Canterbury preview: Trainer Mark Minervini has his stable firing on all cylinders and is optimistic about the chances of his city-bound duo
Newcastle trainer Mark Minervini is enjoying a purple patch of form with his team with six winners from his last 15 starters and heads to Sydney optimistic about the chances of Bonjour Madame and Star Impact.
Bonjour Madame has made rapid progress to find herself in midweek company at just her fourth start after an encouraging debut third at Taree on February 25 before winning her next two starts impressively.
She to Taree with an all-the-way maiden win before stepping up to a Benchmark 64 at Wyong and proving too good for Broadway Follies and Reducio.
'She impressed me the other day with her win and she was well ridden by Braith Nock,' said Minervini.
🟡⚫ WINNER 🟡⚫
BONJOUR MADAME (3F ex Madame Trop Vite IRE) makes it two-in-a-row, winning at @WyongRaceClub on Thursday. The daughter of @Oaklandsstud PARIAH was a $17,000 purch. from @WillowParkStud at 2023 @mmsnippets Adelaide and just under $50,000 stakes @newcastleraces_ pic.twitter.com/Ni6unW0pPb
â€' Minervini Racing (@minerviniracing) April 17, 2025
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!
'He elected to take the sit behind the first two and when she sprinted in the straight, I thought she was pretty good for a filly only having her third race start and who still have a bit of improvement in her.
'It was a decent step up in grade to go to a provincial Benchmark 64 at Wyong.'
The three-year-old steps out in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) where she has 57.5kg with Tim Clark to ride.
'One of the reasons we booked Tim is because he is such a great on pace rider and the other is how well he rides at Canterbury,' Minervini said.
'I'm not too concerned by the heavy track, he two wins were on the soft and she was very good.
'My only little query is barrier 7. I'm hoping for another scratching or two from the race.
'If she is as strong through the line as she has been, then you would think she would have to be in the finish.'
Stablemate Star Impact is the outsider of the field in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1550m) but Minervini expects her to be very competitive.
The six-year-old had no luck when slow away at Wyong over 1350m first-up before an improved run stepping up to 1600m when a length-and-a-half fifth to Fiftyfivechevy at Newcastle on April 12.
'I thought stepping up from 1350m to a mile second-up, she was there at the top of the straight to be right in the finish but her condition just gave out the last 100m or so,' he said.
STAR IMPACT (5m ex Bella Cantata NZ) is engaged @aus_turf_club Royal Randwick (Kensington) Wednesday. The daughter of MIKKI ISLE (JPN) was a super @newcastleraces_ (replay) winner last time. @nashhot rides @The_Agency_ BM72 over 1550m. @balius_farm @inglis_sales @ArrowfieldStud pic.twitter.com/Q00mX9DZBd
â€' Minervini Racing (@minerviniracing) July 15, 2024
'She has taken good benefit out of that and I expect her to go there just about at her peak.
'I think she gets in very well at the weights with 52.5kg after Molly's (Bourke) claim.
'The heavy track won't bother her, she really appreciates the sting out of the ground, especially as she has gotten older.
'While she hasn't won on town, she has always acquitted herself well and has placed a couple of times including a Midway last year and she never been as well weighted as she is this week.
'It wouldn't surprise me at all if she shook the life out of this race.'
Meanwhile, trainers Robert and Luke Price have elected to bring Island Dec back in grade and distance hoping she can get a confidence boosting win in the Benchmark 72 (1100m).
The three-year-old scored a first-up win at Canterbury before contesting the Group 1 Surround Stakes and Group 3 P.J. Bell Stakes at her last two starts.
'Back in grade and back to 1100m to help her get the little one per centres right,' said Luke Price.
'I just want to teach her to settle better early in her races and finish off stronger.
'This is a good chance to help her do that and get her benchmark points up and get her confidence up.'
â– â– â– â– â–
Trainer Paul Shailer advised to be forgiving of the last start failure of Guarded Optimist and expects the gelding to bounce in a big way when he crosses the border.
Guarded Optimist was back from $3.80 into $3.10 favourite but only beat three home when eighth behind San Jose Boy over 1800m in a Benchmark 58 at the Gold Coast on April 11.
'It wasn't ideal. The track was playing in favour of leaders or those up on the speed and he just got back in the ruck where it was impossible to make ground,' said Shailer.
'It was a bit of forgive run, he has come through it really well thought and this looks his race to lose really.
The four-year-old drops back in grade and steps up slightly in distance when he contests the Class 1 and Maiden Plate at set weight over 1915m with Dylan Turner on board from barrier 2.
Guarded Optimist wins on debut for @FreedmanRacing 🛡�
Expect a rise in distance for this Almanzor gelding 😉 @bennallen44 pic.twitter.com/ZKpQX11YPe
â€' Racing.com (@Racing) June 20, 2024
Turner rode the gelding when a length second behind Sacred Bull in an 1800m Class 1 at the Gold Coast on February 22 before Michael Rodd partnered him to a length second behind Ferino over the same distance in the same grade at Eagle Farm on March 12.
Those performances definitely put him right in contention here.
'From a soft gate, he should get a nice run in a race that lacks a fair bit of depth so he looks really well suited,' Shailer said.
'I'm sure he will be very hard to beat.'
Guarded Optimist has already proven to be a bargain buy for his owners including Newington Farm who purchased him as a tried horse on Inglis Digital last September for $2,250.
He was originally sold as a yearling at Karaka for $150,000 and then again at the NZB Ready To Run Sale for the same amount in 2022.
He is by Almanzor who won the French Derby (2100m) as well as the Irish Champion Stakes and Champion Stakes at Ascot and is from a daughter Hurricane Run who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Irish Derby among his four Group 1 victories.
'He was an ex-Freedman (Anthony and Sam) from Victoria who won his first start then lost a bit of form after that.
'He looks like a horse that is we can stretch him out over a bit of a trip, he might be able to win a few races.'
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News.com.au
6 days ago
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Shayne O'Cass' Warren, Corowa Monday tips, inside mail
Form analyst Shayne O'Cass presents his best bets, value selection and quaddie picks for NSW racing at Warren on Monday, plus his tips for Corowa. ■■■■■WARREN TIPS BEST BET Been costly indeed but consistent at the same time and this looks perfect. Put the writing on the wall first-up that a win was close at hand. VALUE Race 7 No. 10: Myalaby Huge run at huge odds when resuming. Has the form. QUADDIE Race 6: 4,11 Race 7: 1,2,10 Race 8: 3,12 Race 9: 3,11 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW Clayton Gallagher has a grand book of rides at Warren on Monday. ■■■■■RACE 6 Miss Clamarosa has one win, four seconds and a third from her 11 starts. As well as that, she has three fourths and one fifth, spanning Victoria and NSW. She has been effective from 1200m up to 2200m; thus a mile on a big track is bang on the money for her. Jasper's Way was $61 and 10th of 13 at Gunnedah last start. He should have been half the price and in the finish. Bet: Miss Clamarosa to win (best bet). Myalaby has raced 11 times for a win and four minor placings. She won a good quality maiden at Muswellbrook 1280m back in January; perhaps not as strong as this Benchmark 58 is? Whatever the case, she was the eye-catcher first-up at Wellington, charging late over 1100m. I'm Scarlett only won a Picnic Trophy at Moree last start but go back three runs to her last win and she beat Magnace. Bet: Myalaby  to win, exacta 10 to beat 2, Daily Double 1st Leg 10, 2nd Leg 3. RACE 8 Insightful Award has won three races at 1000/1100m but her runs at 1200m are better than they read. Big run at Quirindi last start and Warren is a more favourable track to her. Podcast had a change of address this year and since then she has raced three times (earning circa $20,000) thanks to a third, a win and a fifth. Go well again. Cheap Gas is a cleverly named son of Santos out of Talk Is Cheap. This Mudgee-housed gelding has shown glimpses on more than one or two or three occasions of being a better than country average horse. One thing we know for sure is that he has a powerful finish hence why Warren should be right up his alley. You wouldn't see too many easier maiden wins than what Kermitsapet handed in when she won at home at Taree on the slop. That's Better is a player. Bet: Cheap Gas  each-way. ■■■■■BEST BET Race 7 No. 3: Warpainted Shapes well here from the good draw at the mile again. NEXT BEST Race 6 No. 3: Amber Star  Promising Victorian that is back as well as she went out, seemingly. VALUE Race 3 No. 11: Miss Pepeha Has run some good races in quote strong maidens around the district. ■■■■■RACE 4 Miss Fennell has raced four times for a huge almost five-lengths Wagga maiden win on Australia Day which came after her three seconds, all of them pretty close margins and all of them behind decent quality horses in the area. Easy to like. Jato is back to 1200m from her honourable on-pace fourth in a strong edition of the Wagga Guineas. Fresh up and beat a very, very good lot at her only 1200m start thus far. Bet: Miss Fennell  to win, quinella 3,5. Pride Of Jezza has drawn wide and is nominated for a mile maiden at his home track at Wagga on Thursday. Worth noting that his personal best performance was at this venue and this distance last start (but he drew 2 that day). Admit this is a pure hunch but this big Tarzino gelding Swamped  (a $300,000 yearling) could pull out a big one at big odds. His first run in NSW was excusable. Bet: Pride Of Jezza to win, Swamped each-way. Amber Star is a lightly raced gelding that hasn't put a foot wrong really in his three starts. The C.V is third, second and then first, that win coming at Benalla in early February. Had two sweet jumpouts to get him ready for the return. Tycoon Artie has the race fitness advantage. More than that, he is in cracking form with two wins and two placings from his last four starts. Warpainted has raced eight times for two wins and a third but of much more significance, he has raced at Corowa twice for a win and a third. He is a son of the Rosehill Guineas winner D'Argento so he is a most adept miler and will probably go 2000m himself sooner or later. Shapes very well indeed here from the good alley and with the claim. Bold Triumph  has only won twice in 29 starts but has placed 11 times including two seconds into this. Can figure.
