Wyong preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, June 8, 2025

If only Hall Of Famer Clarry Conners could count on the equine Iceman as much as he did his two-legged namesake, he would be sure of tallying up his 150th career win at Wyong.
Conners, a four-time Golden Slipper-winning trainer among other things — bought, part-owns and of course trains Iceman.
It was only natural that we asked him if his name is a tribute to the Champion trans-Tasman jockey Grant Cooksley — aka 'The Iceman'.
'I wish he was,' Conners joked.
'But no, he was a pretty easy horse to name after his mother (Ice Girl).
Mention Conners, and the first jockey that comes to mind is Shane Dye, but it was in fact Cooksley who holds the singular honour and distinction as judged by Conners himself.
Photo! ðŸ'¸
Iceman gets there in a photo for Clarry Conners and Andrew Adkins! @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/WPVXVLtNqi
â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 16, 2024
The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer.
'Grant Cooksley rode the best horse I ever had,' Conners said. 'And Cooksley reckons he was the best horse he ever rode.
'I'll never forget him.'
That horse is Mouawad.
A year younger brother to Octagonal, Mouawad won seven of his eight career starts and was widely acknowledged as a certainty-beaten at the other in mid-January, 1997 at Royal Randwick.
'He was on the fence and he never got out,' Conners recalled.
After that, Mouawad and Cooksley were never beaten, sweeping the Debonair, Australian Guineas, Futurity Stakes and George Ryder in succession.
Then a sensation.
'He was the favourite for the Doncaster but the day before, he bumped himself in the pool, it was nothing but the owners decided to send him to stud which was stupid,' Conners said.
Mouawad served 32 mares in the spring 1997 but 29 of the mares failed to go in foal.
The three that did, all delivered dead foals.
With his stud seemingly over before it started, a racetrack return was on the radar.
'I tried to buy him back and I ran out of money,' Conners explained.
'I formed a syndicate for half a million dollars and that was as far as we were going to go and then Y. P Cheng from Domeland bought him for $550,000 and took him to China to go to stud.
'If you can work that out, I can't.'
Conners, meanwhile, has had his work cut out working the somewhat enigmatic Iceman out but is getting there.
'He is still a work in progress,' Conners said.
'He is a bit of a dumb horse. I put the nose-roll on him because he gets his head up and he's looking around but the penny will drop one day I hope.'
The nose-roll has, it seems, to be propelling Iceman closer to adding to his single Warwick Farm victory with back-to-back thirds, one of them unlucky, during May ahead on his quest in The Enterance Leagues Club Class 1 Handicap (1600m).
'His last two runs have been pretty good and he has drawn a barrier so that will help a little bit,' he said.
'It is a nice race for him on Sunday.'
SHAYNE O'CASS' TOP SELECTIONS
BEST BET
Race 2 No. 10: RAINBOW GODDESS
Daughter of Zanbagh placed at four of eight starts in superior company, most times.
NEXT BEST
Race 1 No. 1: GOLDEN STRAAND
Blue blooded Snitzel colt in the Gerry Harvey colours. Trialled well enough to win.
VALUE BET
Race 6 No. 3: MIZELLA
Kim Waugh-trained local who looks ready and able to see out the 2000m now.
QUADDIE
Race 5: 3, 9, 11, 12
Race 6: 3
Race 7: 2, 4, 9
Race 8: 5, 8
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
ALYSHA COLLETT has a decent book and will be popular with punters across the day.
INSIDE MAIL - WYONG
RACE 1: EZY PROJECTS - BUILDING MADE EASY MAIDEN HANDICAP 1100m
GOLDEN STRAAND (1) is a Gerry Harvey-owned and bred colt by Snitzel out of Kryptelon who was a nine-time winner including the Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich. A half to VRC Sires' placegetter, Fling, this colt has trialled well enough to suggest a winning debut is well within reason. SWEXAN (2) is bred to get two miles (his dam is by Melbourne Cup placegetter Jakkalberry) but could easily run well here on debut.
RAINBOW GODDESS (10) is a valuable daughter of Exceed And Excel out of Zanbagh who was well known to this mare's owners, the Taits, and trainer John Thompson. Rainbow Goddess has placed at half of her four starts, three of them seconds. Been in much better races than this one. INNCOURT (1) makes his Australian debut off two recent trials, winning the last one over 1200m. Miler but could run well fresh.
PRATT (2) had three starts for Chris Waller prior to him changing hands for $45,000 online in Feb, 2025. The now Mark Minervini-trained three-year-old had trialled well prior to his booming three-and-a-quarter length win at Newcastle on May 26. Can't vouch for the beaten brigade but he thrashed them just the same. HARLEX (1), who shares the same third dam as Yes Yes Yes and In Her Time, has come up with a favourable draw here. Ran well in a deep Class 1 on Scone Cup Day.
BRAVE CALL (1) was $17 into $14 when he made his Australian debut at Scone on Cup Day. The Kris Lees-trained gelding had the race snatched away right on the line by one of the locals. Mile again here, drawn 3 compared to 14 at Scone. Beautiful race for him. DIAMOND SHOW (4), a mare in-bred to Eight Carat no less, was miles too good when she won at Hawkesbury over the mile at Hawkesbury third-up. Only one word to describe her, progressive. ICEMAN (3) has claims.
MATETE (3) is a son of Dundeel out of Kimillsy who, like Matete, was trained by Kim Waugh for husband Mark and others. Matete's resume says he is unplaced in his four career starts but two are fourths, two are fifths and pretty respectable they were too. REVERBERATES (12) is a very well-bred Brad Widdup-trained filly who chased home an even better bred Brad Widdup mare, Diamond Show (see above) in that mile maiden. Peaking for this and hard to beat.
Bet: Matete to win, quinella 3,12 box trifecta 3, 9, 11, 12
MIZELLA (3) is a Kim Waugh-trained local by Winx's soon to be 2025 spring partner, Too Darn Hot. Mizella has won three of her 12 starts. Those wins were at 1000m, 1500m and 1600m which is a nod to her versatility but 2000m here looks both suitable and doable. Dundeel gelding WHETU (2) has raced at Wyong twice and won both times. One of them was over 2000m and he won by three-and-a-half lengths. Rock hard fit.
Bet: Mizella to win, box trifecta 2, 3, 6, 8, DD 1st Leg 3, 2nd Leg 5
RACE 7: SCAPE PROPERTIES CG&E BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP 1200m
FRENCH MARINE (2) is a rising eight-year-old and just two starts shy of 50. That said, the Kris Lees-trained son of Epaulette posted his seventh career win at Newcastle this time on May 26 and it would have to rank right up there with one of his easiest. Just need some luck late from the rails draw maybe. Not so DIVINE BENE (4). He can be counted on to be right up there on the speed throughout. Purpose-built for these Central Coast tracks.
Bet: French Marine to win, quinella 2, 4, box trifecta 1, 2, 4, 9
COCO DREAMING (5) has one win and three seconds from her eight starts but to be fair to the mare, she could have at least one or two more wins added to the present tally had it not been for circumstances beyond her control. We know that when she does have even luck, how good she can be. Keep in mind that the Angela Davies-trained chestnut has raced at Wyong twice for a win and a second. The last preparation of CANDY WOMAN (8) was short and a wee-bit sour but she is handy and the trial the other day was a sweet one.
Bet: Coco Dreaming to win, quinella/exacta 5, 8
BEST BETS
WYONG
BEST BET
R2 No.10: Rainbow Goddess
Daughter of Zanbagh placed at four of eight starts in superior company, most times.
NEXT BEST
R1 No.1: Golden Straand
Blue-blooded Snitzel colt in the Gerry Harvey colours. Trialled well enough to win.
BEST VALUE
R6 No.3: Mizella
Kim Waugh-trained local who looks ready and able to see out the 2000m now.
QUADDIE
Race 5: 3,9,11,12
Race 6: 3
Race 7: 2,4,9
Race 8: 5,8

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Watching women's sport not just for women: Experts talk on levelling the playing field

ABC News

an hour ago

ABC News

Watching women's sport not just for women: Experts talk on levelling the playing field

In 2023, a nation held its breath as the Matildas took on England in the FIFA Women's World Cup semifinal. What followed wasn't just a gripping match, it became the most-watched television broadcast in Australian history. A post-tournament social impact report from Football Australia revealed that 44 per cent of the audience comprised men and boys. For the first time, a women's football game outperformed every other program ever aired in the country, breaking the myth that women's sport only appeals to women. Former Matilda and lawyer Moya Dodd says we have come a long way in the past decade. "Ten years ago, no one would have believed it," she told ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport, at the recent RCB Innovation Lab Sports Summit in India. Women's sport has been marketed primarily to women, and that marketing often focuses on empowerment rather than excellence. But Dodd said the skill, determination, and passion on display deserves universal respect, regardless of the gender of those on the field. She said boys were already growing up idolising athletes like Sam Kerr, the same way they do male stars. "When young boys see professionalised women's sport, they accept it as normal," Dodd said. "They'll happily wear a jersey with Sam Kerr's name on it. "There is no social stigma." In India, the Women's Premier League (WPL) is emerging as a game-changer. The second season in 2024 reached more than 103 million TV viewers, with digital platforms like JioCinema drawing millions more. Brands are investing big: Viacom18 signed a $117 million deal for WPL rights, one of the most lucrative ever for a women's league. But framing isn't the only challenge. Dodd said structural barriers persisted across leadership, infrastructure, and media. "Sport was built by men, for men, and run by men," Dodd said. "You can't just retrofit women into those systems. You need to redesign them." Sarah Walsh, head of women's football at Football Australia, and a former Matildas player, said the Matildas' rise was made possible by constitutional changes in 2018 that brought more women into decision-making roles. "We wouldn't have had the success we did, equal pay deals, post-World Cup legacy funding, without women in the room deciding where the money goes," she told WINS. Dodd said although there had been ground made, there were other areas that needed to evolve. "Storytelling is still skewed toward men's sport," Dodd said. "We need commentary and coverage that welcomes new audiences, not one that constantly compares women's sport to men's." She stressed that female voices in broadcast and journalism played a vital role in shaping public perception. Both Dodd and Walsh indicated that with the right leadership, inclusive policies, and a reframing of how women's sport was presented, there was significant opportunity for growth and equity. They both believe growth on the field translates to growing the game off it. Walsh said infrastructure remained a silent but critical barrier to participation, with a number of community football facilities still not female friendly. "You're not going to retain girls if they simply can't get dressed," Walsh said. Meanwhile, teenage dropout rates among girls are high due to issues ranging from lack of safety to body image concerns. Major events like the Women's World Cup helped boost participation by 20 per cent, but retention is still a hurdle. Recent trends in viewership and sponsorship suggest that interest in women's sport is not limited by gender. It delivers economic, cultural, and social returns. With the Matildas' semi-final appearance in 2023 and the growing viewership of WPL, sponsorships have increased, new demographics are being reached, and male audiences are growing across markets. "Women's sport brings audiences that have come to celebrate inclusion and a sense of social purpose. And this audience includes people of all genders and ages," Dodd said. Dodd and Walsh believe these developments raise a broader question — no longer whether women's sport has a place, but whether existing structures are prepared to meet the growing potential. Veechika Durga Pingali is a freelance journalist based in Bengaluru, India, with experience in both journalism and public relations. She has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and enjoys writing about gender, media and sports. Veechika is part of ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.