Dubbo best bets, inside mail for Friday, June 6, 2025
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form analyst Shayne O'Cass provides his best bets and quaddie analysis for Dubbo on Friday.
The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
DUBBO TIPS
BEST BET
Race 1 No. 1: FUEL THE JET
Six-year-old having only his second start but it talented. Drawn one.
NEXT BEST
Race 2 No. 2: BLUE DE BEERS
Local juvenile on debut from a top yard armed with some excellent trials.
VALUE BET
Race 7 No. 11: CUMNOCK
Has the lowest rating in the field but is a local on the way up.
QUADDIE
Race 5: 1, 10
Race 6: 2, 6, 11, 7
Race 7: 1, 11
Race 8: 1, 2
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
KODY NESTOR could skip out to an early lead in the TAB Jockey Challenge.
INSIDE MAIL - DUBBO
RACE 1: WESTSIDE HOTEL COUNTRY BOOSTED SHOWCASE 3YO & UP MAIDEN HANDICAP 1000m
FUEL THE JET (1) was bred to win the AJC Derby; his sire Starcraft did as did another one of his close relations, Dr Grace. Fuel The Jet has spent plenty of time in the hanger bearing in mind that this is the six-year-old's second start. Has talent, trialled well. ANDALE (2) makes his debut at home from a good draw. Trialled well three times, two of them here at Dubbo. Vormista's son, BEAUMISTA (4) sent out good signs first-up. Hails from an astute stable.
Bet: Fuel The Jet to win
RACE 2: KINGS HALL JEWELLERS SHOWCASE SILVER GOBLET - 2YO HANDICAP 1100m
BLUE DE BEERS (2) is a Clint Lundholm-trained local dealt the visitors draw but there are only nine runners so it could have been worse. Both trials have been fantastic but he is giving away race experience to all rivals. The only winner in the Goblet is JOSEPHINE (3) who beat the Star Kingdom winner, Gemologist at Gunnedah. REGAL PROBLEM (6) ran third to Hidden Motive on debut.
Bet: Blue De Beers to win, quinella 2, 3
RACE 3: PRECISION HEALTH CARE SHOWCASE SUPER MAIDEN PLATE 1300m
LORD VETTORI (4) could be saved for another venue on another day given the draw. In his absence, all roads lead to CURRUMBIN ALLEY (1) who is bred to be a miler, maybe even more, so all credit to the son of Vancouver (out of a Savabeel mare) for his half-length second at Gunnedah over 1250m. Drawn 1, 1300m and every extra metre assists. GRANDINI (10) was passed late first-up by Zelestial who might be above average.
Bet: Lord Vettori to win or of scratched, Currumbin Alley to win
RACE 4: DUBBO RSL CLUB WINTER COUNTRY CLASSIC QUALIFIER CG&E BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP 1300m
SPEEDY HENRY (2) has two wins and a third from four starts. He was $3 in a TAB Highway on April 26 at Randwick and had excuses for what was still a pretty creditable run. He's not an outright 'good thing' here but it would be hard to make a case for something to beat him. The one most likely, if at all, is the Brett Robb-trained WASTED DAYS (5) who might well go around later in the day as an emergency (Race 6). INVASIVE (1) has come back really well.
Bet: Speedy Henry to win
RACE 5: DUBBO RSL CLUB WINTER COUNTRY CLASSIC QUALIFIER F&M BENCHMARK 58 HANDICAP 1300m
ZELESTIAL (10) came to Australia with two runs in Ireland on her C.V, the first was a fifth to subsequent Group 3 winner Givemethebeatboys. The Lyle Chandler-trained daughter of Zoustar trialled like a bomb before her winning debut at Tamworth where she got a great ride. Scratched from Taree on Thursday to run here. WILLINGA KARISMA (1) has the home ground advantage. She's never been closer to a win. MISSY MOSS (9) has a bad draw but Bullock will help with that.
Bet: Zelestial to win
RACE 6: WESTERN PLAINS AUTOMOTIVE COUNTRY BOOSTED SHOWCASE CLASS 1 HANDICAP 1100m
PRESSNELL (2) is a genuinely talented son of Press Statement, hence the name, think Max. This big, bold gelding has a win, a second and two fifths from his four starts. This was already a very winnable race for the Mack Griffith-trained galloper but his chances went up when he drew 2 and Bullock booked. SORRENTO PALACE (6) aims to, and can, snap a sequence of three consecutive seconds, keeping in mind that the last two were by very narrow margins indeed.
Bet: Pressnell to win, quinella 2, 6, box trifecta 2, 6, 11, 7
RACE 7: FARDELLS HEAVY HAULAGE & CRANE HIRE SHOWCASE BENCHMARK 82 HANDICAP 1000m
CUMNOCK (11) has the lowest Benchmark rating in this race; he's on 60, the ones at the top are both on 77. That said, he is a last start winner on the move. Was to run in the Highway on Saturday but is way down the list so run here instead where he is two from two at the track and trip. IRON HAT (1) has won six races with 12 placings. Famously unlucky at times, the Jan Bowen-trained chestnut has mixed and matched it in better races than this. ZAKOR (4) is good enough to win most country sprints; this one included.
Bet: Cumnock each-way, quinella 1, 11
RACE 8: EVERGREEN TURF | ELITE SAND & SOIL SHOWCASE BENCHMARK 82 HANDICAP 1400m
RHYTHM IS A DANCER (2) has won seven races in 27 starts with eight placings which is a fine achievement on his, and trainer Brett Cavanough's, behalf. Among those wins are a Country Cup at Scone and a Spring Cup at Tamworth where he beat Russley Crown each time as it happens. Walked in at Inverell last start. This is harder if only for the presence of another good, old trusty Scone resident namely THE DRAMATIST (1). That said, he needs things to pan out for him but when they do, he's city class.
Bet: Rhythm Is A Dancer to win
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Courier-Mail
3 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Sunrays ends stellar campaign in Show A Heart as trainer resists Group 1 JJ Atkins lure
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Champion jockey Tommy Berry believes classy filly Sunrays would have been competitive in next Saturday's Group 1 JJ Atkins but unfortunately he won't get to find out. The Kelly Schweida-trained Sunrays will now go for a spell after winning the Listed Show A Heart for two-year-olds over 1500m at Eagle Farm on Saturday. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Schweida then grabbed a double early in the card, with Cejay Graham piloting $20 chance Vodka Martini to victory in the 1000m Lightning Handicap, ahead of Austmarr ($7) and the Schweida-trained Metalart ($6) Owner Peter Moran may have been tempted to run her in the JJ Atkins (1600m) but he and Schweida will stick to their guns and send Sunrays for a rest. Asked if the supremely gifted filly, who has now won five of her six races, could have been competitive in the JJ Atkins, Berry didn't hesitate in his response: 'If she didn't run today then yes. 'The aim was to run today and then go to the paddock. But running today, I felt like she was on the way down now. I don't think she was at her best today. 'She was a little bit flat in the way she raced and she didn't travel up that well for me off the bridle so she's got improvement 'At her best, if she'd missed today and had the extra week in between runs, for her to run top three (in the JJ Atkins) wouldn't have been out of her means.' It would have been tough for Sunrays to back-up just seven days later in a long campaign that started in late January and finished with Saturday's mighty effort when the $3.20 favourite beat Jenni Gone Bonkers ($10) and Navy Pilot ($5.50) on a Soft 5 track. 'She'll be going straight for a spell now, so that was a great way to sign off her prep,' Schweida said. 'It was a great win, I don't think I've seen a jockey look more confident than Tommy did. 'He was pretty adamant she would be hard to beat, but she still had to tick the 1500m box and also the Eagle Farm box today. 'She's just so tough and she's done it all off her first prep, which is why we elected not to take her to the Group 1 next week (JJ Atkins). She's done a super job.' Sunrays will be sent for a spell after winning the Show A Heart. Picture: Trackside Photography Berry said he felt lucky to pick up the ride from regular jockey Cejay Graham, with the top Sydney hoop guiding her to wins in the Group 3 Ken Russell Stakes (1200m) on the Gold Coast and the Listed Bill Carter Stakes (1350m) at Doomben last month. 'Cejay had done a really good job on her before I picked up the ride,' he said. 'She gave me some really good insight into what she was like to ride, so that made things much easier for me. 'She's a lovely progressive filly, and I still think the best is yet to come with her. 'If you look at her frame she probably hasn't filled into it yet. She's still a bit narrow but there's nothing wrong with her heart, she had to dig deep today. 'It's very exciting to see what she can do over the spring.' Originally published as Sunrays heads for well-earned spell after ending successful campaign with victory in Show A Heart at Eagle Farm
Courier-Mail
3 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
‘Biggest certainty ever for the Melbourne Cup': Aidan O'Brien takes another swipe at Jan Brueghel scratching
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. 'We thought he was the biggest certainty ever for the Melbourne Cup last year.'' This was Irish training genius Aidan O'Brien's comment at Epsom Downs overnight when asked about the controversial scratching of his top stayer Jan Brueghel just days out from the Melbourne Cup last spring. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Jan Brueghel, who gave O'Brien a 10th win in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom's Oaks Day meeting, was Melbourne Cup favourite only to be withdrawn by Racing Victoria veterinarians just days prior to the famous Flemington two miler. O'Brien was asked about the Melbourne Cup controversy after Jan Brueghel, who was the unbeaten winner of the English St Leger last year, held off favourite Calandangan in a Coronation Cup thriller. The champion Irish trainer has never won the Melbourne Cup but thought Jan Brueghel was weighted to win last year with 54kg. 'He was in with such a low weight. We thought he couldn't get beat, really,'' O'Brien said. O'Brien was at the US Breeders Cup meeting when Jan Brueghel was scratched from the Melbourne Cup and was critical of Racing Victoria's strict veterinary protocols. 'They made the decision and our vets didn't agree with that,'' O'Brien said at the time. 'They said there was a shadow in front and a shadow behind, but every three-year-old at this time will have shadows and fissures and have this and have that. 'There comes a point when it becomes ridiculous, the horsemen and women have been taken out of the picture.' O'Brien was asked at Epsom if Jan Brueghel would return for the Melbourne Cup this year and the Irish trainer replied emphatically: 'No, absolutely not!' O'Brien suggested Jan Brueghel is likely to be set for the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July and has not ruled out running the stayer in Europe's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October. Jan Brueghel was the first of two Group 1 winners for O'Brien at Epsom as he also trained the quinella in the English Oaks with Minnie Hauk defeated stablemate Whirl. Minnie Hauk was O'Brien's 11th winner of the English Oaks. Originally published as 'Biggest certainty ever for the Melbourne Cup': Aidan O'Brien takes another swipe at Jan Brueghel scratching after Coronation Cup success
Courier-Mail
3 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Hidden Motive triumphs in thrilling finish at Randwick
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Private Harry crew stuck again when Hidden Motive scrambled home at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Hidden Motive, the heavily backed favourite, just held off rank outsider Kujenga in a deceptively tight finish for the Precise Air Handicap (1100m). Sean Driver of Kurrinda Bloodstock was pleasantly surprised when his colt Hidden Motive was declared the winner. Racenet iQ members get full access to our Pro Tips service, where Greg and our team of professional punters provide daily tips with fully transparent return on investment statistics. SUBSCRIBE NOW and start punting like a pro! 'To be honest we didn't think he got the bob,' Driver said. 'But he's a tough horse and was able to win in conditions that didn't suit. 'He will go home now to our farm in the Hunter Valley for two weeks and the big aim is the Coolmore (Stud Stakes) in the spring.' Talented colt Hidden Motive, trained by Nathan Doyle and ridden by Ash Morgan, was backed from $1.95 into $1.65 favouritism and just held off $81 bolter Kujenga to win by a nose with Matima ($3.80) a long head away third. Hidden Motive, a stablemate of Kurrinda Bloodstock's exciting unbeaten sprinter and The Everest contender Private Harry, scored his second successive win to complete a promising two-year-old season. 'We feel he is a four-five lengths better horse than what he showed today,' Driver said. 'He overraced, he got pestered in front and did a bit of work there. He will improve a lot. 'Wait until you see him on top of the ground. At home what he shown us, he is absolutely electric.' Morgan, who has ridden Private Harry to all five wins including the Group 1 The Galaxy this season, also has big opinion of Hidden Motive's emerging potential. 'I thought it was a very good win,' Morgan said. 'He paraded a lot better than he has been and he was very relaxed and switched off. 'Probably that first ten or fifteen metres he was a little switched off, but I let him roll up. That horse (Dubbo Boy) came to him and we just fired each other up a little bit. 'So, it was a really good win. I know it was a very small margin but he was entitled to get beaten.' Hidden Motive was born and raised at Scone nursery, Cressfield, and was offered as part of their 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale draft. Purchased by Doyle Racing and Kurrinda Bloodstock, the colt's $120,000 price-tag belies his epic pedigree. For starters, Hidden Motive is a son of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Golden Slipper winner, Capitalist. On top of that, Hidden Motive is the fourth foal of his dam, Secret Agenda, whose seven career wins included the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide and Group 2 Sapphire Stakes in Sydney. Hidden Motive is another quality descendant of the racetrack champion and broodmare gem, Denise's Joy. Driver also revealed Private Harry has returned to Doyle's Newcastle stables to begin preparations for the Group 1 $20m The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 18. 'Private Harry has been back in the stables for about two weeks and has put on between 65-80kg – and it's all muscle,' Driver said. 'He has grown about an inch-and-a-half, you've got to remember he's only three so he's still got that bit of growing to do. He looks outstanding.' Driver revealed Doyle is planning to give Private Harry two lead-up races into The Everest. 'We are going to The Shorts and then the Premiere Stakes before The Everest,' Driver said. 'He will have two barrier trials but whether the first one is in Newcastle – I'll be honest, he doesn't do much at home. He's very lazy. 'He has never beaten a horse home in trackwork. Nathan will have a horse going to Port Macquarie and it will beat him. 'If you're going off his trackwork, you might not sleep at night. But his IQ is through the roof. I imagine he will have his first trial at home, his second trial we'll come to Sydney, an exhibition gallop and then we'll go first-up.' Just 35 minutes after Hidden Motive's win, Doyle and Morgan completed an early brace when Hellfire Express scored more decisively than his stablemate in the Midway Handicap (1500m). Hellfire Express ($15) led most of the way and held off the late closing Convergent ($10) to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths with the unlucky Callistemon ($5.50) third just in front of favourite Engine Room ($4.60). Morgan's breakout season has included his first Group 1 win with Private Harry and another four stakes races. His Randwick double moved him to 98 wins on all tracks this season. But the in-form jockey is not about to rest on his laurels. 'I don't want to take a break,' Morgan said. 'I feel like I have worked too hard to take it easy now, so I'm just trying to roll while the momentum is good. It has been a magic season.' Originally published as Promising colt Hidden Motive has spring Group 1 target after digging deep for narrow victory at Randwick
