Fresh off a terrific Saturday of racing for Hawkesbury’s feature meeting of the year last week, Gosford gets its time to shine with Gosford Gold Cup day.
Not as strong of a program as last week at Hawkesbury was but a few feature races we can sink our teeth into. Two Listed races (including the Gold Cup) and The Coast for three and four-year-olds has plenty of interest and quality.
The track is currently rated as a Soft 7 with the potential for an upgrade while the running rail is in the true position for the entire circuit.
Race 1 Two-year-old Handicap (1200m) @ 11:45am
Cork Harbour
Impressive win last start when he was able to lead all-of-the-way to win in comfortable fashion by a length to Astrologer, who came out and won at Canterbury on Wednesday. Will be further improved second-up and will be able to get into a prominent position with all the speed in the race drawn out wide. Progressive horse and will be hard to hold out here.
Overpass
Proving he has plenty of speed and is a handy Colt by Vancouver. His only miss was when finishing second behind the handy Gleneagles, who came out and bolted in last week at Hawkesbury, on debut. Must overcome the wide barrier here but if he can do so, he should be right in the finish.
Conexy can bounce back here and had a nice trial win leading into this first-up run while Aragain and Kalino both come out of Group 3 company last start behind Paulele, which rates very well for a race like this.
Selections: 4-7-3-2
Suggested Bet: Think Cork Harbour has plenty of improvement in him and will win this. Back Cork Harbour to win ($4.80).
Race 2 Benchmark-78 Handicap (1200m) @ 12:20pm
Henschel
Showed an impressive turn of foot to bolt in at Newcastle last start beating home Time For Victory by three lengths, who has went on to win since at Hawkesbury on Tuesday. Does rise in grade here but maps to get a gun run in the race and should get his chance if good enough.
Flat Heaven
Enormous run from the back behind the smart Lost And Running in a race dominated from the front. That was in Benchmark-88 grade so he drops back in grade here and comes in relatively well in the weights with apprentice jockey Campbell Rawiller’s three-kilogram claim.
I Am Power is a good fresh performer and is a big market and mounting yard watch in his first run in Australia. Blondeau could go well fresh and Rammstein was terrific first-up having narrowly been beaten by Olympic Legend. Should be further improved second-up.
Selections: 5-1-4-8
Suggested Bet: Tough race this one. No Bet.
Race 3 Class 3 Highway Handicap (1200m) @ 12:55pm
Bellastar
Terrific run last start when finishing second to the handy Ahead Start in a Highway race at Randwick. Has the wide barrier to contend with here but there looks to be a bit of speed drawn around her which she should be able to follow into a prominent role under Tim Clark. Should be right in the finish if she gets that run.
Entreat
Making a strong push for this four-year-old daughter of Denman who looks well over the odds here. Has a terrific overall record, missing the placings just twice in ten starts and she looks to get every possible chance from the gun drawn of barrier four. Looks progressive and may just be too sharp for these.
Mr Wong can bounce back after just getting too far back to win last start behind Ahead Start while Faatinaat and Jahbath both look to have claims on the rain-effected surface.
Selections: 8-5-11-18
Suggested Bet: Interest in Entreat but not enough confidence for a bet. No Bet.
Race 4 Three & Four-year-old Benchmark-72 Handicap (1600m) @ 1:30pm
Tectonicus
Staggered he does not hold favouritism here. He beat home Blesk last start, albeit Blesk came from a long way back on a day it was hard for backmarkers to run on. He draws perfectly here to get the gun run in behind the speed from barrier three and will appreciate the sting out of the track. Should be right in the finish.
Blesk
Ran on well behind Savoury and Tectonicus last start after coming from last to finish fifth. There does look to be a strong tempo in the race, which will give him his chance to run on from the back, and the improving track is a positive.
Perfect Radiance has been around some good form races and should find this a lot easier. Nyami has strong form and can run well here second-up while Montserrat could bounce back from last start on a wet track here.
Selections: 4-5-9-1
Suggested Bet: Backing Tectonicus to win with some confidence ($3.90).
Race 5 Benchmark-78 Handicap (2100m) @ 2:05pm
Parry Sound
Looks perfectly poised here third-up, where he has a record of two wins from three starts and stepping up to the 2100m. Big run last start when running third to Mr Dependable and a similar run here over the further trip will seem him go awfully close to winning this. May need a bit of luck being back in the field but if he gets the break, he should be hard to hold out.
So Wicked
Returned to form with a nice win last start at Canterbury over the 1900m. He should be able to find the front here once again and get a relatively soft time up on the speed. He will stick on well up on pace and give them something to catch.
Avion Fury chased home So Wicked well last start and the form prior is far superior to that of his rivals here with solid runs behind Toffee Tongue and Shared Ambition. Selica draws well and should be around the mark while My Swashbuckler was a dominant winner last start and could improve from that run up in distance again here.
Selections: 1-9-4-5
Suggested Bet: Hard to be too confident in these. No Bet.
Race 6 Listed Takeover Target (1200m) @ 2:40pm
Signore Fox
Primed for a top performance here third-up, where he has a handy record of two wins and a placing from five starts. He was a terrific winner two starts back when showing his powerful turn of foot to win the Group 3 Hall Mark. Should get a nice run in the race here and should appreciate the solid tempo expected to be set by Easy Eddie. The improving track is a positive for him and he should be hard to hold out here.
Enchanted Heart
Has strong claims here from barrier three, where she should get the run of the race just in behind the speed. She was burnt off last start behind Lost And Running but had excuses being three-wide no cover for the entire race. Start prior, she beat Lost And Running on a soft track, which she gets again here. Looks to have a lot in her favour and will be right in the finish.
Easy Eddie should find the front from barrier five and goes well on wet tracks while Grand Piano has claims to bounce back into form here on his more favoured soft track surface, were he has three wins and one placing from four starts on. Also is two wins form two starts second-up. Snitz has claims on the seven-day back-up and gets onto a wet track.
Selections: 1-4-5-2
Suggested Bet: Back Signore Fox to win ($3.70).
Race 7 Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2100m) @ 3:20pm
Polly Grey
Looks to have a lot in her favour here. Solid run last start behind Paths Of Glory in the J R A Plate and start prior won narrowly over Aliferous on a soft track, who she meets here again 2.5kg worse off in the weights. Draws well here and should be right in the finish.
Young Rascal
Could be extremely competitive in a race like this if he is close to his best. Made no impression last preparation in his first prep with new trainer Archie Alexander but last time he was in Sydney, when trained by William Haggas, he knocked off Mugatoo at Group 3 level last start on a Soft track before finding the Sydney Cup a step too far when he was a strong favourite. Has a strong first-up record of four wins and a placing from seven first-up runs and goes well on a Soft track, with four wins and a placing from six starts. Draws well here in barrier two and has a great chance here.
Entente should find the top from barrier one and will give them something to catch while Aliferous must have claims with the weight swing in her favour on Polly Grey from two starts back. Stockman likes a wet track and should be fitter third-up.
Selections: 1-15-6-9
Suggested Bet: Backing Young Rascal each-way ($14 win, $3.80 place).
Race 8 Three & Four-year-old The Coast (1600m) @ 4:00pm
Nimalee
Strong chance to bounce back here after getting swamped on speed in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes won by Nettoyer last start. Should find this far easier and looks the only leader in the race. Will appreciate the sting out of the ground with her excellent record of three wins and a placing from four starts on Soft tracks and will be right in the finish here.
Nudge
Massive run when she charged home up the rail, where you did not want to be late on the day, to finish a narrow second to Rocha Clock. She should be fitter for the run and while this is tougher, she steps up to her most ideal trip of the mile and maps well.
Brandenburg could give this a real shake at his best while All Saints Eve also comes out of that same race as Nimalee behind Nettoyer and should appreciate the wet track here. Arapaho could be the big improver in his second Australian start after a solid run behind Rocha Clock first-up.
Selections: 1-3-2-4
Suggested Bet: Back Nimalee each-way ($6.50 win, $2.30 place).
Race 9 Benchmark-78 Handicap (1200m) @ 4:40pm
April Rain
She is getting short enough in the market now, but she looks awfully hard to beat in this. She showed last preparation she has a serious turn of foot and could go to that next level and win some quality races off the back of this. First-up last preparation, she bolted in to win by nearly four lengths beating Kaptive at Canterbury on a Soft track, which she gets again here. Should sit just off the pace and be able to round these up and win.
Exotic Ruby
Could go well fresh here and draws perfectly in barrier two to get her chance to be right in the finish here. First-up last preparation, she narrowly missed beating the handy Lillemor at Rosehill before bumping into the then in-form Vulpine the start after. She has trialled up well leading into this and should be in the finish.
Instant Attraction should be better second-up here and will appreciate the sting out of the track while Willowheart will likely settle more prominent from barrier one.
Selections: 1-5-3-6
Suggested Bet: Back April Rain to win ($2).