absolute misery.”

Partelle said due to his circumstances Wyong had allowed him a private trial and he was confident the horses were all ready to go.

“I expect them all to race well but Aytobe would be the best of them,” he said. “Whatever they do on Tuesday there will be improvement to come.”

Aytobe lines up in the Provincial and Country Maiden over 1200m.

“I like this horse. He has a lot of ability and I think he’s the one to beat. He should have won last start clearly. He is the most forward of them all and if he gets around Wyong, he’s the horse to beat.

“He ran third in town last year and I think he’s in for a good preparation. We will knock his maiden off and then assess where to go from there.”

Pierro gelding, Commander Bell starts in the 1200m Class 2 and Partelle expects a good performance.

“He went well at Scone on January 30 but is basically first up again here because of the let-up. I’m looking forward to getting him over more ground because that’s when we will see the best of him.”

Stablemate Bring Glory, a last start Scone winner, is in the same race.

“His win was full of merit. It was his first start for us, and I think he will make a nice 1400m horse. He is a nice enough, progressive horse.”

Partelle saddles up Sacred Sword and Hard Reality in the 1000m Class 1.

“Sacred Sword has only had the two starts for us and won impressively first up. Then at Gosford he pulled up a bit tight over his back area, so he went for a break.

“He’s a nice progressive horse, who’s got good first up form and is in for a good campaign.

“Hard Reality improves with a run under his belt. He’s one who will definitely take improvement out of it and then will be placed back into similar company around Scone and I think that’s where he can knock off a race and move forward from there.”

Completing Partelle’s runners is Rifles in the 1000m Maiden.

“He is a horse with really nice ability. He’s been gelded and that will make a huge difference to him. It’s a bit of look and see after being gelded but if he holds his head right, I think he’s also in for a good campaign.  

“There’s been no positivity for us or the owners so it will be so good to get them back to the track and racing.”

SELECTIONS:

Race 1 – 1.15pm: ICL SIERRAFORM GT MAIDEN (1000m): 1 BUCKIN’ RIPPA, 2 Rifles, 3 At The Helm, 4 Phoenician Queen.

Race 2 – 1.50pm: SYNGENTA POSTERITY 2YO MAIDEN (1200m): 1 STAGECOACH MARY, 2 Cryptogram, 3 Dynamic Impact, 4 Darlene.

Race 3 – 2.25pm: TURFCULTURE THUMPER MITICIDE MAIDEN (1350m): 1 SURF SONIC, 2 Confinement, 3 Mensa Missile, 4 Bottoms Up Babe.

Race 4 – 3.05pm: BAYER IDEMNIFY CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1000m): 1FOX SPIRIT, 2 Sacred Sword, 3 Vinci Lady, 4 For Love.

Race 5 – 3.40pm: FLORATINE FOLIARS PROV & CTRY MAIDEN (1200m): 1UPRISE, 2 Sending Love, 3 Sepplime, 4 Moinda.

Race 6 – 4.15pm: SPORTS TURF SOLUTIONS CLASS 2 HANDICAP (1200m): 1APOLLO PRINCE, 2 Laila De Vega, 3 Screenager, 4 Margie Bee.

Race 7 – 4.50pm: TURFCARE AUSTRALIA CONDITIONAL BENCHMARK 70 (1600m): 1 SUCCENDAM, 2 First Lady, 3 Elaborate, 4 Time Raid.

Race 8 – 5.30pm: ECO BUNKER AUSTRALIA BENCHMARK 64 (1350m): 1 BELLE DE VEGA, 2 Asudem, 3 Singing River, 4 Galahad’s Quest.